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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  Rebuild in progress... - 1994 Dodge Intrepid
  By Billl - October 3 - 2:00 am

  Off to a bad start with transmission replacments. We love the car. 30mpg on hwy. 207,000 currently. We now have this car dealer serviced. Its paid forhas good trans. now, new steering rack.Headlight design dreadful-replaced with newly designed ($$$). Maintain this car like you should any car and you WILL get 250000+ miles out of it.NOTE: Mopar parts are best for this car. Go the cheap route and youll regret it - but there is nothing wrong with that. Dealer knows the car intimately (gave us some free svc at 200K.

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  Sleek, stylish, big can be cool, too - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By emurray - October 3 - 2:00 am

  After bringing it home, discovered auto tranny leak from hose fitting. Repaired under warranty at selling dealer - bad experience. Am now having fun driving to work, hauling the family around and on road trips. The factory stereo in the ES is pretty close to all youll ever need. Not happy with the stingy amount of leather - trimmed seats. Trunk space is unparalleled for a full-size. Replace air filter and muffler/resonator and youll have loads of HP!

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  Viper SRT - 2003 Dodge Viper
  By ViperSRT - October 2 - 2:00 am

  Vehicle not built yet. Opinions based on drive eval of a test vehicle. Currently own a 1995 RT/10 and the SRT- 10 is a major improvement for everything except exterior performance (impossible to improve on the original).

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  Buy an SUV skip the mini van - 2002 Dodge Caravan
  By Brynn - October 2 - 2:00 am

  I bought the van because of the very low price, and room. Its quite comfortable, I needed a car to get me to and from work that is comfy and roomy, and thats what I got. I have had problems w/ dodge cars in the past though, so I am still leary about the van, My alternator went out on my dodge stratus at 40,000 miles and it costed 900 buck to fix, what a rip off, plus a lot of dodge engine parts, you can only buy at dodge, so you are basically stuck w/ buying them from the dealer at outrageous prices. Im kicking myself for not buying an SUV instead, I am actually trading the van in for a durango in a few weeks, much more useable for living in Washington state.

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  over th log haul - 1995 Dodge Dakota
  By steve999 - October 1 - 2:00 am

  This truck was very reliable and the torque in the motor made it fun to drive. Currently have 238000 miles. Just purchased a 2003 quad cab. The 3.9 liter is not as torquey do to the added weight and larger tires. The 16 inch tires cause the motor to 250-350 less rpm and the sweet spot in 4th gear is around 75 mph.

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  Mechanical issues - 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By stras - September 30 - 2:00 am

  Overall very sturdy and comfortable, with a smooth ride, but significant mechanical issues: Engine head blew at 34,000 miles. Partial transmission failuire at 47k. Speed sensor failure at 54k. Tensioner pulley locked up, and water pump failed (bearing). High-speed side of radiator fan unit locked-up, resulting in overheat condition, resulting in oil boiling and sludging the engine. Electronic window motor locked-up. Temperature readout of trip computer stopped functioning. All of this and more just four years after buying it off of the showroom floor. Repairs after the limited warranty expired have been costly.

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  Pleasant surprise - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By redneon - September 29 - 1:10 pm

  I was set on buying the Civic VP, but rerouted when I tried the Neon. A comfortable ride with peppy engine and good handling, though not nearly as smooth as the Civic. But its far superior in styling and has a lot more personality than any other car in its price range. Its a better buy too After rebates/tax/tags/etc. I wouldve spent $14-15K for a 2-door auto Civic with only AC and CD. For $13K total I got a 4-door Neon with AC, CD (great sound), sport appearance (spoiler!), keyless entry, Identity security system, power package and heated side mirrors.

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  Still running good - 1994 Dodge Shadow
  By HewJ - September 27 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for 3 yrs now. this car has been very reliable to me. i plan on keeping it as a "beater" car when i buy a new car. i have put on about 60k miles since i got it...it now has 205k miles. I can still hit 100mph !!! Since ive had the car, ive replaced the headgasket, water pump, and tires (about $1000) Not to bad for 3 years. I would recommend this car to anyone with low budget car maintainence.

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  05 Durango - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By vanessa - September 26 - 9:00 pm

  Ii have to say im quiet impressed considering how picky I am when it comes to a vehicle.I was pretty amazed at how easy it was for me to conform from a smaller SUV to a larger one. The handling is great and I feel very safe towing my family around in this vehicle. I also love the fact that the ride is very smooth compared to many other SUVs where its very bumpy. Overall Im happy with the purchase

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  overall a good car - 1999 Dodge Stratus
  By masterflash - September 26 - 2:00 am

  This car worths its price. Its strong built, comfortable to drive and pretty powerful. But most of all its very good looking, reliable and good performance for its class. I compared it to Altima and Civic from the same year and betas them easily. It has minor inconveniences, but, hey, I paid just $15,000 on it brand new!