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:

• 

  Oil Burner - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By doug - July 9 - 10:46 pm

  I bought this vehicle new. What a mistake. After 20k it burns over 1qt of oil every 1000 miles, which Dodge says is NORMAL. The sunroof wont close if youre going faster than 20 mph. Again Dodge says this is normal and that you should have to pull over and stop to close your sunroof. Its a piece of junk. Dodge has turned me into a Honda/Toyota lover.

• 

  Good buy - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By GMC - July 9 - 2:33 pm

  I bought this last Oct (2.7 v6) despite the bad reviews and have not regretted it. Im not sure why it gets ripped. I just got back from a 2000 mi vacation expecting the wheels to fall off at anytime and I never had 1 issue. What I did get was a smooth ride and great fuel economy. The only time this has been in the shop has been for 3 recalls and the front passenger door needed adjusted. I agree with the plastic interior comments but I knew that when I got it.

• 

  Buying American again good bye toyoya! - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By GARY - July 9 - 12:33 pm

  I cant believe how critical everyone is. Complaining about the plastic interior being to plastic, excuse me if this car doesnt have that fake Lexus plastic dash. The seats are to hard! It sounds to me you are all to old to be driving. This car blows away any Toyota I have previously owned. I bought the 2.7 V6 engine and getting 27 mpg. It rides better then a Fusion, or Camry. The interior is logically laid out and the ride is excellent. The Dodge 4- speed tranny shifts great. 100% better the Toyota 4-speed tranny which constantly mis-shifts. The price with all the options blows away the competitors, the lifetime warranty may have some uncertainties but what the hell its better then just 3-yr

• 

  Love of my life - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By maxposner - July 9 - 9:59 am

  When I bought this truck, I needed a backup truck for my business, and a car to haul my children around. I was asked many times how I liked it, and always replied that I needed to put more miles on it. Well It has been over 10 years, and 193k original exhaust, 4 sets of tires, and very little maintenance. The tranny finally gave up(plugged cooler line),and I need to replace the blower motor.This truck has pulled everything, hauled everything(Ive bent the springs), driven hundreds of miles in 4wd through blizzards and drifts, it could quit and I wouldnt fault it, I dont baby anything, this one has been used and abused, it will last forever. 22 mpg, 65 MPH lightly loaded. 13 MPG, 75 mph, heavy load.

• 

  13 years of love. - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By Mark - July 9 - 12:31 am

  Bought this car new Dec, 95 at the age of 21, and am about to trade it in (180k miles) this month for a used minivan for the wife and 2 kids. I LOVE this car. Being an irresponsible 21 y/o, I punished this vehicle (top @135 mph, hard redlines, etc) and havent maintained it like i should recently. Therefore some things are my fault. Problems: transmission rebuilt @ ~80k miles - currently slips & leaks, oil leaks, blown radiator hose, bad right front shock (my fault), bad driver window track (wont roll up), O2 sensor, visor lights, emergency brake cord stretched & catches, stereo power glitches, blown front speaker (my fault), paint on spoiler faded. Not a lot if you considering its history.

• 

  Great Value for Your Buck - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Franksean - July 8 - 12:20 pm

  Ive had the car for a few months now and its been a good experience so far. Ive had friends drive it and not believe it was a 4 cylinder. Great gas mileage and turn radius. Im 6ft and 285lbs and I fit comfortably. However, the door roof is a bit low - I can easily bang my head getting into the car if Im not careful. Theres also this weird thing that happened twice. When Im doing a K Turn, if I take the car out of reverse and into drive to quickly the car shuts off. I know, its a quirky issue and I know its not a high performance car but my 1982 Gremlin never had that problem (-:

• 

  Just Bought It - 2008 Dodge Challenger
  By Dave Carcaise - July 8 - 12:07 am

  This is a excellent car to drive. I love my new SRT8. Hemi orange, 6.1 Hemi, Auto Stick, Kicker stereo system w/nav and Sirius sat radio. This is a must have for the car enthusiast.

• 

  Its been wonderful - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Terry - July 7 - 9:39 pm

  Its been almost four years and, other than gas and oil, the car has cost me a set of tires, spark plugs, and a battery. I couldnt be happier. Zero quality problems. Ive got just over 59,000 miles and it still runs like new. Dollar for dollar, this may be the best car sold in the U.S. in 2004.

• 

  my grand caravan - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By lopez2 - July 7 - 4:37 pm

  we bought my wife 2005 grand caravan during a bad financial situation and pay cash for it, had 123000 miles back then and now 189000, no problem at all, just gas and oil change. sheap design but great on traveling, lots of room for storage. people we had a saturn relay fully loaded and 0 mile when we bought it, that is the worst car we ever had. let the bank have it after warranty expire at 48000 miles and the heck with the credit score, thats how desperate i was. ill buy another grand caravan for the right price again.

• 

  2007 Nitro - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By beckyv84 - July 7 - 8:41 am

  This is probably one of the best mid- sized inexpensive SUVs Ive driven or rode in. Its a smooth ride and definitely an attention getter. Ive gotten as many compliments on this as I did on my Formula Firebird! The cabin is roomy and versatile and the electric outlet is great for charging my camera batteries! The only downsides I can point out are the ability to hear outside noise, (Its not over the top, but not as quiet as I would have expected), and it would be nice if the back hatch opened a little higher than it does. It would also be nice if there was a back hatch release on the key fob. Overall, I feel it is an exceptional vehicle for the price and I enjoy it immensely.