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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  Dodge - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Dave - October 28 - 7:00 am

  Just purchased the Caliber a couple of months ago for my wife. The steering wheel feels different! So far its been pretty reliable and I do like the CVT, it just feels weird to not feel the gearbox shift. Im giving Dodge an oportunity to impress me. Dont let me down Dodge!

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  My SRT - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By DodgeRacer - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car for about 6 weeks, and I am loving every minute of it. Dodge really knows how to design and bolt a car together. The power is awesome. The interior is better than I expected on a economy car. The car looks awesome.

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  What a car! - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By gary luaders - October 28 - 2:00 am

  Lets be real, in the $25k coupe range you have some pretty poor performers. THe dodge Stratus R/T is not the norm, it has all the power you would want/need from a car that is not an all out sports car. I have seen about 25 mpg and am not one to shy away from getting on it every once in a while. The interior is well appointed and the style of controls with the brushed aluminum accent are incredible. I love this car and especially with the incentives, to be able to purchase this kind of vehicle for under $25k its a winner in my book Good Luck

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  Dont buy it! - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By howardan - October 27 - 2:30 pm

  I have never been so disappointed in a vehicle in all my life. I purchased this to get rid of my GAS GUZZLING Durango. Went with another Dodge because they gave me a better trade value, but boy the joke was on me. This car is built DIRT CHEAP. Ive had it just over a year and thus far the following has gone bad and had to be replaced: Fuel Pump, Steering Pump,Valve, Half-Shaft, Water Pump, Gasket. And with all this, problems persist, but unfortunately, warranty has ended.

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  old faithful - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By Lady Luck - October 27 - 10:55 am

  We got this car off a 2 year lease return in 1998, and Im still driving it. We have had absolutely no major problems with this car up until recently, and its almost 13 years old, and has over 150k. Up until the car went over 100k, it was nothing but oil changes, brakes and tires for this car, plus one timing chain change. After that small stuff started to go bad I cant say anything bad about this car up until now. Accelerates nicely, is comfortable, especially for a tall girl like me. The trans is going bad now, and Im still deciding on replacing it or getting something else. I really do love this car.

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  Do not buy! - 1996 Dodge Neon
  By UNHAPPY - October 26 - 9:54 pm

  This is the worst vehicle that I have ever known. Granted, I bought it salvage title due to a small dent. It only had 70k and I figured it was a champ, by the sound of the engine. $3,000 later, I hate myself for it. Ive been through every system of this car. The head gasket, the alternator, the fuel pump, etc. I loath Dodge. Never buy a Neon. Reviews like this are common for this model. I am junking it tomorrow for less than I bought it.

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  2008 Caliber SXT - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By hotrod85 - October 25 - 5:43 pm

  The engine seemed pretty weak below 2000 rpm until I got a few thousand miles on it. Now at 6000, it does pretty good for such a small engine. I am a tall person and I still have to put the seat up a notch or two. I like that. Over all I find this car/wagon/whatever quite comfortable. The handling is very good with a very short turning radius. At first I thought I had made a mistake but now I am glad I bought it. The mileage could do better but, you do have to rev the engine to get the best out of it and the cruising rpm is high compared to other cars. Perhaps the 2.0 engine would have been a better choice but I am happy with this one.

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  Fun - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Steve - October 25 - 8:53 am

  Well when I had the car at my insurance company to plate it (still had dealer plates). I got three comments on what type of car and how sharp it looks. The transmisson is a little bit hesitant when you punch it in low gear but it is still fast. Very fun to drive

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  Its a gas sucker - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By Igot - October 25 - 2:00 am

  This car is definately a gas hog. Also when driving on the highway it sounds like wind is coming in the front window. Love how it handles and the comfort.

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  Love this truck - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By rbickle1963 - October 25 - 2:00 am

  A lot of people drive SUVs, only a few drive a Durango! Spare me the label identity and mini-van-SUVs...those are for the people who would pay thousands more to show up the rest of the neighborhood. Dont talk to me about over priced foriegn luxury SUVs are tinker toys that claim to fit 5 adults if you like sitting in a car that fits you like a 60s VW. I owned the Toyota (being 64", it wasnt a "fit") and the Fords (And explored the service bay and lost my car in a sea of lemmings), and this is the best. Forget the hype, go for the performance, quality, and VALUE of Dodge!