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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  Fantastic - 2003 Dodge Intrepid
  By Dog - August 16 - 12:15 pm

  I test drove about 12 used cars, and then stumbled into the SXT, which I had not even considered when I started looking. After I drove it once, I was sold. Car is all around fantastic. Power is great and handling is superior for this size of car. Braking is superb. Styling of exterior and interior are both acceptable.

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  Alert to all R/T owners on tire cupping! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Ray - August 14 - 10:10 pm

  At 13000 miles had to get a tire rotation. There was a noise coming from the tires, and also tires seems to be out of alignment? At 16,000 miles had to go back for same reason, but this time they found that all 4 tires were out of alignment and the tires were cupping badly enough to warrant new tires already. Dodge refused to replace tires, and Firestone refused as well since it was an alignment problem (and Dodges responsibility

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  Dodge Caliber SE - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Violette - August 11 - 12:03 pm

  I purchased my Caliber two months ago, and I am in love with it! It handles very well both on the street, as well as the freeway. The only complaint I have with the Caliber are the driver and passenger headrests because they arent very comfortable. Other than that, the Caliber is flawless. It is very easy and fun to drive, and surprising easy to clean and maintain. Id recommend this car to anyone who is in the market for a new car.

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  Great Buy - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By SpraggLags - August 10 - 1:23 am

  We test drove several Trail Blazers and Ford Explorers and of course Dodge Durangos before we chose the Durango. What we noticed is the Durango and the Explorer were much more solid and had more power then the Trailblazer. Since weve owned our Durango we have averaged almost 19 MPG fuel efficiency, not bad for a V8. We have had the opportunity to take it on long and medium trips and we have found it to be very comfortable. We had 5 Adults on a trip of about 1500 miles and it was quite comfortable. We put down one side of the Third Row Seat to Store more luggage. We moved from an Ext. Minivan and the lack of storage space behind the 3rd row seat is the one negative for the Durango.

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  One more round! - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By comfort king - August 9 - 3:03 pm

  This is my 2nd Grand Caravan. The first was very reliable. I owned it 10 years. Bought a luxury car and realised I missed my minivan. So here we go again. This one has 98000 on it, Im hoping I will have good luck with it, because I really enjoy the comfort and ride. I feel a little more confident since Ive got 10 years and 231,000 miles experience out of my 1st one. Plus I only paid $3600 for it used from the original owner who was a Chrysler retiree. I feel I cant go wrong.

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  Great Van - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Bob - August 9 - 5:06 am

  I am driving les as I have gotten older, however the comfort of this van is just great. I have had no problems, and the mileage is superior. When I first get in the van I know I am not going to have any operating problems. And I cant wait to start the engine and take off to do errands or visit friends. This my second new van and Chrysler has a winner. In the summer, plenty of air conditioning and lots of heat in the winter. The nice thing is, passengers can enjoy these features when they are in the back seat.

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  Is that a Viper - 1994 Dodge Viper
  By Steve - August 9 - 2:29 am

  There are not many cars on the road that get the kind of attention the Dodge Viper receives. I have owned the car since late September of 2004 and have always gotten a wave, a smile, a thumbs up, a yell, a nod and the occassional reving of someone elses engine. Every once in a while a Viper fan will spin their head so far around that youd swear it made a complete 360 turn. The car is a treat to drive. Not only is it one of the fastest production cars on the road but its fun to drive. The Gen I vipers handle like go carts as compared to the newer models which lack the "fun factor". This car is the best bang for the buck on the market. It is just as awesome today as it was in 1994.

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  Owned for 10 years - 1995 Dodge Spirit
  By Sarah Berger - August 8 - 4:25 pm

  It has had regular maintenance and at 77,000 had all fluids changed - transmission - brake, etc.It has been a very reliable car. It has a few small dents on the roof from small tree branches hitting it.

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  Awesome - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By Mollie - August 8 - 3:31 am

  When I purchased my Stratus I was worried about gas mileage, but it turns out that gas mileage was no problem at all. I would recommend this car to anyone. It is very comfortable and the stereo is awesome. I just love the way the outside looks too.

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  my van - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By JOHN l. - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Very stylish, handles well in snow & ice. Has great gas milage, and a peppy motor(3.8). Rides smooth and quite.