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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  This SUV kicks it! - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By DrewInPgh - January 4 - 1:20 am

  This is the best purchase Ive made in a while. Everything about this vehicle is awesome, from the spacious cab design, the ultra-modern door handles, the default sound system, comfortable seats (I didnt get the 6-way adjustable, heated ones but Ill bet theyre sweet!) and excellent maneuverability and steering control. Its an all around excellent SUV. It even gets good gas mileage, considering what it is. In fact, the only thing I might consider changing is a swap of the location of AC/heat control and the radio. But thats minor and still up for debate. If you want a new SUV, you want the Nitro!

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  Good Car - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By paramedic423 - January 3 - 10:48 pm

  I bought a 2005 Dodge Neon SXT for my wife in 2005. This car gets great gas mileage. The only problem we have had with this car is we had to replace a sensor. This car always starts right up even on the coldest days. Took a long road trip earlier this fall and gas mileage was great. Just wished it would of had cruise control.

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  One of the best cars Ive ever had - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By firetech - January 3 - 9:17 pm

  I needed to replace my aging and worn out Volvo 850 wagon. We are a family of 5 including two teenagers, one who is 6 feet tall. I needed a roomy car, that actually had legroom in the rear seat for my son. Short of buying a limo the Dodge LX cars are one of the only ones that fit the bill. I also wanted power and safety in the way of front and side air bags, trac control etc, etc. This car has it all in spades. I set out to but the 6cyl SXT but couldnt pass up the R/T when it crossed my tracks. If you are sensible on the throttle the R/Ts fuel mileage is almost as good as the 3.5 SXT. My advice is if you have a choice, buy the R/T with the 5.7, its way more fun and still decent on fuel.

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  Great truck - 2008 Dodge Dakota
  By Tom - January 3 - 10:28 am

  I reseached this purchase before spending $27K, and nothing compared to the value received in the Dakota. Oh yes, all the magazines love Toyota and Nissan, however, these same magazines receive a heck of a lot more incentives from these manufacturers for the positive take. This Dodge is every bit as good, more powerful, more capable and better looking. Take advantage of all the incentives, compare, and youll come to the same conclusion---Buy it! You wont be sorry.

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  Terrible - 1997 Dodge Dakota
  By Rp - January 3 - 2:18 am

  Bought it with 90k miles. Within two months it needed a new motor and a new transmission. It has numerous other defective parts since then - horn does not work, cruise control does not work, alarm is set off when unlocking the door with the key, a/c does not work, speakers broke, heat does not work on passenger side, air vents shut off at random. It has had numerous sets of brakes because it cannot stop well at all. Design flaws - any owner will tell you they have replaced all the tie rods and ball joints at least once, if you have a V8 model say good bye to good fuel economy (11 mpg highway at 65mph), terrible interior with no back doors, 4WD with no locking differential?

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  Good transportation at reasonable price - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By bob - January 2 - 12:28 pm

  We bought this car used and have owned it for over 7 years (65000 miles). It has been reliable. According to my records our total repair costs have been less than $1500. Replaced the front brake pads and rotors once, 3 blower motor resisters and the blower motor, fuel pump, and the oxygen sensor. The interior has held up very well. Leather seats and 6 disc cd player are nice. The exterior is starting to show some rust spots below the doors (winter salt) The fuel economy has been 25-28 mpg overall. We consistently get well over 30 mpg on the highway. It is not built as well as a Honda or Toyota, but the initial cost is considerably less. We are older people and are easy on the car.

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  Im in Love - 2008 Dodge Challenger
  By Hemi Mike - January 1 - 10:26 pm

  Holy cow! This truly an amazing car! The thrust off the line will snap your neck. I got 20 feet of rubber at 30 MPH by manually shifting into 1st. People really admire it every where I go. I took it to my local BMW dealer to get a part for my 540i and the entire showroom emptied out! All the salesman and service writers came out and took pictures of it. You cant get that attention from an M-5 at twice the price. The gas mileage also surprised me I get 15 around town when I drive it civilly. One of the best features is the sound system. I feel like I have live concert in my back seat. Sometimes I go into my garage to just gawk at my amazing ride.

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  Nothing but smiles every time I drive it - 2004 Dodge Viper
  By Wayne - January 1 - 10:25 am

  The car is raw and does what it is designed for and that is go fast, turn fast, and stop fast. You must add Corsa catless track exhaust to get ride of the horrible UPS truck sound the factory exhaust makes and it frees up 40hp and get rid of all the drivers compartment and side sill heat problems. I have already modded mine to 600bhp 650tq and not ready to quit yet. Be forewarned once you buy a Viper the spending has just begun, The performance bug will hit and the viper tax is high when it come to viper performance parts, but worth it trust me. I could easily use mine as daily driver if I wanted to but its not a benz. Oh, best mod is MGW shorty shifter with low profile bezel.

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  2016 Dart Limited - 2016 Dodge Dart
  By AWJ00 - January 1 - 9:45 am

  I just bought the 2016 Limited and it is great! We took it on a long trip of 1,800+ miles. It performed flawlessly. The seats were comfortable. The Uconnect was great. The lane assist was really helpful on the highway. Very happy with this purchase. I also got the lifetime warranty as I plan on keeping the vehicle long term. It is well worth a test drive. The auto press pans the Dart. Drive it yourself and make up your own mind.

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  30,000 miles of hard driving, still great - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By white98d - January 1 - 8:18 am

  Had the car for 30000 miles and been in two accidents. Rearended a pickup, got it fixed, then was rearended by a Jeep Cherokee that got totaled but other than a lot of scuffed paint the Durango was fine. Only thing bad about it is the gas mileage so I put on an aftermarket intake system and exhaust now it gets 13 city 19 highway. Best thing about it is the power. Took it offroading didnt have a problem anywhere in 4wd. Also driving on the highway is a blast . I love this car and would get another after this if I can find one with low amount of miles. does great burnouts, too.