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:

• 

  My favorite car - 1995 Dodge Stealth
  By DW - October 4 - 3:59 pm

  Ive owned over 15 different cars - BMW, Ford, Mazda, Mercury, Volvo, etc. But this one is by far my favorite.

• 

  A great SUV - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By B M - October 1 - 4:57 pm

  I have been driving the Durango for 2 weeks now and absolutely love it. This replaced a 1999 Isuzu Rodeo. It is very comfortable to drive and though it is large, it does not feel massive to me. The hood is short making it easy to see whatÂ’s in front of you and good visibility makes is easy to park. The 4.7L V8 does what I expected with a 3 ton vehicle. It is not quick on the start, but does not feel like it is struggling. It has a great ride, handling, and turn radius for a truck. As for gas mileage, the overhead console says I average 15 on the street and 22 on the highway. I am use to driving SUVÂ’s and the Rodeo averaged 20mpg overall.

• 

  Hemi Durango - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By RH PELTON - October 1 - 1:06 pm

  I have over 10,500 miles on my Hemi Durango. I average in the city 16+ MPG and on the highway a wopping 22.5+ average at 70mph cruse control on. Well built, very comfortable and no/low maintence. I use Moble-1 oil --10-40 (Florida driving) get the best performance and fun for SUV driving

• 

  Nice - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By Frannie - October 1 - 1:02 pm

  This is a nice car but eat gas. Its nice to have if you have kids but there no room in the back for a stroller. It is small truck

• 

  Great car to own - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By chadwyk - September 30 - 1:10 am

  This car is great! I ve only had the car for a month and love it. Its got a tight suspension, great handling, and for a V6, it got plenty of power. The only drawback right now it that there is little extras after you buy it (rims, cold air intake, etc.) There is a couple of defects in the car but none is very noticeable. One is the trunk lid rubs on the bumper and scratches the paint off, and there was a recall on some of the transmissions. Other than that, its perfect. If youre looking for a plain jane car, get a Honda or Toyota, if you wanna turn heads while riding in style, this is for you

• 

  My SUV - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By renee - September 29 - 10:38 am

  I bought this vehicle right after I had my second child because we needed more room and I always said I would never own a Durango but this has been the best vehicle I have ever purchased. Tons of room and a great ride

• 

  The best car Ive ever owned. - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By VegasDave - September 28 - 9:06 am

  I recently traded in my 02 Dodge Durango SLT Plus with 70,000 miles for an 05 Limited AWD w/HEMI. WOW. I didnt think there would be such a difference between the two vehicles. The only downside is the gas mileage, but, the 5.7L HEMI is getting almost 1 mpg more than the 4.7L that was in my 02. It seems, strange as it may sound, that the truck is getting used to my driving style. When I first got it, it didnt respond to my pressure on the gas pedal as well as I thought it should. But now, all accelleration is as perfect as it could be, i.e. accellerating onto highway ramps, from a stop light, etc. The Limited has every option, minus the navigation system. Ill get an add-on later

• 

  Torque...too much is almost enough - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By Torque Lover - September 27 - 6:46 pm

  I have owned and driven my SRT-10 for one year now. I have owned and driven previous Vipers, Corvettes (Z06s included), Cobras, and supercharged F body vehicles. Without question, this vehicle wins hands down in every performance category imaginable. There is simply nothing better than feeling this cars 525 lb/ft of torque at your back. It is accentuated by the ability the vehicle has to actually grab the road. I have been more than impressed with build quality and interior design. Some of the SRTs flaws are undeniable: incredible heat flowing through the passenger cabin as well as a propensity to follow road surface flaws exactly. But I absolutely love my Viper.

• 

  Fun to Drive - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By curvy roads - September 26 - 1:53 pm

  This is my second Stratus. This time I took all the options. The car is a reliable car, it is comfortable, the sound system is great, and it is so fun to drive with the V6 and the 17" wheels. It is pretty spacious inside, and the trunk space is generous (particularly with the fold down rear seat). Its not a Mercedes or BMW, but its a good car for the $19K +/- I paid ($26K sticker).

• 

  Dodge Staratus 2004 - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By Beth0004 - September 26 - 10:00 am

  I just traded my one year old Honda Civic for a 2004 Stratus. I have made the right decision. It is more spacious, more comfortable and it has sharp lines.