Overview & Reviews

One of America's most storied automotive brands, Dodge has been around since the early days of the auto industry. In the past couple of decades, it has revitalized itself to be a producer of aggressively styled and performance-oriented vehicles.

Two brothers, Horace and John Dodge, began the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle company in 1914, after having worked as manufacturers of bicycles and automotive parts. Their first vehicle was a touring car that proved a fast favorite with car buyers; it was soon joined by a roadster and a four-door sedan. By 1917, the company's model line had grown to include trucks. Dodge cars and trucks were used as staff vehicles and ambulances in World War I.

Dodge was briefly owned by a banking firm and subsequently sold by its new owner to the Chrysler Corporation in 1928. From there, the brand slowly evolved into the division responsible for trucks and performance-oriented cars. Post WWII, Dodge introduced vehicles like the military-inspired Power Wagon truck, Hemi-powered Coronet and the Royal Lancer; in addition, the manufacturer began offering dealer-installed air-conditioning.

Vehicles like the Dodge Dart and the Coronet kept the manufacturer in American driveways throughout the 1960s. That decade also saw the launch of one of Dodge's most iconic vehicles, the Charger. Dodge's muscle car was based on the Coronet platform, and featured a fastback roof line, hidden headlamps and a full-width taillamp panel. Best of all, the Charger could pack one heck of a wallop under the hood. A 318-cubic-inch V8 was standard, but buyers seeking maximum brawn could upgrade to a 426-cubic-inch, 425-hp Hemi V8. The company also introduced a Mustang-fighting pony car, called the Challenger, in 1970.

As with other American auto manufacturers, Dodge's fortunes started to slip in the '70s due to changing tastes and increased competition. The company was saved from extinction in the early '80s thanks to government loans and the sales success of its Omni and Aries economy cars (the former an attempted copy of the VW Rabbit). But 1984 was when Dodge made its mark in the history books with the introduction of the wildly popular Caravan. Ideal for families and able to seat up to seven, the space-efficient Caravan started a whole new vehicle segment -- the minivan.

The early '90s saw the company wow the public with the V10-powered Viper roadster and an all-new Ram pickup that set a new standard for big-rig-like styling. A few years later, Dodge came to be part of DaimlerChrysler, a result of the merger of the German company Daimler (owner of Mercedes-Benz) and Chrysler.

The merger never really worked, however, and Daimler sold Chrysler and Dodge to a private equity firm in 2007. Soon after, America's economy slid into recession. Due to poor sales and debt, Chrysler had to declare bankruptcy. The federal government intervened and eventually Dodge came under control of Fiat, a European automaker known for its small cars, an area where Dodge's entries had been roundly criticized for mediocre build quality and unrefined performance.

More recent years have seen Dodge concentrate on the more practical vehicles in its lineup, making notable improvements to the performance and overall quality of its midsize Avenger sedan and Journey SUV entries. Dodge also spun off its truck line, making it a separate Ram brand. But make no mistake; Dodge is still considered Chrysler's performance division thanks to cars like the Challenger and Charger. Time will tell how successful Dodge's latest makeover is.

User Reviews:

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  The Worlds Greatest Minivan - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By dodgefan - February 24 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle looks and drives as great as a sports car. The stereo is awesome, and the power- operated sliding doors and liftgate are useful and fun to use. If theres one thing that could be improved, its the flexibility of options. First of all, the base SE model has a very limited set of options. I would have gone for that, if rear air and power locks/windows/cruise control could be combined. Its good that this is possible for 2003. The Sport has many options, but the value is poor, and my wife wanted the power doors and liftgate, so we decided on the eX. Still, this van outclasses the Honda Odyssey in EVERY area but safety, only by a small margin.

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  Hemi Charger! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Randy - February 23 - 10:36 pm

  Hemi is great. Trip to Lake George, 2000 miles round trip averaged 24MPG not bad for this much power. Fun to drive. Easy to pass pretty much anything. Very comfortable. Pricy at $35,000 but worth it. My employee discount (Im an electrician at the brake factory) was $500 - for taking the DC loan.

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  Great Vehicle - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Jeff - February 23 - 10:36 am

  Every now and then you get a vehicle that you really like. This is only the second vehicle I have had that experience with. I put about 25,000 miles per year on it and it has never let me down. The amenities in the plus package make it a luxury SUV. The power makes it a real work horse. I plan on driving this one until the wheels fall off which at the rate were going will be a loooong time from now.

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  Second Time Around - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By jackie - February 20 - 2:56 am

  My first Durango was a pre-owned 99. It had 13,000 mi when I bought it over 4 yrs ago. By the time I decided to trade it in, it had over 100,000 miles on it. I didnt see anything else on the road that caught my eye, so I went back to what I know. This 2006 Durango is awesome! I even splurged for the 335hp V8 Hemi (what a rush :-) I was able to build my own Durango on line and pick it up at my local dealership. I didnt have to haggle over pricing or options. I love the smooth ride,the powerful engine, the power liftgate and 6 CD changer. My kids love the DVD and wireless headphones. Its perfect for family road trips and fits my lifestyle

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  Love It! - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By L Watkins - February 19 - 3:53 pm

  My husband and I bought this car new and I am the primary driver. I love this car. It has a big car ride without looking like it belongs to my grandparents. My husband is very tall and has a hard time getting in and out of it though. I can not believe that Chrysler quit making this car. Nice family car that looks sporty too.

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  Sweet Intrepid ES - 1998 Dodge Intrepid
  By crrusher - February 17 - 2:15 am

  This car is real cool, i love it. I just had a tranny problem but that was my own fault. I mean it is a little bigger than I like but the AC and heater are great and I love the leather. Oh and the 225hp is great

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  The Stratus is Awesome! - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By Rick - February 16 - 9:46 pm

  I love this car! Its very comfortable, the dash is cool with the racing style guages. An extremely enjoyable car to drive!

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  Dunbar van conversion - 2000 Dodge Ram Wagon
  By jedunbar - February 16 - 1:40 am

  We love our 2000 Dodge Ram van Glaval conversion. The ride is smooth and comfortable. We like the view from over other vehicles in case of traffic stops or bad road conditions. Our two concerns are: 1. We are over 70 and getting in and out are getting more difficult. 2. There is not enough foot room in the front. One foot has to rest on the wheel well while driving or riding as a passenger in the front.

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  Nice vehicle - 1998 Dodge Dakota
  By nsp98 - February 12 - 11:30 pm

  Plenty of space in the cab and decent headroom. The cloth seats are durable. The truck had 41,000 miles. The engine fan bearing was replaced so I checked for heat damage on the block. The gaskets and seals were original w/ no leaking. Rides nice, even when I pulled a lawn tractor/trailer.

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  My 2004 Dakota - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By Danny Cole Sr. - February 11 - 1:52 pm

  This is a fun truck to drive. I have the 3.7litre V6 with 5 speed transmission. This truck does respond very good with the V6 engine The comfort is good with enough room to seat myself and my wife comfortably. We enjoy this truck. And we like the body style.