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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  Surprised purchase - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By damian - October 14 - 2:46 pm

  I purchased this car to get away from the look and feel of the SUVs and to my surprise, it seems I got a big car with comfort that you would get in a luxury mode,l and the sportiness of a smaller car. The drive is simply breath taking

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  Would buy again - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Larry Zellner - October 5 - 5:00 am

  Bought van used from local dealer. Great roominess with seats stored. Handles good even on winter roads which surprised me considering it doesnt have traction control. Like exterior styling but could use a little chrome. Front brake pads squeal even after being replaced. Mileage is good for a van. Comfortable even on longer trips. Would recommend it.

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  Well designed Durango - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By oilbidness - October 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought the Molten Red Durango Limited with the Hemi. It is extremely well made and welld esigned. Very powerful engine, fun to drive. The fuel economy around town is about 13.5 mpg; on the highway it is 19-20 mpg. I have only one complaint. the front seats are too narrow and I get a cramp in my legs on long trips. (Im 62" and only a little overweight) The seats need to be about two inches wider; there is plenty of room to do this. Other than that, the fit and finish is excellent; quality is much better than I expected. (this is my first Dodge)

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  Happy with my SXT - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By swfeature - October 1 - 10:00 am

  Im happy with my GC SXT so far. Ive put about 2500 miles on it to date and that includes a 500 RT mile trip to Maine. Acceleration for such a heavy van is very good. Comfortable seats. Smooth and surprisingly nimble to drive. Braking system is good and easy to handle even when stopping suddenly. My kids (4 & 7) are comfortable in the rear seats - no complaints. They like reclining for sleep. CD Stereo and A/C are good and easy to operate. I like the electronic doors and liftgate - my wife doesnt - so she uses them manually which is fine.

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  Great Car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By MichaelC - September 28 - 7:13 pm

  Purchased new with 3 miles on the odometer. The only problem so far as been a return trip to the dealer for an ECU update to correct a CEL. Ive carried lumber, office furniture, 30 boxes of stone floor tile, a door and countless other large, bulky items. The original Firestone tires were noisy and rough at 30,000 miles and replaced with General Altimax HPs (a great choice for this car). I would purchase this car again.

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  Sweet - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By SAW - September 26 - 7:46 pm

  Overall very happy with our purchase of this vehicle. So many bells and whistles its hard to keep my eyes on the road. Very comfortable, plenty of space, love the third row seating. Handles well, great on road trips. Gas mileage is very good, all in all a super family car that we are very happy about.

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  Little Things Started to go at 37k - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By abbye7 - September 22 - 3:16 am

  With 2 little ones, I like the convenience of the van for getting them in and out of their car seats. We were in a BAD accident on the highway and were safe because we were in it. BUT once the warranty expired on it, stupid little things started to go- The wipers got tripped up on each other during a bad storm (mechanic says this is common), EGR valve went, Trip computer blips out intermittently. Feel like i am waiting for something big to go...not sure what van we buy next. ,

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  Best Sport Compact on the Market - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By SRT TURBO - September 17 - 10:00 am

  I have 3000 miles on this vehicle. I have had a small oil leak & the shift linkage seems to be very notchy when downshifting, has a little more body roll than expected, other than that this car looks, performs & sounds like no other on the market. I get approx. 20mpg, but the more you kick in the 14psi of boost the mileage is noticeably less.Dodge is now offering stageI & stageII turbo kits that make this car close to 300HP!!!!!!! Car is well worth the $19,995 sticker price.

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  My 2001 Stratus ES - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By MrJitters - September 17 - 10:00 am

  A very fun car to drive. Great looks ( I have black clearcoat with the factory chrome wheels), plenty of power and good handling. Good interior room and the seats are very comfortable. The Autostick shifter is a blast! I consider this car to be an excellent value in the midsize range. I presently have 22K on the car. One warranty visit for the blower switch, at 21K, which was fixed with no problem.

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  Love My R/T - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By GS - September 17 - 6:26 am

  Got the 07 Caliber R/T back in June. I am absolutely in love with it, except it needs more "oomph" when I touch the gas. I mostly use the "autostick" which does give me a more power on take off. Overall, though, I love it. I get questions from people all the time - get stared at a lot when sitting at traffic lights!!! The optional Boston 9 speaker system is awesome - the chiller could be a bit cooler, but who cares about that - no biggie. Cant wait for the SRT Turbo version to come out!! I bought the "inferno red" R/T with the upgraded chrome wheels, sunroof, red seat inserts/dash panel - its gorgeous!