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:

• 

  Car to heavy for smaller 190 hp engine - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By JefWei - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Love the car, love the design but the 190hp 2.7 6cyl does not have enought power for this vehicle.

• 

  sucks - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By edloze - November 22 - 10:00 am

  this car is not what i expected commercial do a great thing in hiding the true facts

• 

  Gittn ur done! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By vpg100 - November 22 - 10:00 am

  What a ride? Everyone asks me 2 questions? Does it have a Hemi? YES Does it live up to the hype? NO- It exceeds the hype! My commutes have become way to short. I love to do errands for the wife. Just another excuse to be in the Hemi for a ride. You will not be disappointed in this gem.

• 

  MAGNUM REVIEW - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By JACK WILSON - November 22 - 10:00 am

  CAR HAS SIGNIFICANT R/H DRIFT. DEALER IS UNABLE AND UNCONCERNED. THEY SAID IT A PROBLEM WITH ALL MAGNUMS AND 300MS. NO FIX IN SIGHT. CHRYSLER "WORKING ON IT" BUT STILL SELLING THEM. GAS MILEAGE NOWHERE NEAR ESTIMATED EVEN WITH A VERY LIGHT FOOT. IN THE SHOP 4 TIMES SINCE JUNE 04 INTERIOR SPARCE. NO MEMORY SEAT AVAILABLE.

• 

  Outstanding Vehicle - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By gomes - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Awesome. Out this world, the best riding vehidle Ive owned, and Ive own close to forthy in the past 42 years....I love this car..

• 

  Great Value and Rebates - 2008 Dodge Dakota
  By Great Value - November 22 - 6:16 am

  I was in the market for a pick-up and researched for a year. Settled on the Dodge Dakota with V8. I like the size and power. Meets my needs for a vehicle that supports my fly fishing, weekend camping, towing small trailer. I bought for Sport Crew Cab with V8 for $26,800, freight and tax included. Sticker was close to $34K. Bought at $1000 under invoice, plus Dodge is offering factory $5000 rebate on 08 Crew Cabs.

• 

  Awesome truck! - 1995 Dodge Dakota
  By gavin - November 21 - 5:20 pm

  I bought this truck when it had 82300. I loved it. I have sold because we had a baby. But I really enjoyed it. I had the 5.2 with 5speed manual. It had a lot of power for the truck. Gas mileage was great. It would get 20 on the highway easy if empty. I towed a trailer and had a load total of about 1200 to 1500 pounds. I drove 240 miles at 75 to 85 and it still pulled out 17.5 mpg. You dont find that very often. Just be sure to take care of it and itll take care of you. My first problem was at125k with a fuel pump, than after that at146k. But over all a awesome truck! This truck was one of my very favorites. Youll enjoy it!

• 

  Very fast for price - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By dougie - November 21 - 4:50 pm

  I have owned 2 SRT-4s. I love the power. A sleeper car that can run with cars that cost twice as much. Has issues on takeoffs but no problem on highways. Great for the family man that wants to have fun and have a family. Fell in love with the car first time I drove it.

• 

  Wow! - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Warren - November 21 - 3:31 pm

  I love my 2008 Avenger SXT! Its just a fun car to drive. Going from a Dodge Ram to an Avenger is a big difference, but the car makes the change very easy. I wish I had a longer commute to work so I could experience more of the car and what it can do. The MyGig entertainment system is a must! If you are going to get the SXT model get it with the sports appearance package the fog lamps and rear spoiler makes the car look even more aggressive and more appealing. It rides very smooth and has more power and pick-up than I anticipatied! Everyone that has taken a ride in it loves it as well. A great car for a great price!

• 

  Dakota truck - 2008 Dodge Dakota
  By Dale - November 20 - 10:41 pm

  Having done the research for a bigger engine to pull with, I decided on the SLT, V8, 4WD with 4 doors. Like the new design for exterior, and upsized engine. Lots of power, and average MPG is around 17.5 with the auto. transmission. First thing I noticed was trailer lights not working properly. A computer glich. This turned out to be a small recall. The truck came with a trailer harness when purchased. Now the blower motor quit and the interior lights. A wiring cluster behind the dash for the odometer has my HVAC wiring running through it. Why would they run a 40 amp fan through this? Ive been driving Toyotas since 1983. Considering going back to Toyota before my warranty expires.