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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  04 durango a hemi makes you happy - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By foyman1 - October 16 - 2:00 am

  this is our second durango, after a loaded slt 2001, that was not as comfortable or smooth riding as we liked, however in 40,000 miles it never was in the shop except for routine maintenance, we decided to order a hemi powered SLT, what a change, other than dodge reliability nothing is the same, talk about improvement, wow, smooth riding, comfortable, unbelievable power, awsome sound system, its a whole new world, and the fit & finish is the best we have ever had in dozens of new cars, I am 63 my wife 65, I sold new Fords & Chevrolets for 35 years, and the new 04 Durango is the absolute best vehicle we have ever owned

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  nice - 1996 Dodge Viper
  By evilfrenchcook - October 15 - 2:00 am

  very nice ride i like that the viper now has 505 hp. the torque is awesome to

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  Old Reliable - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By dingo9 - October 14 - 2:00 am

  Excellent family transportation, good fuel economy, stylish, carries lots of cargo (camping gear), comfortable for long highway drives (8 hours). I like it! My previous car was another Stratus, which still ran great after 187000 miles!

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  Like a kid again! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By normko - October 13 - 8:53 am

  Ill be 81 years old next month and just purchased my 92nd. car, including collector cars, a 2007 Solar Yellow RT. As an attention getter it rivals my Magnum RT. There are few adjectives that can deacribe how I feel about this car. It is smooth, quiet, handles well, and has great mid range accelleration. With over 1600 miles gas mileage tank fulls have been a low of 22.3 and a high of 27.2 MPG.

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  sweet little car - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By newsrt - October 11 - 2:00 am

  Very pleased/surprised with the performance of the car, have driven about 3500 miles so far with no flaws whatsoever apparant. Would highly reccomend car to anyone seeking reliable, functional, and fast transportation at a great price.

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  First New Car. - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Devilrock31 - October 10 - 2:00 am

  I was shopping for a new car and went to many other dealerships. I saw this vehicle and thought it was very sporty. I drove the car and the ride was smooth and the features were very good and good space for traveling.The deal I got was incredible and this dealership in Philly,pa bent over backwards to please.

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  sharons car - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By sharon moeller - October 10 - 2:00 am

  i love my car--- i do alot of driving it handles the road well. its very comfortable to drive. it does fit a 65" tall guy.

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  Crowd Mover - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Houston - October 9 - 3:30 am

  Bought this vehicle used with 19000 miles, and found out right away how much utility it had. With in floor storage,7 passenger interior,and fold down rear seats it fits our familys needs well. As someone who has been a mechanic I can offer this advice for the transmission issues, change your fluid to synthetic. This should keep it working well for years as has been my experience. My only real complaint is the brakes, but if you buy lifetime warranty pads and change them yourself you can save hundreds over the life of the van. Change engine oil to synthetic at about 50000 miles, for long engine life,( this gives the piston rings time to seat.)Then enjoy years of reliable service.

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  More room than it appears to have - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Debtinator - October 9 - 2:00 am

  After a year of ownership, I am pleasantly surprised by the Dodge Neon. This car has been driven in the winters of Northern PA, has made a trip from PA to FL, and has handled the summer heat of Central Florida. In all conditions, the car has performed flawlessly. The gas mileage is quite good, the ride is comfortable, and there is much more room than I would have expected. Service from the Dodge dealerships has been very good, and I would recommend this car to anyone that is looking for a smaller car with mid-size comfort.

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  MY CAR - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By ROYM - October 9 - 2:00 am

  VERY NICE CAR GREAT GAS MILEAGE