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:

• 

  Challenger SXT Plus - 2012 Dodge Challenger
  By marme987 - June 15 - 1:59 pm

  Have had my 2012 Challenger SXT Plus for about a month now, and I am very happy with it. I am a classic car guy, so I love the styling, and I like that it is a very livable car for day to day driving, powerful enough (although not as fun as an R/T), but decent gas mileage. I also got the car for road trips, and it seems very comfortable on the highway, with a large trunk. Larger inside than Camaros and Mustangs, I like that for a daily driver. Dont see many on the road, at least near me to me that is a plus.

• 

  Great SUV all around - 2012 Dodge Durango
  By bricker23 - June 14 - 9:57 pm

  After several years of driving multiple imported SUVs this is our first ever Chrysler product. After three months and 3,000+ miles this has proven to be an excellent vehicle. No problems or even minor issues to report, the build quality is excellent so are fit and finish. It feels and drives most solid and upmarket with details well thought out, all functionality in place and very surprising interior quality. After reading questionable reviews about the 5 spd transmission and slow acceleration I have no issues with either, this is a large and heavy SUV but the transmission performs well in everyday driving and the acceleration, both off the line and passing, is more than adequate.

• 

  Miss my Intrepid - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By cbn4equine - June 10 - 3:14 pm

  After I wrecked my first car, my dad settled on an 02 Dodge Intrepid R/T. It was perfect for a teenage girl who often drives with multiple people. Lots of space in the car/trunk, and a very comfortable ride. My Dad claimed he had trouble seeing out of it, but at 19 I had no trouble. I had this car for 2 1/2 months, and in a freak accident it caught on fire in mid April due to a gas leak. The fire department could not make it to the scene in time to stop the car from being totaled. The engine was completely melted and the car was finished. We had only liability on this so insurance did not cover the loss. Despite the way I lost it, this car will probably always be my favorite. I recommend it.

• 

  Eight years and still glad I bought it! - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By 04stratusrt - June 2 - 7:44 pm

  Bought a 2004 Stratus R/T coupe brand new and have not regretted it. The V6 provides plenty of power and I get 28 to 30 mpg on the highway! Great looking car with zero mechanical issues.

• 

  GREAT CAR! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By t_white - June 2 - 3:03 pm

  I have had this car now for three years and I absolutely love it! The design is innovative as well as comfortable. It drives great and I have never had any problems with it mechanically. I would recommend this car to anybody.

• 

  Read - 2012 Dodge Journey
  By 3814815 - May 9 - 9:49 pm

  Wow right off the bat I loved this car, there Are too many things to say and only 616 characters remaining to type, this car is not on Y a great selling car but is Canada best selling crossover under 35k

• 

  Best car owned - 2003 Dodge Intrepid
  By proudowner1 - May 6 - 7:00 am

  When GM discontinued their oldsmobile line (which i owned all cutlass models) i decided to purchased my 2003 Intrepid SXT. I wanted a car to carry my friends and for camping. I was suprised that my car, the the back seat down, held more than a honda crv. It presently has almost 115,000 and just did the regular maintainence recomendations. I was suprised on the open road I have gotten approx 27 mpg with the air on. Hopefully they will bring back the production of the intrepid as they have with other models. I would purchase another if they do.

• 

  Impressive in All Areas - 2012 Dodge Charger
  By russl57 - May 5 - 4:27 pm

  I had stayed away from Chrysler products for years even though I grew up with them and owned many classic Mopar Muscle Cars. The 2011 Charger redesign caught my attention and I ended up buying a 2012 Charger RT with the Road and Track package in Black. I ordered mine from the factory with Navigation, Super track Package and the new Beats Stereo options. With rebate, dealer discount and supplier discount the total cost without tax was $31,400. That is a lot of car for the money. I have had a lot of fast cars and while I would not say the car is super fast I would say it has plenty of power. Most impressive is the handling and interior quality. I would highly recommend this vehicle to others.

• 

  Year old and still #1 in my choice - 2011 Dodge Challenger
  By fuelfromh2o - May 1 - 1:16 pm

  Purchased July 2011, have 17k miles on the hub with NO problems in quality, performance & reliability. Added a CAI and HHO to the V6 and it came alive after 8k miles of break in. For a V6 it turns 0 - 60 in 6sec flat all day long. It will bury the needle with a little effort approaching the 140mph mark. Dodge did it "RIGHT" with this combination. Can honestly admit that the Challenger can hang with the Mustang or Camero of equal equipment any day of the week and in most cases walk away in second gear and never look back.

• 

  The RIGHT-SIZED Crossover! - 2012 Dodge Journey
  By misterfusion - April 30 - 7:32 pm

  Do not overlook this gem when cross-shopping! The 2012 Journey hits a sweet-spot in terms of size: Smaller than a Traverse/Highlander, but bigger than an Equinox/RAV4. Put another way, this is the smallest CUV with a usable 3rd row (unlike the Mazda5 or Mitsu Outlander for example). Interior quality cannot be overstated -- class-leading in many ways. Highly versatile interior configurations, if you get the right packages (see Edmunds review). I did my research and did not even consider the 4-cyl, especially since the mileage with the V6 is about the same! Ride & handling are great for a vehicle this size/weight. Mileage is right on the EPA for city/hwy. 9 months, 17k flawless miles!