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:

• 

  Looks and Feels Great But Quality Sucks - 1998 Dodge Dakota
  By Schmutte - March 5 - 1:28 pm

  This truck starts falling apart at the seems after 50K miles. It drives great and is very comfortable, but poor quality. THANKS UAW!!!! The UAW has turned me off from ever buying another American car.

• 

  Best value in a used car - 1991 Dodge Spirit
  By ddair - March 5 - 1:11 am

  Bought used in 1999. Had only 54k miles when purchased. 4 cyl, auto, has performed well and has been driven 50 k in last 3 years. Repairs have been a new battery, brakes and tires. This car is underrated and can be purchased for half to one third the price of a Honda.

• 

  Spirit good value - 1994 Dodge Spirit
  By ddair - March 5 - 12:59 am

  Bought two used Dodge Spirits in past 3 years. This one a V6, auto, basic model with 83k miles. Has been trouble free for 13000 miles and was a good value at $3000.00.

• 

  5.9R/T - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By ben - March 4 - 2:33 pm

  very fast! no problems. easy to build. great performance.

• 

  Pretty good. - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Mike - March 4 - 1:46 pm

  I traded in a Tahoe in April to get better mileage. I really liked the styling better than the other cars in this class. I have a 1.8 sxt. Loved the extra features that didnt cost an arm and a leg (heated seats, 6 disc in dash, Cool Zone, etc). Also, I am 63, and it has a lot of head and leg room. I dont feel cramped like I do in my wifes Civic. I have been pleasantly surprised by the car. However, it has developed a pinging noise and Dodge has said it is a "non issue". I dont get 30 mpg, more like 26. However, after driving a Tahoe, anything is better than that. Also, random warning lights have come on, but they go off when restarted.

• 

  Compare All 3! - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By oldcarman - March 4 - 10:35 am

  This vehicle blows the doors off the Fords, Saturn (joke) or Asian imports, & you can put one inside a Neon with room to spare! It has been dead nuts reliable, the dealer has stood behind every problem which were very few. It is one of the very fdew vehicles in this class that fits Americans. Just because I donnt want or need to spend $25k doesnt mean I shrunk to the size of a typical Japanese or European. It also doesnt look like "committee" styling. It has been a great value!

• 

  My 4 year old is just fine. . - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By taass - March 3 - 11:21 pm

  When you buy a 4X4 V8 SUV, dont complain at the pump.I use my Durango, but dont abuse it - and pamper it with regular service.Ball joints were my fault.Lesson learned: GREASE JOBS ARE IMPORTANT!!!56,000 miles and running strong. No problems at all. Runs great, looks great.Take care of your car (any car) and itll last you forever.Theres always the occasionaly lemon (yes, even Toyotas and Honas), so dont let one review deter you.Its a great car.

• 

  Neon compact - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By Soey - March 3 - 5:12 am

  Great comuter car, gets great gas economy and has great comfort for a little car, if you want a sports car, this may not be for you.lacks in performance. But if you want a decent priced gas miser with room for 4, try the all new dodge neon.

• 

  A fine car for the money. - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By Chris Dickey - March 3 - 3:16 am

  I just bought my R/T. It was not my first choice, but being a Daimler-Chrysler employee I couldnt pass up the discount and rebate. Now that I have it I am delighted with it. It is much more fun to drive than I thought it would be. I find it very refined and comfortable. It came with a great warranty if needed. The build quality was much better than I expected. The fuel mileage is much greater than I expected. Over thirty miles to the gallon so far. Summary, I am happy with this car!

• 

  Good car - 1998 Dodge Neon
  By Nathan - March 2 - 12:50 am

  Ive had my 1998 Dodge Neon for five months now. So far its been great. I got in a wreck in which I went sideways into a twelve foot ditch. I came out completely fine. The car came out with a dent in the hood, a cracked bumper, and the driver side door was lowered a little bit. I got it fixed and now it is as fun to drive as ever. Even though it is an automatic it still gets great acceleration. It has a big engine sound to it too. Its pretty fast for a 4-cylinder.