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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  dodge man - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By vrod - October 25 - 2:00 am

  The best day of my life

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  amazing performance for a 6cyl.!!!! - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By sir looshus - October 25 - 2:00 am

  the 01 stratus is fun to drive with the optional auto stick. the top of the powerband is very responsive. handling is great on dry or wet surfaces. interior design is awesome, everthing is within arms length of the driver. could have added heat to the power leather seats for the cold winters, but ya cant have everything! would purchase another in a heartbeat. only problem i have had was a timing belt tensioner at 90XXX miles

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  2007 Dodge Nitro SLT - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Greenville - October 22 - 6:16 pm

  We just recently purchased a Dodge Nitro and love it! It has great performance and the car turns some heads with its classy design. The gas mileage is great for an SUV. I drive 50 miles one way to work and back so I need good mileage! I have to say Im very impressed so far with my Nitro and highly recommend it to anyone.

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  2004 Snake - 2004 Dodge Viper
  By Jim Clymer - October 22 - 2:00 am

  Cant believe how many times I been ask by others if they can have their picture taken with my Viper

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  Dodge Surprise - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Jim Riviere - October 22 - 2:00 am

  Before buying, I compared the Expedition to the Durango. The Durango beat the Expedition in almost all categories, especially power. This being my first Dodge,I was pleasantly surprised to find features usually only found on luxury vehicles such as memory driver settings, climate control, and leather. And, most important, the price was reasonable.

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  Good till the last drop - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By spookctr - October 21 - 2:00 am

  Bought in October and loved it from the start. Good room inside and out. First week I had it I took it to New Jersey with 3 passengers and not a hitch. In december wen from maryland to minnesota it more comfortable than my car was. Coming back brought home a few thousand dollars worth of baby furniture no noticable performance drops and it handled the worse weather that mother nature could throw at it. Good all around even with the base engine and 4 speed auto-transmission. Oh yeah, fit both a infant carrier and a toddler seat in the back seat. Let me see you do that with even some fullsize trucks let alone any other compact trucks.

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  Exellent - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By Ryan Sewell - October 20 - 10:00 am

  Best car ever owened a little stiff on handeling.

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  Great Car!! - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By tericoke1 - October 20 - 2:00 am

  Its the best car Ive ever had/ And Ive owned 3 Dodge Intrepids.

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  well worth it - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By durangolover - October 20 - 2:00 am

  I have found that my Durango is fabulous... I have only had it a short time--but it is a garuntee that I will never drive another vehical.. I love the Hemi power-- and the eye catching color.

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  The best car ever made - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By misty - October 17 - 2:20 am

  I said that I would never own a four door car, I would only drive SUVs, but after only a two mile test drive I was sold on the Charger. It still has a lot of attitude even though its a sedan. I love everything about this car, although I do think the cruise control looks a little weird. I wouldnt trade it for the world. If you pull out in front of cars like I do, you never have to worry about getting out of the way fast enough. Its 0 to 60 is amazing, and it handles like dream.