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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  was this car made with me in mind? - 2010 Dodge Charger
  By brianch - April 29 - 8:02 am

  I upgraded from a 1995 Dodge Intrepid (3.0 V6) to the Charger SXT (3.5 V6). I can feel the extra .5 liters of power. I fell in love with my Charger as soon as I saw it. Once I sat inside I knew we were meant to be together. After I started driving, I knew this beautiful beast was made with me in mind. This car has everything I want.

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  Wish I could clone this one!! - 2003 Dodge Intrepid
  By intrepidlover - April 29 - 12:01 am

  This is my second Intrepid. I bought my 2003 SXT brand new over 8 years ago. I currently have 259000 miles on it. Only 1 tune up done at 115000 miles, oil changed every 6000 miles. Mostly regular maintenance was all it needed until about 200000 miles. With age and mileage things wear out, radiator, water pump, ac compressor and condensor. But engine and transmission still strong. Looks, runs and sounds almost like new. I hear people a lot saying all Intrepids have serious engine or transmission problems and they dont last. I think most of their problems were probably lack of proper care and maintenance. Best car in the U.S. Wish they were still made, Id buy another one in a heartbeat.

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  saved my life - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By preston11 - April 26 - 1:40 pm

  i have had my durango for about a year and it was fun to drive and was great on gas. but one day i was out with my friend we were on a dirt road messing around but then we were heading home and a deer ran out in front of me. i lost control of the car and flipthe durango we were ok nothing to bad but the suv was a lose. i would have to say that the durango saved my life and i would be proud to buy another one.

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  No problems - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By mr_wizard - April 26 - 11:51 am

  I have had my Magnum since 2006 purchased used. Just replaced the breaks and rotors at 76k miles on the front. Had to replace rotors because shop shaved too much off and they warped. Wife was in an accident 9 months ago hit by a Ford 1 ton duly 4wd truck. Hit right passenger quarter panel at 45mph. Repair costs just under $16k but they said the cars resale value was that and repaired it. Car was able to drive to curb but the Ford could not move :) No other problems to report because there have been none.

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  Awesome MPG! - 2012 Dodge Avenger
  By my2012sxtplus - April 25 - 12:51 pm

  Copperhead Pearlcoat SXT Plus 3.6L V6 With only 308 miles on it as of today, my average MPG is 30.3 which includes city and hwy. I LOVE the 283 HP (smoked a similar import yesterday!) Another interesting fact about my Avenger is that Dodge is no longer carrying the Copperhead Pearlcoat paint line. It was discontinued on April 1st, 2012. Thankfully I was able to purchase mine last weekend! The interior is a huge improvement for any of the DCJF lines, no more cheap plastic or uncomfortable seating. I am a very picky and easily annoyed driver/owner and for once, I have NO complaints! I hated my Jeep GC and was hesitant to purchase another DCJF, the Avenger proved me wrong!

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  2012 SXT plus wSSG - 2012 Dodge Challenger
  By raceurx - April 20 - 8:13 pm

  I purchased my new Chally a few months ago and loved it! About 2 weeks into ownership I was rear ended.. the active head restriants worked as well as the emergency systems. The doors unlocked, the car shut off and the interior lights came on. I was hit pretty hard between 40 - 45mph and the interior was perfect, the car crumpled as it should and the hit was deflected from the interior. I pursauded the insurance company not to fix it even though it only had 10k worth of damage they totalled it and settled on a payout. I immediately went back and purchased the same car - I have kids and was very impressed with the way it handled a hit.

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  Love At First Sight! - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By liber_jr - April 12 - 11:46 am

  I recently bought my first car, a 2005 Dodge Stratus R/T coupe (No Automatic Option On Website) with the 4 speed auto with the auto-stick option. When I bought it there were only 109,100 miles. The performance is great and you can even spin the tires in the manual mode. One minor flaw I noticed was that if you have long legs like I do, when you make a turn the cruse control setup hits your leg. Other than that it was the best possible car for me and havent had and issues with it besides a few burned out bulbs. I highly recommend this car to anyone.

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  I love my Durango - 2011 Dodge Durango
  By nightravyn - April 7 - 10:40 am

  I have a 2011 Durango RT V-8. It wasnt cheap but man am I spoiled! It is gorgeous! I love the interior space and quality...it has everything you could need and then some. I have 4 kids and there is space for them and friends even! I am always picking up extra kids. They love the satellite tv and dvd player. My only complaint is the gas milage..while I realize its a v8 and I expected as much, it feels like Im at the pump every day lol. I have put 10k on it and other than oil changes and a balance/rotation all has been great! Its very peppy and fun to drive...wouldnt trade it in for anything. I just love it and so does the rest of the family!!!!

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  Best car I ever owned! - 1994 Dodge Stealth
  By tigercakes - April 6 - 12:08 pm

  Ive had my Stealth for 16 years and I still love it! The style is a classic sporty style that will never go out of style. This has been the most dependable vehicle Ive ever owned! The only negative I could come up with is that the turning radius is huge and it isnt very comfortable for traveling much more than 1 1/2 hrs. If you take a road trip in a Stealth, you do need frequent breaks to get out and stretch your legs! Dont count on taking anyone in the "backseat" because there is absolutely no room! But then again, its a sports car so what do you expect! I cant say enough positives about the 1994 Dodge Stealth, its paid for itself many times over!

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  I am in love with this car! - 2012 Dodge Challenger
  By ponygal1 - April 3 - 12:57 pm

  R/T Plus package with Redline - you have to see it up close - the paint is gorgeous. Tons of power from the V8, most comfortable seats Ive ever had, plenty of features, and gorgeous to boot. I get tons of comments and stares - maybe because there are only a few out here I see the Jaguar XK more frequently than these. Havent had it long enough to really tell about reliability, but I have my fingers crossed. May not be quite as sporty or fast as the Mustang or Camaro, but look at it! Those are as common as dirt. And not nearly as comfortable. If you think you want the V6, try the R/T and see if it changes your mind.