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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  2005 SRT-4 - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By MoparSRT-4Life - February 4 - 10:59 am

  I have always wanted a turbo-charges street legal car, and Im a big Mopar fan, so why not. I bought an ACR Srt-4 Orange blast Neon. I have been researching them since they came on to the car scene in 2003, Couldnt get my hands on an ACR because only a limited amount of them where made in 2005. But finally found one, and got a great deal for the performance I got! All I can say mainly about this car is that ultimately if youre looking for something with power, and dont want to spend tons of money, buy an SRT-4. Dont let people fool you, its not just a Neon!

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  Im so happy - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By DJJ - February 4 - 10:09 am

  Im from Europe and I just bought Dodge Caliber. I love it, I really do. It gives security and pleasure at same time. My family is very happy with a choice. For money, there is no better choice. I search for best car for me about 6 months, and this is by far the best on the market in segment and price range.

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  Great car, looks and drives great. - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By AJ - February 3 - 4:49 pm

  I just logged 22K on my Avenger and havent had any problems with it. I change my own oil, have the tires rotated and balanced and wash it every now and then. It really is a great car to drive, it doesnt have the power of the beefier 3.5L Avenger, but the 3.5l isnt getting the great gas mileage either. I consistently get about 27-29 Hwy/City per gallon. I can take a 5 hour trip (75MPH) and not have to stop for gas. The interior is a little "plastic", but its functional and has the beverage chiller to boot! I did not opt for the sport package they offered, but Ive seen others and it does add quite a bit of flair to exterior, it looks great as it sits though. Overall, its a great car.

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  Wonderful car - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By rick78 - February 2 - 10:00 am

  The accelarating is much better that hondas & tooyotas

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  Durango #1 never an Explorer again! - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By malta belle amore - February 2 - 10:00 am

  We had 4 Eddie Bauer Explorers before we purchased our Durango SLT Plus. We will never go back to an Explorer. We have an 8 cyl. and get better gas mileage than we did with a 6 cyl. Explorer. The Durango rides better, preforms better, less road noise, better gas mileage, better stereo system, and is an exceptional value.

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  Great Truck - 1996 Dodge Dakota
  By laxman84 - January 31 - 9:37 pm

  Awesome truck. Got it for an extremely low price five years ago. Has lasted 13 years of Wisconsin winters and only has a bit of rust under the passenger side door, which is quite an accomplishment. Made it to Colorado and back, and almost kept up with the Wranglers on the Jeep trails. Starts every time I need it to, no matter the temperature. Two weeks ago, -17, -15, -27, -2, and -19, and it started each morning. Little things have been going wrong, 4X4 light doesnt come on (but 4X4 stills works), cigarette lighter is busted, parking brake cable needs a replacement, and AC is out, but that is to be expected with a old truck. All in all, my next vehicle will be a Dakota

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  Love it - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By James - January 31 - 7:59 am

  We bought this avenger to travel. Using Amsoil synthetic oil we are running around 40 MPG. We love the car. Very nice sound system. Large trunk and tires larger than the competitors. Very nice design. I have been around performance cars and rebuild engines a very long time and this is a very nice car. Rated #1 in crash tests.

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  Not, so good - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By gavalladares - January 30 - 1:14 pm

  This is not a real good car, I thought It will start to break down after five years of the date was built. I got a 2006 and its down already. I had 14 months since I got it, and Im disappointed with it. I believe the problem I got now it has to do with the ignition coil, the other problem, I had it with the "check engine" light, The mechanic said it was the catalytic converter. The paint job is not very good, the back seat is uncomfortable, the interior materials used are cheap. The engine lacks torque. You cant expect more of it. You have to drive it with care. The back seats are uncomfortable.

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  No room to complain - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By Killian Tools - January 29 - 9:27 pm

  I bought mine over 5 years ago and Ive had little to no complaints. Ive had a body control module replaced and thats it! Its very fun to drive, lots of room, and its not the best on gas but what SUV is? Im keeping this one for a while longer but will consider another one after this one.

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  Nitro and Me - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By DAVID KULAK - January 29 - 8:16 pm

  I found the Nitro to be quiet yet powerful. The cabin noise is very low. This vehicle has plenty of power with the standard 210 hp. Its a joy to drive and park and the shifting of the automatic transmisson is quiet and smooth.