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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  Not just a neon - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By kayc - September 8 - 10:00 am

  If your are in the market for a perfomance car you dont wanna miss the srt4.Most power youll find for 20k.Ive had mine for four months and I love it.

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  Excellent SUV - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Swimbuddy - September 8 - 10:00 am

  After lots of research, just bought LTD w/Hemi engine. Great styling, the ride is better than I expected (even my wife is impressed)and I do catch people looking at it. We traded an Exped. and considered an Explorer, but the Durango is definitely the better choice. I think the resale will be good once it becomes established in the market.

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  Excellent vehicle - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By krd - September 7 - 3:33 pm

  I had owned a 2000 Durango and liked it very much. The only thing that I felt it needed was a smoother ride. Well all I needed to do was drive a new Durango and I was sold. What a sweet ride this truck has...more like a car then a truck. Great handling and it feels very nimble and quick. Didn’t get the hemi engine but am very satisfied with the 4.7... it is a mighty fine engine! Plenty of get up and go for me and since I don’t tow it is all the engine I need. Yes, like my other Durango the gas mileage could be better but I knew that buying an SUV. The interior is comfortable with excellent instrumentation. Love the way the gauges light at night; easy on the eyes! Wonderful vehicle!

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  We love it! - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Ted Brown - September 6 - 12:44 pm

  Have owned 3 Dodge diesel pickups and was initially aprehensive about downsizing. I should not have been! This truck is as smooth and quiet on the Forest Service gravel as it was when driving it home. We spent its first weekend driving around the Ouachita Mountains in spite of the $3.00 per gal gas prices. Its that much fun! We will be towing our 17 travel trailer so we purchased the 4.7 L V-8 with 5 speed automatic and 3.55 rear axle. Although I want to put a few more miles on the truck before towing, there is no question that it will do a great job. Can recommend without hesitation. I am a recently retired mechanical and structural engineer and am pretty "picky". We love it!

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  Laramie 4 door V8 flame red . 2WD - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Ronald Troxell - September 4 - 3:35 am

  I am in love with this truck.I had an S-10 1985 model so this was a big jump.Did not want a big truck or another small one so the Dakota really filled the bill. Had wanted a Dakota since 1997.When Dodge said employee price that did it.

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  awe vehicle - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By hww - September 3 - 10:00 am

  we have 3 neons 99,03,04. all perform flawlessly. have had no mechanical problems with them, start good, run good, mileage is excellent always 35 mpg or better. handle very well, ride is comfortable, performance is good. travel a lot of highway, 300+ miles per trip every other week end. have also packed a lot of stuff when haul too. is limited to size on some hauling. a lil more trunk space would be nice, like make the back about a foot longer?

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  ONE HOT WAGON - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By RCAL - September 3 - 10:00 am

  I WAITED A LONG TIME TO REPLACE MY 88 WAGON. AM I GLAD I DID. I OWN MINE SXT FOR A MONTH NOW AND I AM LOVING IT. THE 3.5 HAS ALL THE POWER I NEED AND IT HANDELS LIKE A SPORT CAR.

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  Great Car - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By catandave - September 2 - 5:29 pm

  Everyone told me I was in for problems when I bought my Intrepid. It ran great for 220,000 miles when we got rid of it for something to pull a boat. I never had to replace the transmission or any other major repairs, just minor brake replacements. This is something for any car that I drive. I believe in driving them hard. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  Good Buy - 1999 Dodge Avenger
  By silvercars1999 - September 2 - 2:15 pm

  25MPG in the city with a V6! Cant ask for much more. Runs good. Interior leather is nice. Jerky transmission. Had to replace transmission sensor, but still stutters between 3rd & 4th. Sounds nice through a good muffler. Surprising trunk space. Could have made the opening a little bigger. Has a growing aftermarket. Basicly a bigger Eclipse.

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  Best All Around SUV - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By MCH - September 1 - 12:53 am

  After 3 years of research, watching the market trends, evaluating every manufacturer and feature, I finally found the right price/performance ratio to make me part with my cash. Dodge only makes 1 SUV, and you can tell a lot of thought went into making this work for a wide range of buyers and needs.