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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  2001 Dodge Dakota 4dr 4wd - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By dakuhn - January 24 - 2:00 am

  Has been a pleasure to own.

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  Best regular lenght minivan - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By Ozzie - January 23 - 2:00 am

  I needed a short wheelbase minivan that would have excellent both excellent ride and handling. Test drove the Mazda MPV,but it rode like our Escape mini SUV, noisy and uncomfortable. After test driving the Caravan, it surprised me with its ride , handling, low noise and agility for its size. being the widest minivan helps too, in being able to fit so items that otherwise would not fit in other minivans in its class. The biggest surprise is that it is more economical than our V6 4WD Escape. Checked the Edmunds longterm grand caravan before deciding to buy this van, thanks Edmunds for your longterm test.

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  My Durango compared to older model - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Frank Mize - January 20 - 10:00 am

  The 2004 model year is much larger than the older models and rides much smoother. The older model would get a little squirly on dirt roads. The large V-8 Hemi has loads of power, and can tow most anything the average pereson would wish to tow.

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  1990 Dodge Dakota LE - 1990 Dodge Dakota
  By Allen - January 19 - 2:00 am

  This truck is a top quality truck. Its not quite a compact truck and not quite a full size truck, therefore its a mid-size. It can haul more than my friends 1998 Ford F-150 and its more reliable. The only bad thing about it is its transmission. Its transmission went around 74,000 miles and now i have 80,000 miles on it. I would recommend this truck because its fun and reliable.

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  Great All Around Useful Vehical - 2000 Dodge Caravan
  By EllementDave - January 19 - 2:00 am

  The van has been great for all around use. From hauling bricks and lumber for home projects to carrying kids for the little league team. Mini-Vans get no respect, but for all around use this Van would be hard to beat. 26k on road during family trips with loads of room. The caravan handles better than the bigger grand caravan and unless you need the added room it seems to perform better all around. The 6 gives it enough power.

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  Smart Car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Scott - January 18 - 5:00 am

  I love that the mechanical design is simple. Its easy and cheap to maintain. No timing belt/internal water pump to worry about. I can change the spark plugs or fuel injectors in 20 minutes. Well planned. The car is very composed on the road and easy to drive. It seems well-balanced and feels lighter than it is (3,000lbs). Steering is sporty, acceleration is adequate with the 2.0L but wont win any races. I have a creaking drivers seat, but the dealer should fix that. Also my knee runs into the center console. Other than that, no complaints. I recommend this car. It has a lot more character than anything else for $16,500.

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  Chysler needs to work on this one. - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By fjb - January 18 - 2:00 am

  I have had nothing but trouble with this car. As soon as the warranty expired, I was continually replacing sensors. Even worse, at 39000 miles we had to replace the transmission!

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  Fastest K-car from the factory! - 1991 Dodge Spirit
  By joffficer - January 17 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car a few months for fun, and as a work car. Im amazed at how much power Dodge got out of the 2.2L engine! It surprises everyone who rides in it, and all those left behind! The seats are pretty comfortable, and there is plenty of room. If you get a chance, and can find one (only 1200 built) grap it... its a great sedan for well under $2000!

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  Back to Pontiac - 1995 Dodge Intrepid
  By 1Stewart20 - January 16 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car used (46,000 miles) with the hopes that I could go to 100,000 miles with the average maintainance repairs. Boy, was I in for a suprise. The first 1000 miles I drove were good. Then I had a 2 trans problem at 48,000 miles. Followed by a busted tie rod, which was immediately followed by a shock housing problem. Another trans problem, air conditioning problem, heating/blower problem, and now wiper motor is broke... all around 75,000 miles. H20 pump is now going to be the next victim. I have gone through enuf belts to wrap around a city block. I now am going to search out a reliable Pontiac.

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  Luv my truck - 1997 Dodge Dakota
  By giovine - January 16 - 2:00 am

  I bought my truck with 60k mi and it has a 5.2 V8 with 4WD. I now have 105K and it still drives great.I do have a couple of complaints with it. My biggest being the gas milage. I was expecting to see about 18- 20 MPG and dissapointed to get 13-14 MPG. Another dissapointment is the heater, totaly inadiquate!! You can drive hours on a cold day and never have to lower the heat. A/C has been failing since I bought it. still like it !!!!