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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  Love my orchid - 1995 Dodge Intrepid
  By Orchid - September 19 - 9:57 pm

  This car, once it had a new transmission that matched the engine, there have been no problems. I love this car. It is a dream to drive and at almost 11 years old still gets 20 mph in the city and while driving on long hauls at 75 -80 gets an unbelieveable 28-30 mph. with a truck full of luggage. Too bad they do not make cars with seats this comfortable these days. They are wide and gently curved with tremendous back support. This is especially good if you have sciatic nerve or back problems.

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  Great Luxury Muscle Car - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By Robert K Sanchez - September 19 - 1:41 pm

  Its a Luxury Muscle Car. I get lots of looks and compliments. Comfortable, lots of room, quiet and fast. I dont regret buying this car, but not cheap, I drove a Mustang for 20 years, was time to get more room. I still love Mustangs though. My AWD Charger eases the Pain.

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  Great Grand Caravan - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Eversole - September 18 - 10:00 am

  I spent the last several months window shopping for minivans on the internet, and my wife has recently visited the various dealerships, looking at the Windstar, Sienna, Odyssey, and the Grand Caravan. The selling point for the Grand Caravan is that the price is a couple thousand below comparable models, and the ride, general comfort, and power of the Grand Caravan is generally superior to the other minivans. We went out and bought the Grand Caravan (with only 7 miles on it), and added on the Added Care additional warranty. So far, this minivan has exceeded our expectations, and is a lot of fun to drive.

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  Excellant Vehicle - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Barbara - September 15 - 6:18 pm

  I found the Dodge Durango to be a very reliable vehicle. I enjoy its comfortable interior design. Its also alot of fun to drive.

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  Durango SLT Hemi - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By blane - September 15 - 4:25 pm

  Analyzed the difference in mileage between the Durango Hemi 2WD vs. the Tribute 2WD we owned. Based on our actual experience, over a 2000 mile trip at $3.00 per gallon, we would pay approximately $35.00 more to drive the Durango. More room, more power, improved interior services such as third row seating and rear heat/ac controls. Bang for buck, the Durango is larger, quieter, stronger, more powerful. Only a slight increase in insurance coverage ($5.00/mo.) over the Tribute. $390 more for fuel on an annual basis. I think its worth the price for the increased safety, comfort and carrying capacity. Point of clarification, we own the 2005 Durango SLT 2WD with the Hemi engine. Thanks.

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  Best car for the money - 2006 Dodge Viper
  By TM - September 15 - 11:58 am

  The Viper (this is my third) is the most powerful driving experience on the road. Even if there are faster cars out there, there is nothing more powerful. The torque and horsepower combination make it easy to drive around town without any effort, and then explode down the road at the first sign of daylight. Get one and I promise you will NEVER regret it.

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  Very Happy with Redesign - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By PWOLF - September 15 - 10:00 am

  I had a 2000 Durango prior to this ans I am very pleased with the changes. The ride is very quiet and comfortable. A lot of the features make it very convenient. Split seating in the third row is a great option, car is much roomier than the previous model. I looked at a lot of different SUVs for about a year, the feature to price ratio is by far the best in the Durango. Got the Big engine as well. Yeah, its got a HEMI. Be careful, youll be going 85 before you know it and it feels like 50, engine feels like it is idling at that speed. Very Quiet. I think Dodge has a winner, by far the biggest bang for your buck in the new SUV market.

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  The best car in town - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By dana - September 13 - 1:48 am

  This car is nice and sporty, also it is very roomy in the back and has lots of power. I would recommend this car. It has everything that any other car has except for heated seats and navigation system, but thats ok because who needs all that. I just want the speed and the look because its a sporty car and fast. It is a womans car for sure.

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  Wanted an SUV -- sold on this minivan - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Hawaii Ohana - September 11 - 2:36 am

  After years of SUV ownership due to large family size, I went to trade into a new SUV with all the huge rebates and literally stumbled upon this minivan. The color (Inferno Red) caught our attention, and as the dealership was out of not only 2005 SUvs, but 2005 everythings went for a test drive. Still got an excellent price and was able to trade out of TWO cars I was "upside down" thanks to late night, weekend shopping and a hungry salesman. I cannot believe I have never owned a Chrysler product before! The fit and finish is excellent. My neighbor just laid out almost $40K for an Odyssey with no power liftgate, stow and go seats, and only leather and a DVD more than my van. I paid $22K.

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  I love it, but... - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Quinn - September 9 - 10:06 am

  This is the first vehicle Ive purchased. I waited a long time for it! All was beautiful until the drivers side sliding door opened while I was driving at 40 mph! I think it may have been a factory defect. Then later the door would NOT open when I was parked! Smooth ride, Squeaky brakes, but a smooth ride! Extremely comfortable!