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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  Love my Durango - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By L Parker - January 6 - 7:45 am

  Handles very well, 22 mpg hwy Hemi with 3:55 Rear Axle, 16mpg in town. Tows my 6000 Boat with no effort, the Tow Mode is great. Just towed back from VA a 6X12 Uhaul about 3500 lbs 16 MPG and no effort. Just a great vehicle, too bad most Dodge Dealers are so in the 80s. I think they pass out 5 star ratings to anyone.

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  SRT-4 Rule - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Chris - January 5 - 6:45 pm

  i have put over 28,000 miles on it in less than a year.so ask yourself if you think it is fun to drive!

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  Excellent, Inexpensive and lots of style - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By dodge_gal - January 5 - 5:06 pm

  I have had this car for 16 months and 23000 miles. Ride and handling are very good. Very reliable, awesome styling, especially for a single mom with two boys ages 13 and 9. They LOVE this car. Mileage is great I routinely get 30+ mpg and that is normal driving, no highways. This car is a 5 speed. Im smiling all the way to the gas pumps! For a front wheel drive sporty car, it is the best handling car Ive had in the snow and winter weather. And this car does not have ABS either.

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  One of the best - 1998 Dodge Stratus
  By Michael - January 5 - 1:07 pm

  Without question, the best car I ever owned. This would include: Toyota, Mitshubishi, Ford, Saturn. The car handles superbly and the V6 has plenty of punch while delivering a very nice MPG. Reliability has been excellent and with 90,000 miles, no problems. A tremendous value!

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  WOW!! This car hauls ass!!!! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By K.J. - January 4 - 8:38 pm

  All I have to say is that this vehicle is one fast ride! There is no turbo lag, just sheer power when you need it. Even without using the recommended 91 octane, the car still puts out 11psi of boost and pulls nicely. The handling is excellent and the ride quality is very good considering the abilities of the vehicle. The brakes do an excellent job of stopping the vehicle under heavy braking without ever fading. The exhaust is somewhat loud due to lack of mufflers, but to a car enthusiast such as myself, its music to my ears. The seats are wonderfully supportive during hard cornering but having the wide side bolsters makes is somewhat difficult to get in. An excellent ride for under 22K!

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  Black R/T - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By Polo - January 4 - 3:02 pm

  Bought the car as a primary, but quickly picked up a winter beater because I couldnt stand to see my baby in the salt and snow. Have had minor problems (tire bulge from previous owner, rearview mirror lights not working all time) but the good far out- weigh the bad. You cant get a better looking car for the money. It will turn heads...even when its parked!

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  caravan se - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By irvinbf - January 4 - 1:58 am

  Best Van for the $ fun to drive and has lots of room. Good mpg even with my 2.4 even has lots of power for a 2.4

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  Great Car for the cash - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Kristie - January 4 - 12:26 am

  I went from a Firebird to this car with relative ease. I needed a 4 door vehicle and this was the best buy for the buck. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for an american made four door automobile that gets good gas mileage.

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  Great Little Car - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By happywithneon - January 3 - 6:43 pm

  Somewhere along the way I heard the Neon is a throw-away car. Something to get you from point A to B...no frills. Well I was wrong! This car has been wonderful the past year. The little car really has some get up and go for a 2.0! Nothing like the doggy 1.9 liter in a Ford or Saturn. It gets good gas milage about 26mpg. The radio sounds great! Not tinny like in some cheaper cars. This car is as dependable as it is fun! I live in MN where it has gotten to -15 and the car still started with no problems. It even handles good in the snow and ice.

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  Bad ass SXT - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By T-REX56 - January 3 - 3:45 am

  I had a 97 Intrepid sport, loved it! So I bought a new one. The car gives you all you would expect in a Intrepid.The 3.5 litre 250 ponies is a real treat.