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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  Nice Ride, Needs true Manual tranny - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Joseph - April 24 - 2:43 am

  Bought the car because I really wanted rear-wheel drive and dont want to ride with the snobs in their BMWs. Very nice ride/handling...doesnt feel as big as it is. My only gripe is the fact that American manufacturers refuse to put manual transmissions when connected to their best engines!!! I know, Mustang/Corvette...right, but I needed the full backseat...and I dont have Corvette kind of money. Come on Dodge, toss in a 6-speed and well call it a day. But overall, very happy with the car.

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  Stratus Coupe, the Four Cylinder Kind - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By Silent - April 22 - 10:00 am

  Edmunds reviews mention two things that attract young buyers: low price, high performance. The same things also attract not-so-young buyers (me). The four-cylinder has acceptable power, and the five-speed enhances the driving experience.

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  Dont Drive in the Snow! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By BBD - April 22 - 3:36 am

  I got my Journey in July 2009 and absolutely loved it until winter came. This car does not do well in snow or ice. I have gotten stuck 3 times this winter in just a light dusting of snow because of the front wheel drive traction control. We were parked on a small incline and it was a little slick and the wheels just spun. My husband had to get out and push until we got come traction. Also I was going through an S-curve and the road was again lightly dusted with snow and the back end started to swing around on me. I turned the wheel back the other way and it started coming back around the opposite direction until I came to the stop sign where the snow plow had salted the road.

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  Love the looks, needs engine work - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By don - April 21 - 8:43 pm

  I probably was one of the first people to get a Caliber. I love the look of the car. People always look when I drive. When I get gas people always ask questions. The plastic underneath the car rattles at high speeds. Also, I think a spark plug is knocking. Everytime I hit the gas, I get a knocking/metal hitting something sound. It needs more pickup. When it rains or I go to a carwash, the engine steams like it is overheating. Also, the chillzone does not work. No air comes out of the vent. The flashlight is broken also.

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  My new dDodge problems - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By ladow - April 20 - 8:03 am

  First off i have the 2008 sxt with the 3.3LT flex feul system. I love the new body style its fun to drive and very comfortable. Its great for our family of 5 and the entertainment center is a must have. Now the bad, we recently passed 2000km mark and it is already been towed to the dealership. The power steering has failed as noted by the huge puddle of power steering fluid on the ground in front of my house and the fact the tow truck driver saying this was his 6th Caravan in the last 4 weeks with the same problem. Im also having issues with the windshield washer fluid low light not coming on.

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  Solid Van, Great Value - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By plmn - April 19 - 2:36 pm

  I bought this van about one year ago. It replaces a 2001 Honda Civic, which was not all that reliable. It was a great value. For the same money, a Toyota or Honda would have been twice as old and had at least twice the miles. Does that really make sense? As someone who as owned Honda and Toyota, I say no. So far, reliability has been great. A corroded battery cable, not unusual for that mileage, has been the only problem. Fuel mileage is good considering its size and it is a great road vehicle. Dont care for the 2nd row Stow and Go. Storage is nice but the seats are not very comfortable for adults. Build quality is just OK but as a whole, this van works pretty well.

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  Awesome little Srt4 - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By David D. - April 19 - 10:33 am

  I was looking for a small economical, fast, good looking car. I read about it on magazines and saw it @ the LA Auto Show, I felt like I already owned one before I bought one. It was exactly what I hoped for the first time I drove it. For a little 4 banger its really fast, the 5th day I had it I was waiting at a red light, next to me was a mustang cobra...Yup a cobra! Guess who won by 5 whole cars, YUP ME! left the mustang smoking... NO LIE! you can see the video on U tube.

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  Road Runner & Barrels of Fun - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Earl Gray - April 19 - 10:00 am

  Some say it has cheap interior but its as good as any other car at the price and it will burn the doors off of its competition and will give the big guns a run for their money and in fact will beat a lot of the ones that is supposed to be so hot and cost five times as much. Its a KICK IN THE SEAT!

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  Trannie problems - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Dan - April 17 - 10:00 am

  Drives nice and very comfortable ride but loaded with lots of nasty surprises. Gone thru 3 serpentine belts and tentensioners. Wipers will turn on for no reason and the trannie is jerking a lot now....ready to replace the trannie very soon. A common known problem for these vehicles....Will never buy chrysler products again!!!! DG

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  Practical Vehicle - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By rau1997 - April 13 - 2:33 am

  We bought our 1997 Grand Caravan used with 26500 miles on it from a dealership. We also bought an extended warranty taking it to 6yrs/75k (only used it once for the starter but it was nice to have peace of mind). Overall its been a pretty good car with only three problems; starter went out at 50k; brakes; wiper goes on for no reason (not covered on extended warranty).