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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  Dodge dakota sport - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By fishngrl18 - April 23 - 2:00 am

  i had to replace the power steering unit after buying it from a private seller 2 months ago.

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  dodge intrepid sport - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By syncmaster3 - April 23 - 2:00 am

  I have had my 97 intrepid sport since new,has moon roof and trip computer,with autostick and 3.5 liter engine 214 hp,it has 97000 miles on it and has been a good car. the water pump and the timing belt has been replaced .transmission has not gave me any trouble although i keep the fluid changed.Sometimes when its cold it changes funny for about a min,done this since new.after that its ok, c rI had it on many a long trip and had been dependable. i also hate the wind noise the car delivers, the 97 and earlier intrepids,have also heard of this from the new ones also,but i dont know about this for sure!

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  Great SUV - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By UntleBud - April 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Durango at auction a year ago and love it! I bought the one 5.9 V8 to pull my boat, and the power makes it feel like theres nothing in tow. If I buy another, I will be looking for 4 wheel anti-lock brakes standard, and more room in the backseat! There is plenty for the Driver and Passanger, but none behing them.

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  Nice Look Weak Engine - 2000 Dodge Avenger
  By Icekool - April 22 - 2:00 am

  I just recently bought the 2000 Avenger Es & I think it is a great car for the money... It is sharp looking and has some pep to it. The only downfall is it looks faster than it drives...

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  Screwed? - 2002 Dodge Caravan
  By Norris Leach - April 20 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is very good to drive.Handles well in traffic and seems to have power enough for city driving.Very comfortable and handles six passengers with ease.Visibility is good with pick-up style rear view mirrors.The one thing I do not like is the Mitsubishi 4 cyl.Quiet on the road,but at low speed I can hear rumbles of bearings it seems.

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  Grand Caravan overall review - 1997 Dodge Ram Van
  By Phil Balyeat - April 17 - 2:00 am

  Just got new Michelein tires and paid $277 to stop a couple of little oil drips under van.Otherwise this has been a very reliable vehicle to drive.

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  The Poor Mans Viper - 1997 Dodge Avenger
  By OakleyJohn - April 16 - 2:00 am

  This is a wonderful car. I bought it with 73,000 miles on it. I have at it for over 6 months now and it is a great car. The Avenger seems to get a bad rap, only because there were some major flaws in the ES V6, but the STD 4 CYL runs great. Turning ratio is a bit annoying, but hey a small price to pay for such a low maintainence car that packs a wallop! Overall the Avenger is a great car, if you buy the STD 4 CYL.

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  Not a bad van - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By William Hendricks - April 16 - 2:00 am

  Ive had the van 3 weeks now and it is certainly the quietest engine ive had in some time. The comfort inside is great and the view of the road is perfect. Car drives great. Not the best car at taking turns and can be slightly shaky in poor weather conditions. Not good on gas. Other then that its slightly above average.

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  Sweet Ride - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By Silver RYno - April 15 - 2:00 am

  I bought My Quad Last year based on the Versatility and Awesome looks. I knew, before buying, that I would be getting fair gas mileage (4.7L V8 4X4). Well I was right, due to city driving, I have been getting 13 mpg. When I do get to take it out on the Highways I get around 16-17. 2 Small things that have gone wrong since I bought it: A vacum Hose broke 2 weeks after I bought it (fixed for free), and My hazards come on sometimes when I use my turn signal (not fixed yet). But Those are really is my only complaints. I Love driving it! It looks awesome and it does everything I ask of it from hauling my 5 friends to hauling fire wood. Love My Toy!!

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  Big Mistake - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By luv4tanner - April 14 - 2:16 pm

  My 2007 Dodge SXT Nitro is loud and has no power. It makes a noise. I thought it was only mine but I went and tried out another one out and it made the same noise. I thought the engine was ticking, but i had it checked out and they said it was supposed to sound like that. Its very uncomfortable to ride in. The seats sit up way too high. You dont have much foot room in the floor on the drivers side. Plus it would have been nice if they would have made it where your lights would cut on at night and cut off when the car cut off. The seats in the back needed to be moveable where I could move them back a little because the Dodge company put cupholders in the floor and my son is using them as a foot stool.