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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  Great Car....Small Annoyance... - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By daveydodge - December 19 - 2:13 pm

  Every time I wash my Caliber, it is dusty and dirty almost immediately on the back windshield, bumper, and back door on clean dry highways!!..Must be a design flaw..anybody else notice this?..All in all, love my Caliber SXT..Steel Blue with chrome door handles and gas cap and front grille, aluminum wheels and smoke window visors and bug shield and chrome "Dodge" front License Plate..gets lots of looks and 29 mpg with Mopar Synthetic...32,000 miles and going strong!!!....Love the new Dodge Journeys that are coming out..already thinking about that for 2009....

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  Downsizing to a Journey - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By inuvik - December 17 - 4:33 am

  We traded our 2007 Dodge MegaCab in on the Journey. We wanted something smaller that still had all wheel drive, could tow 3000 lbs or more and could seat 5 comfortably. The Journey meets all of those qualifications. Its extremely quiet at highway speeds and has been delivering good highway mileage, 24-25MPG. We love all of the storage, the transmission shifts smooth, and really enjoy sirius satellite radio. All in all, we are very happy with our purchase.

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  Actually a 1998 - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By R Hewitt - December 16 - 10:00 am

  I actually own a 1998 SLT with a 5.2 engine. I have 46000 and am thinking of trading it in on a new Durango. It has plenty of room, rides nice on and off road and I have had very few problems.

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  Poor Paint and loud interior noise - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Lynda Wood Favre - December 6 - 9:53 pm

  I love my Journey, dont get me wrong, BUT I have had to have the drivers mirror replaced once already due to peeling paint. Now, its peeling off again. AND, the passenger side mirror paint is starting to peel! Another problem is when you are driving and roll the rear window (s) down a bit, it sounds like youre in a helicopter! The noise is terrible! Wonderful car, just a few quirks!

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  I miss my van - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By preacher_man_d - December 6 - 10:52 am

  If I hadn’t been hit two different times in one week and the insurance totaled it out, I would still be driving this van. I bought the van used in 2002. Yes, it had all the problems associated with Dodge vans – I replaced the transmission, the carpet under the passenger side stayed wet in the summer, etc. Many of the problems I was able to repair myself just by watching Youtube. Anyway, before I started driving with a “target” on my van, which caused me to be hit twice by two different people in one week (not my fault), I had just turned 234,000 miles! I will miss it.

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  Just got my Hemi Magnum! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By MRSIX - December 6 - 10:00 am

  The car is an eyeful! From every angle you smile when you look at it. I selected the Black Metallic Pearl with every option except the trailer package. My first impression when I saw the car was astonishment with the unique stance and look. For a US carmaker, Dodge has definately outdone themselves. I have waited 18 months for this car to happen, and I am not disappointed. The car drives incredibly well at all speeds. Acceleration from a standing start is not stellar, but the car comes into its own when entering the on ramp, and from 60 to 100.

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  Overall a Great Value - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Bear - November 21 - 4:46 pm

  I commute 85 miles each way daily, so I need a solid vehicle and so far, the Journey R/T AWD does the job well. I am also a big guy...long legs, broad shoulders. Although I wish the seat were larger, I must admit that overall, the car is very roomy, even with the sunroof. Far more room than my 2005 Chevy Trailblazer. There is a TON of room for the 3rd row of seats that I did not take and lots of storage. Still learning all the features including voice commands! Great value for the $$$ spent. CVT tranny is cool too.

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  03 SXT - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By 03DODGESXT - November 21 - 2:00 am

  I am glad I bought a 2003 NEON SXT. I am within my budget. It is the second most inexpensive vehicle in this category when compared to Civic LX, Corolla S, Protege LX, Focus SE, Lancer, and Elantra GLS. I was going to buy an Elantra, but the insurance was to high. The fuel rating in the sticker said 33 MPG. I think its less than that. I have to refill the gas tank for every 265 miles driven. I may sell my NEON in exchange for a fuel economy car.

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  Grand Caravan - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Whachaknow - November 9 - 10:00 am

  We bought the Grand Caravan when we had three teenage children. Outside the obligatory Chrysler minivan transmission problems and an early replacement of front struts and steering pump, which were covered by the extended warranty, it has been a very reliable performer. The mileage is poor, as expected. But, we have driven it coast to almost coast (Washington, DC to Arizona), up and down mountains, and across deserts, and it has proven to be reliable and thoroughly comfortable. Now that we are almost empty-nested, we will eventually replace it with something smaller and more fuel efficient, but it has been a great family vehicle for all these years.

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  SRT-4 - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By CL20472 - November 4 - 2:00 am

  GREAT TO DRIVE.HAS MORE THAN ENOUGH POWER TO PUT YOU BACK IN YOUR SEAT. HANDLES GREAT EVEN ON THE BANKS OF HOMESTEAD RACEWAY.