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.....trucks for real men - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By Sgt. Rock - September 18 - 2:00 am

  This truck begins with outstanding street looks and a size that will fool the unschooled into thinking it is a full-size truck. Pull up to a chevy full size regular cab and you even have him thinking that his truck has shrunk. Open the door, sit in the drivers bucket seat and turn the key. The 4.7 V-Eight begins to talk to you and rumble...ahhhhh how I love the sound. You put it in gear and its like a big dog pulling you faster than you want to go. All 230 horses are just waiting impatiently to be let loose. Forget Toyota.........this is really OH WHAT A FEELING...................

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  great truck - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By bkr - September 18 - 2:00 am

  Im over 50 and this is my first new vehicle. The dealer was excellent to deal with. Ive received lots of compliments on the style and color.

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  Little Buttercup - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Richard S - September 17 - 2:00 am

  Fabulous fun car that is also practical (4-dr sedan). This is a great commute car when there are no traffic jams. Added custom orange and red graphics (real paint) really dress up this little yellow sedan.

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  American Cars are Better! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By SHIRTandTIE - September 17 - 2:00 am

  Japanese Cars are so over-played. Everyone owns a car made in Nippon! But now it is time to come back to Gold Old American Muscle, but in the year of 2004! The Dodge SRT-4 is the car to drive and it made me come back to Chrysler and away from Ford. Japanese cars are not even in my mind anymore because they all look the same, perform well but get tired and old fast. Do yourself a favour, just get off the Japanese Bandwagon and find an American Car that you like because the Options are out there. Look again! This was a smart move by Dodge and Daimler and People are going to forget about Subaru and cheap a car that is cheap and fast and not expensive!

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  Go Dodge Go! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Penny - September 16 - 11:53 pm

  Ive waited 3 months to give an honest review of my SXT. Ihave averaged 25.8 to 30 mpg city and hwy, and am in constant bumper to bumper traffic to and from work. When the car is in park it is difficult to maneuver the air controls as the stick is in the way, and the blind spot is a bit bothersome. Yes theres noise, but that doesnt bother me. I did months of research before I purchased this car so I can say the pluses outweigh the negatives. Fun to drive, reliable and has a smooth transmission with the CVT. It turns heads, and is lots of fun to drive. This crossover car is sure to influence other car makers to wake up and smell the coffee! You wont be dissapointed.

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  We got a good one! - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By MickeySix - September 16 - 12:36 pm

  Only real problem was with the A/C. Had it in 3 times under warranty and they finally fixed the problem. We just turned over 70K and not another problem with this van. Excellent interior room, comfortable to travel in for our family of 5, and exterior styling is the best of all mini vans. This van has been from Washington state to NY and back 3 times without a problem. The Infinity sound system and overhead DVD player keeps the whole family entertained. The overhead computer is a nice feature. Ive read some of the complaints on the tranny and brakes, but with just over 70K on ours we havent experienced any of that! We have nothing but praise for our van and would recommend it to anyone!!!

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  A Good Buy - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By neonsoxt - September 13 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car brand new off the lot in April 2004. The features are great for the MSRP, including a great stereo, ice cold air, and power windows up front. While the rear windows are crank, its not a big deal because theyre easy to roll down with only a few cranks. The build materials seem pretty durable and tight so far as I have put about 4500 miles on it and there hasnt been one rattle or squeek. The suspension seems like a good comprimise between a touring ride and good handling. The engine can be what some would consider choppy at idle, but it has a nice sound and a great sweet spot right around 4000 RPM.

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  Sa far so good - 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By John Kowal - September 11 - 2:43 am

  Lots of cargo space. Love black package. Great engine Poor transmission shifting, vibrations and hard shifting from drive to patk or to reverse

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  Great Car! - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By tericoke1 - September 11 - 2:00 am

  Why Dodge decided not to make any more Intrepids is be on me. This is my 3rd. Theyre a nice looking car. The dealership had to drive 150 miles to get this car for me. The only reason I give up a car is because of milage. I put alot on a car.

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  fun compact - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By strack350 - September 11 - 2:00 am

  dodge has taken a good car and made it better. The second generation neon is not as performance minded as the first, but it is far more comforatable to drive, and is far more refined.