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 Van - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By dcoogan - December 8 - 7:50 am

  Always been a GM person and moved to VW for a few years till famly grew out of the Beetle . The van can tow and carry 7 people with no problems .

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  No Buyers Remorse Here - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By Brian - December 7 - 5:36 pm

  I ended up purchasing this car after my 2002 Grand Prix was totaled. So far, the Charger has been everything I was hoping for. The 3.5 engine at 250 hp has plenty of pick up for this heavier car. It handles very well, the ride is smooth, and from the interior the engine is seems really quiet. Going from FWD to RWD was a slight adjustment, especially in winter driving conditions, but the RWD Charger has held its own, even going uphill on black ice. The interior is comfortable,functional, and simple, not flashy or luxury-like. To date, fuel mileage has been surprisingly good, equaling or bettering the Grand Prix despite a lower fuel rating. Its a fun car and Im an very happy with it.

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  Great car, lots of power, lots of fun - 1991 Dodge Shadow
  By bob - December 7 - 11:39 am

  This is a 2.5 turbo automatic convertible. It takes turns like its on rails. It has power off the line and on the highway. It really handle well, and idle smoothly. These 2.5 liter engines are just about bulletproof. Automatic shifting is smooth. Just love the car. Seats are real comfortable. Just a great car and cheap to maintain. The most fun you can have driving and very dependable.

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  My Durango - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Candy Buckler - December 7 - 2:00 am

  My SUV is great... The only problem I have right now is the gas prices. I have the 5.9 and it loves gas. I test drove it for 2 yrs before actually purchasing one. Maintenance work I have had done is minor.(E.G., oil changes, serpentine belt was the biggest) Hauls our camper wonderful, and oh all the kids. Could use a little more room in the 3rd row.

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  R/T Go - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By lucky - December 7 - 2:00 am

  I have an R/T and love it. It has the old car rumble to it and has the feel of a sport car in a SUV. I traded in a 1999 Durango and this was the first repeat buy for me in 35 years of buying cars. If you are looking for a fun drive this can be it.

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  4 banger - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By scotsmanwill - December 7 - 2:00 am

  I have a small, 4 cyl. dakota and i love it. i am in college and i use it all the time. it has never failed me when i need it. i am planning to sell it in the near future and get a bigger dakota. one with a V8. i would reccomend the dakota to anyone.

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  Great truck - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By fast - December 7 - 2:00 am

  Great truck i love to drive it ,it drives like a car.I was going to buy a SUV, like a Jeep Liberty or explorer,but this is like a SUV but with a bed for stuff!Its been a gas hog so far 2000 miles avg 14mpg with a v6 5speed thats almost all highway!I got to bring it to dealer to see if somthins wrong i suspect a vacume leak ,i hear a whistling at 2000rpm think its somthing small.love everyting else 4x4s great.

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  Will never part with this truck - 1993 Dodge Dakota
  By DodgeChick - December 7 - 12:39 am

  I got this truck for a steal! It was in horrible condition upon purchase, been in multiple accidents, and was badly beat on. But still ran! Parts are cheap and is easy to repair. Very dependable truck! The LE with the 318 is a powerful work horse. It can tow twice its weight, no problem. It handles great, on and off the road. Fun to drive and quick. My truck has become my addiction. I love customizing this truck. Flowmasters 40 series sound fantastic, by the way.

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  Impressed 2009 SRT-8 - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By TIM C - December 6 - 3:50 pm

  I owned a 2004 SRT-10 Ram before. I drove the 09 SRT-8 Challenger and fell in love. I had to have it. The smoothness and quality of the ride, the tire burning performance and excellent handling are out of this world but the braking is beyond that! This car is really impressive to say the least.

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  Love my Nitro! - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By Jill - December 6 - 12:07 pm

  I traded in my 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan for this SUV. I did not want such a large vehicle now that my little ones are getting older they need less stuff to tote around, I test drove Grand Cherokees, Dodge Darango, the new Journeys and the Equinox, nothing could compare to the exterior and interior appeal of the Nitro, especially when it came to price. I really thought I wanted a new Cherokee, until I sat in one for $32,000 and there was nothing in it! But for $9,000 less I got everything I wanted except DVD.