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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  I love this car - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By KGB - August 17 - 2:00 am

  This is the most comfortable car I have purchased. The Intripid is affordable and looks stylish. Dodge really made a great car! Please dont stop making this model:)

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  First New Car - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By RealoRc - August 16 - 7:50 pm

  This car is just amazing. I still enjoy staring at the Charger in the driveway from my window. Depending on your options you can get a RT for less than $100 per horsepower! Room for five and 16.1 cubic feet of cargo capacity is perfect for road trips. Mopar even has a snowboard roof mount. Its really the perfect vehicle, power, looks, price, interior capacity. Fuel costs for 100k miles between 17mpg and 27mpg is really just a few grand.

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  Sweet Ride - 1994 Dodge Stealth
  By jagger01 - August 16 - 2:00 am

  Bought the car after highschool, owned it for about a year and a half and had virtually no problems. Only ones were fuel filter, and carbon build up in the intake caused stalling. Car was great fun to drive, superb ride although soft handling due to non-turbo suspension. Car was very reliable, heater and A/C took a while to come on but both worked flawlessly. The V6 had great power, and torque whenever you needed it in any gear. All nessesary features were easily accessable to the driver. Front seats held two adults comfortably, however rear seats seemed they were added merely to lower insurance costs. Even without ABS option the brakes performed exceptionally

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  best car i ever had! - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By Charlee - August 16 - 2:00 am

  this car, i named, "Hunter" not for the color but for his performance. i have had 2 major accidents, and "Hunter" has saved my life. He, is the Best car i have ever owned.

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  Nitro is Great - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Dan Fay - August 15 - 4:26 am

  Have had to drive in a lot of snow and ice since I received it a week and 1/2 ago. Must say am impressed with Nitros ability to get around. This includes quite a few hills, no problems. Handling and braking are both better than expected. Had a Dakota Laramie and this is as comfortable if not more so. While gas mileage is not great Im sure it will improve with break in. am very satisfied with the Nitro. Did the change tires same day I bought it. Never have liked Goodyears, but then again most OEM tires are not that great.

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  Great Truck - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By tjbh - August 15 - 2:00 am

  Great truck, I should have bought one a long time ago!

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  Nice car decent price - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Mark - August 14 - 10:33 am

  I have had 3 used cars and for this being my first brand new car, I love it. I wanted the big Charger but the price was a little high so I settled for the little brother. No complaints though. This car looks tough and has the power and style to back it up. The 3.5 liter V-6 is impressive. It’s no race car but it moves. It has 240 hp from the factory vs. Ford’s Mustang V- 6 210 hp. Any questions? The ride is unbelievable. My grandfather has a Cadillac and he feels the avenger rides better. Nice car good price get one! I would have like the navigation system but just too much. Would recommend to anyone.

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  SRT-4 Review - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Jason SRT-4 - August 14 - 10:00 am

  Awesome bang for your buck performance ride! Already three months old and I still get an ear to ear grin everytime I get into it. With just a few minor performance modificatons (provided by Mopar), my car is already putting down 280hp to the wheels.. I just cant get over the fun to drive aspect of this car! I definitly think there is a direct correlation between my right foot and a smile on my face!

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  SRT-4 - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By P-38lightning - August 14 - 10:00 am

  INcredibly fun to drive, and the best performance that you can get in the price range.

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  Grand Caravan SXT - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By ponypwr - August 14 - 10:00 am

  Just bought a 2005 Grand Caravan SXT. Love the Stow and Go, and for the price, nothing can touch this van. The DVD is great and we really like the storage console between the seats. This is our fifth minivan, and the best yet.