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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  Good but Im getting something else for College - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By mariahemily - February 20 - 4:51 pm

  This car rides SO smooth. BUT it has horrible blind spots from the back side windows. The gas mileage is Awesome and so is the sound system. The acceleration is really slow. My parents say thats a good this for me but I beg to differ.

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  2011 Dodge Journey SXT - 2011 Dodge Journey
  By journey_sext - February 19 - 6:33 pm

  Bought thi vehicle brand new and have only 250 KMs but can say that it is very nice for a family of four. I love the new 3.6 L engine which provides a very smooth ride. This vehicle feels solid when it drives and very quiet compared to the Honda CR-V that I previously owned. It is still early to give an honest review but up to this point.....I love it!

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  Fun and reliable - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By dsueoka - February 16 - 12:16 am

  We shopped for vehicles for about a year. The wife did not know what she wanted. We looked at trucks, vans, SUVs and cars. She finally settled on the Dodge Journey, Chevy Equinox and the Ford Fusion. I liked the Fusion more, but she won. The fuel mileage is not the best for in town driving, but for a 6 cylinder is OK. We are still playing with all of the accessories. It is a great car to drive. Just wish we got AWD for the snow we get here.

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  After 5 years worth of abuse, its still a fun car... - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By wy_themoparguy - February 11 - 2:58 pm

  Mines actually an SXT 2.7 V6, not an R/T V6, but Edmunds didnt have an entry for SXT 2.7 V6... Anyway, I bought this car used in June of 06, and have enjoyed it every day since. It has a very sporty feel, handles well, and is built pretty well overall.

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  I miss my Stratus - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By abby258 - February 1 - 6:51 pm

  I purchased my 2003 stratus brand new.. I loved it, the only reason I no longer own it is because I traded it for an SUV, becuse 3rd baby was not going to fit in the stratus.. I NEVER had any problems with the vehicle, beside normal wear and tear, and regular maintenance. I HATE the BUICK RENDEZVOUS I ended upo trading in for... My review for that is up too! I am thinking about purchasing another stratus, 2006 model. I loved the stratus!!!

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  Touchy, but reliable and fun to drive - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By inconsumer2011 - January 31 - 10:08 am

  As of now, over 205,000 miles on original engine and transmission. Car is touchy due to hit and runs, and the lack of real bumpers. The painted plastic bumpers immediately missalign and the paint cracks. Car runs fine, except for normal wear and tear, no issues (yet) considering the bad engine reputation. But we keep up the maintenance and dont let an unknown kid touch our car. Too many specifics. Did you know that there is a second transmission fluid compartment which has to be drained and filled seperately from the main transmission? See? Gas mileage is great for a car this size, on the highway going the speed limit of course we get 28 miles, city and short distance drips 15.

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  Great value - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By vtsnowman - January 22 - 6:44 pm

  I paid $7200 for my 01 Durango 3 years ago with about 80K miles it now has 146K and is getting me through another Vermont winter like a CHAMP. Sure, the mileage is atrocious -- I average 12.6 -- and it isnt the smoothest ride around, but the V8 has serious punch (still!) and with the 3rd row seat I can haul a mess of kids around. Ive had to have some repairs -- the worst being $900 to get the heat working down on my feet (kind of essential up here) -- but this thing owes me nothing.

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  Beware of the oil change - 2010 Dodge Charger
  By uwe1 - January 11 - 7:17 pm

  I had a 2006 SRT 8 for 27 months. Nothing really to complain about, the power is awesome! Just be aware that if you lease, Chrysler makes you come to the dealership every 3,000 miles or 3 months (which ever occurs first) for an oil change. And this baby needs a lot of oil, I usually spent > $100.

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  Like this car - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By evelynp - January 10 - 7:59 am

  This is our 6th Caravan. We ordered it because of the stow away seat feature. Other requirements included leather seats. It has performed well for us with very little upkeep. My children borrow it all the time for hauling purposes and we have no complaints.

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  A Great Car for its Time - 1990 Dodge Dynasty
  By hobbles - January 9 - 8:34 pm

  I got this car used and the odometer was stuck at 86k miles so im not sure exactly how many miles were on it but I would say over 150k more than likely. I loved this car but the age of it started getting to me around my second year of driving it. The only problems was that the a/c quit on me which sucks in Florida and the shocks were in need of some attention, and the nail in the coffin for it was that the tranny quit and it was time to get a new car after the second year. I am drawn to this cars exterior for some reason it just looks great to me and I loved this ones color (champagne) the most. I would have kept this car as long as it ran if I got it 10 years ago but its to old now.