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 review - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Traci Unger - September 15 - 5:03 pm

  It is a nice car. The only thing I do not like is the carpet. I think they could have went with a little more plush carpet. It is very thin.

• 

  Buying New Vs. Buying Used - 2002 Dodge Caravan
  By carwoman - September 15 - 2:00 am

  My husband and I went looking at used vans.A Chevy Ven 99, Olds Silo 02 but with 30k and a Nissan Quest 01 with 24k.Prices were 12k,17k,18k We went to a Dodge dealership and found the ec (extra cheap) marker 18k ad for 16k and bought for 15.5k. We were worried about the engine but with a 4cyl 4 it should be fine. We had a dodge before the only problem was the trans went at 96k but with the warranty we are safe at least to 70k and it was a sensible choice. I had read they are discontinuing this model so it might be a good bet if you can catch one a dealership that they need to move. Call around and

• 

  Excellent Vehicle for commuting - 1996 Dodge Stratus
  By ltpwf - September 13 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle has over 136000 original miles on it and it is still going strong. I have made sure proper preventitive maintenance has been performed and other than replacing the rear brakes this year I have had no problems with the car. I would definently by another one when the time comes.

• 

  My New truck - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By francyfree2 - September 13 - 2:00 am

  This is a very good looking truck and feels good to drive. It also is very comfortable. But so far there are two drawbacks. Highway gas milage is averaging out to at the most 16 mpg. We were told by the salesman that it had a towing package and could pull our lightweight 22ft. prowler travel trailer. But when we come back from the oregon coast which are small hills it over heats on us. Now we are afraid to take a trip where there are real mountains. So that is our delima.

• 

  2000 Powerwagon - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Pop - September 10 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is superior to the Ford Windstars I have owned. It is more comfortable, pulls my boat easier, and is much roomier and more comfortable. The mileage is disappointing, as is the braking system. It has had to have a seat replaced because of wear, and stabilizers were added to the front to get rid of excessive noise.

• 

  Neon Sport 4Dr - 1997 Dodge Neon
  By neondriver76575 - September 9 - 2:00 am

  I have driven this car for about 2 years (it now has 55000 miles), and have had no major problems. The brakes are noisy, and the parking brake always need re-adjusting, but its been great. I wish I had the ABS, but oh well. It does slide a bit on wet roads. It is a reliable, and fun to drive car, as long as you arent friends with too many "car" people.

• 

  Good van so far - 1997 Dodge Caravan
  By weldon - September 6 - 2:00 am

  At 60000 miles I cant complain too much.The 3.0 L engine gets 28-30 mpg highway & the 2 sliding doors are great if you have kids.You can also remove or switch around the two back seats.Some things not so great are : Plastic parts inside that have broken, & the wipers that make a swipe on their own. ( dealership said it is the wiper switch ).The headlights are not the brightest either.Still a good buy for the money I think.

• 

  Great Car - 1998 Dodge Neon
  By SpeedyNeonR/T - September 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Neon R/T used with only 4,000 miles on it and have driven it for 3 years now. 70,000 miles and still going strong. I had the head gasket replaced under warranty at 35,000 miles. Other than that, no problems. Everything still works as new. I am impressed with the reliability of the engine and transmission. I have really put a beating on both of them and its sitll running as strong as ever.

• 

  Love It All Except The A/C - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By GeorgeN - September 5 - 2:00 am

  I have driven my Durango 4X4 SLT Plus for several months now and love it with one exception. The A/C system does not perform well at all. I have tried having the dealer look at it twice and each time they say it is performing to specs. Well they need to improve on their specs if that is the case. The main system takes too long to cool down and the rear fans do not blow hard enough. The rest is great.

• 

  Doesnt owe me a dime - 1995 Dodge Neon
  By old_dog - September 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in 97 with 89,000 miles on it. It now has over 190,000 miles on it. Now,the headliner is falling paint is chipping speedometer is intermittent head gasket was replaced and, the block has a hairline crack. So what! Over the past 5 years this car has been a blast to drive. In the right hands, with a 5 speed, this car will embarrasse Hondas, Toyotas, and a few V6s. I now do all the work myself and Im amazed at how much you can do for cheap. The car is on its second college student. It was a godsend when we bought and it doesnt owe us a dime. Its one of those special family cars you here about.