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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  awesome - 1994 Dodge Viper
  By gcpocd - July 24 - 11:27 am

  my 94 viper rt10 is a true show car.everywhere i go people react like they cannot believe this car is on the road.I cant go anywhere with out some body yelling out or following me.taking pictures or cam corder . I love the attention the car brings.i have had many different sports cars this by far is the most attention grabber to date.

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  So Far So Good - 2011 Dodge Durango
  By the_lab_rat - July 15 - 6:45 pm

  A joy to drive. Great acceleration for a 5K Lb SUV. Still under the initial 1K mile first service and the MPG has been just about double that of my 99 Dakota 4X4 standard cab with the 318. Very little push in the corners, and less body roll than I had prepared myself for. (test drove a crew as there were no R/Ts available at the time of purchase). Only 2 options that I ordered were Trailer&Tow and Entry Level NAV.

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  Great family & work vehicle! - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By jdhand32 - July 7 - 3:06 pm

  Great vehicle for road trips with family, fun around town, or as an everyday driver. I use it for work and average around 1k miles a week. The selling points on the Durango are ride quality and interior features. It has a super smooth ride with great handling for a vehicle its size. It also has several nice bells and whistles that Dodge puts into its higher end vehicles (ipod connection, bluetooth, sat radio, etc.). The downsides are also there though. Poor gas mileage, minimal second row leg room, and a little more road noise than some prefer. It also has great cargo room and a great sound system.

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  my 2000 intrepid 2.7L V6 automatic gets 20city 30hwy mpg - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By wolfmagic - July 2 - 10:55 pm

  my intrepid 2.7L V6 automatic 4-sp 202hp 244,000 kms continuously gets 20city 30hwy mpg - calculated many times since 2008 per: fillup, note odo, drive 3/4 tank, fillup at same exact pump, run formula. and thats with 2 passengers, a full trunk @70 lbs, a headlamp-sized hole in the front end causing drag, a/c on, rear windows 2" open for convertible effect, 70-80F, going 68-70mph on canadian hwy. city driving includes ample stops/lights/traffic. style is semi-aggressive aka giving-gas when in doubt to merge, overtake, make yellows, off the line, as necessary. i have to wonder if brutally cold winters somehow plays a role (its all the car has known)

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  My Intrepid Rocks - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By doctorsib - June 30 - 12:12 pm

  My 1997 Dodge Intrepid was my first car...I bought it for $2,000 and Ive had it for about 4 years. It just hit 200k miles and is still going strong! This car is fantastic...its fast enough (at least mine is) to keep up with other newer, sportier cars, has great handling, is a tank (some idiot sideswiped me when I was going about 35 mph...his whole bumper came off, and I got a little dent in my door), and is even decent in the snow and in icy conditions! Ive had to invest very little into the upkeep, replacing less than $1,000 worth of parts in the entire time Ive had it, excluding the cost of tires and oil changes. Extraordinarily reliable...=)

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  My first brand new vehicle what a bust - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By pearlmelodey - June 21 - 4:55 pm

  I am shocked that the issues with this vehicle has not been recalled for safety and public relations. My locks have gone out twice now, i replaced them only to have them go out again, door openers broke on both front doors. and air conditioning quit. locks and a/c are both electrical problems. Live in Texas can we say heat exhaustion in June...triple digit temps and I have no air. This is unacceptable. These are clearly factory defects that should be replaced at no cost to the owner. Did i mention I cant even open my hatch because there is only one key lock on truck. Im livid with the vehicle the company and the local dealership could care less..just that almighty dollar. B.S.

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  WHY ARE THE TIRES/BRAKES ON THIS CAR SO BAD??? and - 2011 Dodge Journey
  By candy101 - June 14 - 6:39 pm

  I HAVE NEVER Prayed for my warranty to expire EVER on any car but thats just what I did with this car! Hands down it is the best car as far as size, comfort, sporty even. But, there is NO REASON, I should be looking at buying ANOTHER set of tires and BRAKES! I have 35,000 miles and need them again. I replaced all 4 tires at 17,000 miles and the brakes then too. THIS IS A defect! And from what I can tell with reading other reviews, ITS NOT ME! When I go to have my oil changed the attendants will call over their buddies to see the car that needs its third set of tires and third set of brakes. ITs STUPID. Not to mention the Rear transaxel went out at 15,000. Get a chevy!

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  Wasnt sure about the Nitro but... - 2011 Dodge Nitro
  By evey1 - June 3 - 5:30 pm

  We purchased our Dodge Nitro December 2010. I read all of the reviews..poor performance but good reliability it said. After driving it for 6 months, I can say it is 100% reliable, excellent in the snow. I did not have a worry and made it to work in all of the snow. The interior isnt glamorous..could use a better design to match the exterior. Plenty of trunk space which I love having 2 kids. My husband talked me into buying this truck ..and I am pleasantly surprised..I love driving it.

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  Good car - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By cincykayaker - May 31 - 3:13 pm

  I got screwed by the dealership... The sold me a demo saying they were going to discount it $2k and then they secretly added it back in and smooth-talked me into believing they were honest until I went home and double checked the math. But this car has been reliable as hell even though it has been a gas hog. I blame the dealership and Dodge Headquarters for not responding to my complaint... but the vehicle itself is not to blame.

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  do not buy this car - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By knight1988 - May 25 - 10:11 pm

  I am a 21 year old. This is by far the worst car I have ever owned. The first year was okay, Purchase car 4/11/08 from 2 owner WITH 94K. Motor start go BAD 104K AND TRANS TOO ON 5\23\11. Also the power window motor went out 3 time. Water pump went bad too. service and change oil and fluids every 1500 miles. First, the car started burning oil too fast. I was putting about 3 quarts of oil in it every weeks. Daimler-Chrysler should be ashamed of this 2.7L engine. i will never buy dodge again