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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  rather have a Honda - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Yakd - October 20 - 10:33 am

  The touchscreen has already stopped working, the day after we bought it. The culprit is faulty software, but of course Dodge does nothing until they have to, there goes another day wasted at the dealership. A new screen has to be ordered. A plastic piece snapped off of one of the stow n go seats. The storage bin on the back of the drivers seat keeps popping out. The interior looks very cheap given what we paid for this van. The material used on the seats, as well as the cushions, probably wont wear well. No wonder the company is in trouble. So why didnt we buy a Honda? Husband thinks theyre overpriced.

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  Disappointing - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By hocus pocus - October 20 - 10:00 am

  Bought a 2000 base model. Had to have the front rotors changed at 30K. Dealership said they were warpped. Most of the mileage has been hiway so the rotors never got that hot. Dealer wanted to cut them as if that would help. Dealer told me they see it all the time in these cars. Car was still under warranty at the time however found out brake system is only covered for first 12k. Had the dealer look for shimmey and grinding noise and they never found anything. Its still there off and on. Now the sending unit for the gas tank level is going bad. For 20K this car should be better. Not long before it goes away in a trade.

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  Rompn Red Torred Ripper SRT 392, 8-sp. Auto - 2016 Dodge Challenger
  By Doug G. - October 20 - 8:47 am

  I have had the car for 2,000 miles now and I love it. I never thought I would own a Dodge, but the exterior styling of the Challenger sucked me in, the awesome power plant set the hook, and then the interior redesign in 2015 sealed the deal. It is no sports car, but it is true to muscle car heritage being big, smooth, with gobs of power. It makes a great touring car for two. I thought I wanted a Hellcat, but I was not going to pay $25K over MSRP, and after driving the 392, I have no idea what I would do 222 MORE horsepower. The 392 is a brute as it is and will light-up the back end with ease. So much so, it can be tough to not spin the rear in wet conditions. I decided on the 8-speed auto since my wife cannot drive a stick. This would NOT be the car to learn to row through a manual gear box with tons of power and a firm clutch. On top of that, the auto is quicker 0-60, quicker in the quarter mile, gets better mileage, and allows for adaptive cruise control which is great on the freeway. I love the rain sensing wipers since proper wiper speed to rain ratio is part of my OCD and the auto-dimming head lights are sweet. These are the best head lights I have ever had on a car, much better than my previous car which had HID lights (I do miss the cornering lamps on my last car, though). The front seats are very comfortable, but being a 2-door, they do not have power back adjustment. The car and doors themselves are large so getting in/out in tight city sized spaces can be tough. Getting in the back seat is challenging (no pun intended), but most passengers will forget about that when they get seated in the ultra soft leather... and then you slam their heads into the head rests a few times. :) The tranny is terrific over all, but sometimes it can shift a little hard and be a little snatchy on the throttle at lower speeds since it loves to use compression breaking on deceleration and the MDS shifting from 8 to 4 and back to 8 cylinder mode is sometimes noticeable. But it it typically very smooth...get on the gas from a stand still and she shifts quick and smooth launching you to 60 in what seems like a blink of an eye. The thing will throw down from 8th to 4th in a blink and putting car in track mode makes it even more aggressive holding gears longer. The Mercedes lineage shows through with a ride that is comfortable yet solid in standard mode and the dampers firm up nicely when in the performance settings. The exhaust note is just right and makes the coolest burble on down shifts when in track mode. Stand behind the car when the engine is cold, hit the remote start, and it barks to life with a crack that WILL make you grin ear to ear. The exterior styling makes me weak in the knees every time I see it and believe the design will prove to be a timeless (the sheet metal for the most part already has 8 years under its belt). The 2015 interior update makes it a great place to be as you eat up the pavement. I was a little disappointed in the Harmon Kardon stereo, which to my ear lacks mid range, but it seems to be better at higher volume and seems to be improving with use (the bass is thumping loud if you want it). A couple down points are that some of the controls are behind the shifter making it is easy to bump the shifter into manual mode. Some of the plastic exterior trim pieces could fit better and the plastic may not age very gracefully. The side mirrors are small as part of the style and there is a HUGE blind spot looking over your right shoulder to the rear quarter, but the blind spot monitoring/cross traffic alert/back-up camera help that...plus, you can use the accelerator to clear the blind spot, too. I really think the Chally is a car in a class by itself. If you are looking for a completely FUN car, great for long road trips, you can drive daily (except maybe ice), and shred some tires, it would seem pretty dang hard to go wrong with a Challenger SRT 392.

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  Driven 120MPH-- daily-- to work. - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Big Mac-- Bavaria - October 20 - 6:28 am

  I retired, live, and work part-time in a mountainous area of Germany. Hell, Ive got two volcanoes in MY backyard. Anyway, at THIS writing, I put 110 miles a day on the car. The AWD is wonderful! Ive TRIED to drive it off the road-- the ESP-thingie just wont let you kill yourself. Im sorry to hear you CANNOT get an ALL-WHEEL- DRIVE anymore. I drive the car at over 100 MPH, all the time. While it IS true you cannot SPIN the tires, Ive had NO PROBLEMS with the car, except, once, driving around 90, I slammed the brakes on to avoid a deer. The fellow in the PASSING lane HIT it, not me. The ABS went out, but the Chrysler dealer replaced it-- asking if Id sell HIM my little beauty: NO!

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  Best (only) van I ever owned - 1994 Dodge Caravan
  By Stephen James - October 19 - 11:58 am

  Had been keeping my eye out for transportation and found this on the lot of a local Dodge dealer - bought it for 1400 less than their asking price. It doesnt leak nor burn oil - between every 3k miles. Excellent power and a good cruiser. I do most of my driving around town on the freeway and consistently get 22 mpg! I think thats great for a Grand Caravan. Took a long weekend trip last spring and the speed limits are 80 mph in west Texas - also climbed a few mountains and still got 25 mpg on that trip. I knew of the reliability issues but found the positive recommendations out numbered the negatives. Glad I went with my gut feelings about the van.

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  A good little car - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By NorthwesternCat - October 19 - 11:29 am

  I bought a Caliber SE Plus, with 17 wheels and 215/60/17 Firestone tires and the Touring suspension. It has A/C with the Chill-Zone Glovebox chiller. I installed a K&N Air Filter and the around town mileage runs 26 mpg, while on the highway, it gets between 34 and 37 MPG. Im coming from a 1990 Plymouth Voyager minivan with a 2.5 L 4 cylinder/ AT. The Caliber rides on a slightly longer wheelbase than the van did. It is a very nice cruiser - it rides well and gets good mileage, and looks good too. The Surf Blue Pearl paint job looks really good with the black trim and gets lots of compliments. I plan to keep this car as long as they still sell gas.

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  Saved my life - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By rebadeba - October 19 - 1:27 am

  Ive been from Montana to Michigan 2 round trips alone (female) and didnt feel the highway gas mileage was bad at all. Im used to driving in snow all my life & a week ago completely totaled my Durango on a very icy bridge (many people have wrecked on this dangerous long, narrow bridge, my stupidity). I thought I was going to go over the railing into the Yellowstone River that night! The Durango slammed from side to side, spun around several times & slammed over & over. I walked away without a scratch on me! The tow truck driver said that I was lucky I was driving a Durango (didnt flip) they are tough! I will go get another. its worth the safety & never needed repairs 70,000 miles!

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  My Third Straight - 2002 Dodge Caravan
  By My Third Straight - October 18 - 9:41 pm

  This is my third straight Dodge Caravan. Sold our last one with 170,000+ miles on it and the previous one had 158,00+ miles. Very happy with this make and model and am dedicated to taking care of it by doing routine maintenance. That is the reason why these vehicles keep running and are able to put so many miles on them. The ride is great, the interior is roomy, and the style of the sport is great. I have complaints about this vehicle and in another five years or so will probably look for a new one if things stay the way they are. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone with a bigger family or someone who travels a lot.

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  American Muscle - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By DodgeLover - October 18 - 10:13 am

  Theres no doubt this car is what Dodge intended to create when they designed this baby. A straight- loving American muscle car that grudgingly slumps around corners and then takes off again. My Daytona Charger is quite a head-turner, especially where I live in Daytona Beach, Florida. I love the ability to outrun smaller, faster LOOKING cars and have them stare in disbelief. I love my Daytona and would absolutely suggest it to anyone who isnt looking to spend too much for (relatively) great performance.

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  Good Value, Looks Like a Keeper. - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By Siyu 28 - October 18 - 1:08 am

  Thousands less than the Odyssey & Sienna, this was the choice. With kids, saving thousands to have it trashed was worth it. SXT package had aluminum rims, capt. chairs & tinted glass, that was all was needed. Rides & handles very well & decent gas mileage. Interior a little cheesy, but who cares, everything was functional. Had an early minor steering recall & had a rack & pinion leak at 30K. Back row difficult to take out/in. All in all a decent van that Ill probably keep til it (knock on wood). Unfortunately, these vehicles dont hold or have any value over time. If I get over 100K on it, I will consider it a bonus. Sadly, this is probably Dodges top vehicle, a van, but its a keeper!