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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  Should have asked a driver - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Acajin - March 1 - 12:20 pm

  This is a company vehicle, my last vehicle was a 2004 Dodge Caravan (which I loved). Ive only had it 2 weeks and so far so good. Ive just come back from a 1000Km trip and liked the feel and quietness of this vehicle on the highway. Handling is good, ride is a bit harsh, but Im assuming thats because of the winter tires. My biggest complaint about this vehicle (to date) is the way it was designed to handle dirty road conditions in winter, ie. salt. First off the rear window wiper only wipes about a 135deg sweep. The wiper pivot is on the wrong side leaving a 45deg swath of dirty window right where you would normally be looking to find where a car should be when passing it.

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  A good little car - 1994 Dodge Shadow
  By familycarman - March 1 - 3:30 am

  I am the 2nd owner on the car, it had been a rental car for a year prior. We have put over 80,000 miles ourselves on the car. Used as primary family car from 20,000 miles to 98,000 miles, now my commutter car. No major complaints-- although regular maintenance is getting quite expensive-- I spend about $1000 about every 18 months in the last few years at the dealership making sure it is in top-quality condition.

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  Way fun to drive - 1992 Dodge Shadow
  By dale - March 1 - 1:58 am

  3.0L V6 that will spin the 205s and still get 25MPG. Its just a fun little car and cheap to maintain. Ive not had any major problems, just the little things that happen to a 10year old 128000 mile car. I Solo II race it for fun. At the point where you can find them in junk yards so parts are not too costly.

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  More Truck - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By Mack - February 28 - 1:02 pm

  85000 miles and no breakdown. More truck than other SUVs

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  Electrical problems - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By rosenjohn - February 28 - 5:06 am

  Electrical problems has caused this car to be in the dealers garage 10 or 12 times since purchase. Most common is right rear wheel ABS speed sensor which has been replaced 3 times. Several other check engine have resulted in computer program upgrades. We like the car but do not feel it is reliable.

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  Fun on Wheels - 1993 Dodge Daytona
  By Steve Squier - February 28 - 1:28 am

  The Iroc edition is rare and well worth the hunt. It is fun to drive and looks sharp at a cheap price. Being the last year that Dodge made these speedsters the Iroc and Iroc R/T should be considered collectibles!

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  Great deal at the time! - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By scourge - February 27 - 7:33 pm

  Bought new approximately 2.5 years ago. Just hit 50k miles. Bought because it was a better value than its competition (sonata, altima) at the time. Final year before the 2001 redesign and Dodge was offering free upgrades like the power package (power seat, windows, mirrors, etc.) and a free engine upgrade from the 2.0 to the 2.4 liter 4cyl. Had a couple power window motors and a computer module for the tranny go out, but under warranty so no prob.

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  Gas guzzling facade with versatility - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By EZYRACER - February 27 - 11:51 am

  For transporting a family on vacation, and for hauling cargo, -- its a dream. Its fold-down 2nd and 3rd row seats provides versatility. However its 13mpg deters it from daily driving. Its interior are well designed with kids in mine, as well as hauling 30 bags of groceries. Its got power to spare but the ride is truck-like. Dont expect it to stop in wet weather, --- otherwise its a great SUV for the money. No major mechanical defects or problem transpired during my ownership.

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  A good value - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By chris - February 27 - 10:54 am

  After over 38000 miles in two years this car is still running great and a lot of people like the way it looks.

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  The good and the bad. - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By cjp - February 27 - 12:03 am

  Lots of problems with the CV Joints. To check the computer on the vehicle took five minutes, cost $86. The rotors warped in 10k, just freeway driving. Most disappointing thing about my Dodge is the Dealerships I have to deal with to get minor repairs or just regular services. 4 wheel system whether it is in "Full Time" or "Part Time" is bad in winter snow, easy to spin out on this truck.