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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  GREAT CAR - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By TIFFANY - December 16 - 1:20 am

  THIS CAR IS THE BEST AUTO I HAVE EVER DRIVEN. A VERY SMOOTH RIDE, EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE, AND VERY RELIABLE.

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  Pretty darn good so far - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By Madfison-Mig - December 15 - 8:57 pm

  Found a gem on craigslist last March and bought a 99 Dakota sport extended cab with 17k original miles (hard to believe but true). All good so far - driven it 5K miles in 9 months and a few oil changes is all the maintenance/repairs thus far. Winter has hit here in WI and an extra 300-400 pounds in the back and traction in manageable around town. Gas mileage leaves something to be desired but I knew that buying a truck. Mine has topper and bedliner and is pretty basic (no power windows or locks - am/fm stereo). Great to haul the kids baseball gear around in the summer and help friends move stuff when they ask!

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  Best bang for your buck - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By jsklyar - December 14 - 7:36 pm

  I mainly purchased this vehicle for spacious cargo and also ability to haul 7 people. Car looks nice as well. Of course, generous incentives helped as well. So far, the vehicle is top notch, no complains. Drove on a highway and averaged 26mpg, about 18.5mpg in the city. Though, several things I wish this car would have: daytime running lights (even my old Astro had it), interior lights can only be lit up all at once. Basic engine is somewhat weak but I did not purchase this to win races. Cheesy green light readouts, it is time to join 21st century. No instant mpg, too bad. Seats fold into the floor: excellent idea. Go get one today!

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  Great budget car - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By davect01 - December 14 - 3:39 pm

  This car has help up great after one year. I was very hesitant buying an American car. My last vehicle was a Chevy S-10 that was a piece of crap. I swore I would never buy another American car again, until I rented the Dodge Avenger on a trip. Interior: Despite all of the reviews, the interior is very nice and has held up with no squeaks or creaks. There could be a little padding on the arm rest and center console, but otherwise very nice. Engine/Drivetrain: The weak point in this whole car is the 4 speed transmission, it has quite a lag in shift points. The 6 speed offered in the R/T is much, much better. Rear drum brakes, really. I thought these had died out.

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  Great - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By jm - December 13 - 8:20 pm

  I have had the R/T for about 2.5 months now and love it. Have put on 3500 miles with no problems. Need an oil change though. I am 66" and have a 100 mile round trip daily commute to work so I needed a commuter with some style. This one does the job and is very comfortable for tall people looking for a smaller car with decent gas mileage. Looks sharp and makes the drive fun. Handles better than I expected on the curves and very reasonably priced. I hope to have it around a long time. With rear seat folded I can put in my dog kennel for my 85lb German Shepard without any space issues as well. The little extras are nice but AWD and 176HP with autoshift and leather for around 20g is a good deal!

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  Why would you buy Japanese? - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By tony - December 13 - 4:39 am

  This vehicle is overall very nice and a great ride. I love the sort of retro rugged look, compared to the typical frying pan looking Japanese and German cars.

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  Serpentine Belt is a real snake - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Pathy - December 12 - 1:03 pm

  I bought used vehicle at 100K miles. Now it is at 150K miles. Drove across Texas several times with family, it never let us down. Recently while driving in town in rain, the serpentine belt came off. A month earlier I had replace the rack. Still I feel uncomfortable of its steering. It is loosing power steering intermittently in slow driving. Trying get rid of it soon

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  SXT review - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By tech2 - December 12 - 9:12 am

  Overall my car was very reliable. The only problem I have had since rebuilding the engine is the power control module in this car which I think is a problem. I was looking for a recall on this but did not find one. Also it could get better gas mileege. I added one of those tornados to the air intake which increased fuel economy by 3 more miles.

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  I love this car - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Dan in IL - December 11 - 11:15 pm

  I traded my 05 Bonneville for the 05 Magnum SXT RWD 3.5L. I am 19 and this is the perfect car- its definitely a sporty college kid car, and I got mine with under 20k miles for under $10k. What a steal! Gas mileage is not bad. I get 21mpg driving around town but I do a lot of interstate driving and i maintain 25-27mpg. Not better than my Bonneville no, but it certainly gets just as good gas mileage as any other car on the road today. I only wish I had a Magnum R/T. I want the dual chrome exhaust with the Hemi!

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  Worth the note - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By hemiman - December 11 - 7:13 pm

  PURE JOY, GOBS OF POWER, ROOM FOR WIFE AND KIDS, GETS PLENTY OF LOOKS, GETTING 27 MPG ON STRICT HIGHWAY, LOVE THE FACT THAT IT IS DIFFERENT THAN ANYTHING ELSE ON THE ROAD, THE HEMI IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO ON THIS VEHICLE. ABSOLUTELY WORTH THE MONTHLY NOTE!