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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  Another bad tranny... - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By ckwalker - January 1 - 2:00 am

  Stupid me I ignored the warnings about the history of bad transmissions in Crysler minivans. I figured surely they would have fixed this problem by the time I had bought my 98 Grand Caravan. Fat chance. Im currently looking to dump this vehicle with only 68K miles...shopping for a Honda. Never a Crysler product again.

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  Looking Good - 2007 Dodge Magnum
  By blake hardy - December 31 - 10:48 pm

  I own a 1969 Superbee, 1971 Cuda, & a 1981 Corvette and I have as much fun and more comfort in the Magnum as I do in all of the other cars I own. If you are looking for a car, I would highly recommend the Magnum. Dodge has discontinued this car which I think is very foolish.

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  Best Chriswtmas present I ever received! - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By jaysonheather - December 31 - 7:26 pm

  My boyfriend bought me the Nitro for Christmas and we both love it! I dont think the gas mileage is bad at all being an SUV. The looks are great, very tough looking. The ride is very comfortable not hard like a truck. We also have the nice suspension, power sunroof and 20" chrome wheels along with all other options we could purchase. We get looks everywhere we go. I recommend anyone considering the Nitro to be ready to buy it because, youre gonna love it!

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  very pleased so far - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By jeff_clark - December 31 - 6:10 am

  I was very nervous about buying this vehicle, mainly due to dodges reputation for reliability, however, I must say I have yet to find anything wrong with the van since we bought it, and I do have 3/36000 before I need to worry. Our is loaded cept for a sunroof and nav system. Everything is working perfectly.

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  Too many problems - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By jwf - December 31 - 6:09 am

  I have just turned 40k and have had too many problems. At 8k a cam sensor went bad, at 24 k the fan heating motor went out in January. At 40k cam sensor went bad again, and the wiring harness for the fan heating motor melted. the last one cost me $500 in repairs.

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  Awesome Caliber Review - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By 1qwalker - December 30 - 5:38 pm

  Ive owned my Caliber for almost five months now and I love everything about it. Its fun to drive and has a great style.

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  Shouldve been named the Lemon - 1997 Dodge Stratus
  By Lane - December 30 - 1:34 am

  Extensive repairs, followed by more broken parts have been the story of my experience with this car. Bought it at 132k miles and had problems immediately. Poor insulation has led to leaks inside the passenger compartment during rain storms. The AC has numerous leaks in the line and has never worked. Still having engine and transmission problems. Do not buy this vehicle unless you can pay 4x its value in repairs!

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  SRT-4 - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By moparfiend - December 30 - 1:01 am

  Third owner of the car. I own three old MOPARS and find that this is actually the most fun to drive. I consistantly get 30+ MPG and do not drive below the speed limit. I commute 75 miles round trip a day on the interstate. I have lowered the car, replaced the brakes, shocks, intake, exhaust and now have the T3R Mopar system completely installed. There are very few vehicles that can accelerate or keep up when the pedal is to the metal.

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  Favorable review - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Dave - December 28 - 1:36 pm

  A very comfortable ride. The car has much more get up and go than expected. It also attracts a lot of interest and attention. This vehicle is smaller than any Ive owned in many years, but it doesnt handle as such. It handles very much like a larger luxury vehicle. There is lots of foot room for rear seat passengers, which is another great feature. All in all, I would highly recommend this vehicle.

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  Great Car - 1994 Dodge Shadow
  By Jerry - December 28 - 2:00 am

  Purchased new in 12/93 for my trip cross coutry. The 3.0 V6 was impressive stock, but with a couple minor changes (cold air intake, high flow cat & muffler, larger tires & wheels) it would keep up with Mustangs and Camaros of that year. Ran a 14.0 qtr mile at Maple Grove. As a soldier in the US Army I travelled and the Shadow took me everywhere from Louisiana to Alaska. Over 30K / year for the first 4 years with no problems. Went through lots of tires, but that was my heavy foot, not the car.