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:

• 

  Read the fine print - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By bluebutterfly - November 13 - 3:10 pm

  So it says it can go up to 32 mpg, think again. I know several owners and no one gets that on the highway. The cooler only works if you have the air on full blast so its useless in the winter or if you enjoy riding with the windows down. Already had a recall and had to have mine serviced within 3 months for rattling in the engine. Said I was getting Sirius radio for 1 yr. I havent gotten it one day and yes I called to have it hooked up. It is a great first car or car for younger people. But myself, husband and two kids are kind of cramped, especially in the front.

• 

  Nice Driver - Good Utility - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By kaamom - November 13 - 10:00 am

  We purchased all available options. In hindsight, Id have skipped the additional cost of the auto stick. The gears shift automatically even when using the auto stick which negates the usefulness of the feature. The tow capacity is more than enough to tow mulch trailers and all U-Haul trailers with ease. The automatic door openers are useful with a young family, but weve already had to repair the door motors not under warranty (expensive). Overall - good personal space - smooth ride - good utility

• 

  Still good at 2 years 4 months and 33.5k miles - 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By oregonfamily - November 10 - 5:41 pm

  Since our review a year ago, its mostly been great. The one issue was a second "clockspring" wiring harness in the steering column going bad early in the second year, right after the first had been replaced. Pretty sure that was because the dealer didnt install it right. At any rate, it was replaced and has been fine for over a year. Nothing else has gone wrong. All in all a very well thought out van. Our car history has been that around or before ten years of ownership some dipstick rear ends us at stop sign/light and the car is totaled. This is probably our last van and were hoping after the kids have left to make it a kayak hauler/camping van and drive till it wont go anymore.

• 

  Fun to drive - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Dan - November 5 - 8:36 pm

  Its been a long two months getting all the problems worked out but I am now enjoying the car very much. I get lots of compliments and looks. The V6 really has more then enough power unless you really want to burn rubber. The V6 will get up and go with no problem.

• 

  Minor Problems - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By ray - November 4 - 7:06 pm

  Great handling, good looks, lots of storage, has many of the same features our Chev. Impala had. Gas mileage is around 22 MPG IN THE CITY. WE HAVE TWO PROBLEMS: the air conditioner is making a whistling noise when it reaches 55 mph. Just started making a noise when turning left. so far the dealership has been great to work with.

• 

  No problems, I like it - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By midcapwarrior - November 4 - 2:00 am

  Have it for 4 years. Bought it used. It was a exec special so the mileage was a little high but it was loaded. No problems other than normal maintenance. I have two kids so the captains chairs are great for getting in and out. Only negative is the weight of the chairs. Not the easiest to remove/replace. Fuel mileage could be better.

• 

  Great Value - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Keith - October 24 - 12:56 am

  This is a great van. There are minor mechanical issues with this model. If you can work on your own car and get one of these used you can save a ton of money. Honda and Toyota are twice a as much used. Transmissions are solid as long as you use Dodge approved fluid only (ATF +4) and nothing else. A Dodge transmission is $1,700 and a Toyota is $4,700 to replace.

• 

  I like this Durango - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By avg - October 18 - 2:00 am

  Hi, I just bought this vehicle yesterday. Driving it home, I find it to be very comfortable, smooth, and a quite ride. Its a base model, however, it comes standard with many features that you would normally have to pay extra for. It has a v6 but it seems to have plenty of power going up a hill.I bought this for my wife to replace a 95 Voager. Im very happy with it and hoping that my wife will too. Its fun to drive. Is there a manufacturer rebate on this model? We were told that there werent any.

• 

  Good car bad problems - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By wanda - October 17 - 3:10 pm

  I like most of the interior features, the only things I have a problem with are, the air conditioner has a slow cool down when car is started. Also I have a touch screen dvd stereo, why put a dvd player on console if u cant see dvd while driving I would have preferred in in the back so kids could see it I have two seater no 3rd row seats. No air in back only from vents in front I can have floor storage but cant have back air? also fabric is White or light colors, they should use less light and more darks colors, even for grownups White is too hard to keep clean, my brakes sound funny when stopping, and have a lot of residue from brakes. I like the ride, less noisy just want better gas mileage20 hwy

• 

  Good Buy - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By JPowell - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Purchased 6-cylinder Grand Caravan in summer of 91, after plenty of research. Great van for a young family (2 adults, 2 kids). Recommend the 6- cylinder with luggage rack. Pros: Driver and passenger comfort are excellent. 6-cylinder provides plenty of power (test drove the 4-banger too...a bit of a dog). Drives like a large car, very smooth with enough pep for passing. Cons: One recall to replace side door latch (handled very efficiently by dealer). Removable seats are very heavy...not a one-person task. Because of this, we avoid removing the seats and use the luggage rack instead.