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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  Customized Dodge Ram Van 1500 - 1999 Dodge Ram Van
  By mikelebay - July 19 - 10:00 am

  Extended roof with T.V. and Video Player; Plush Captains Chairs (4); Mood lighting; fold down rear bench; However, chairs dont rotate :( Plenty of hauling room and comfort for passengers and CAPTAIN.

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  Water leak - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Water leak - July 16 - 1:26 pm

  It is fun to drive, I have been very happy with it, get lots of looks & I cant stop looking at it after I park it.

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  Regrets and Concerns - 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By MDShea - July 11 - 10:00 am

  Purchased the van used with 54,000 documented well cared for and maintained miles. Transmission was replaced at 44,000 miles - I thought ok, I have a van with the bugs worked out. Within two weeks it cost me $900 for a computer and auto stick handle! This van scares the bucks out of my wallet. Now I have a metalic sound when the van idles that concerns me. Beautiful van FOR SALE!

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  Magnum RT - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Ed - June 18 - 9:00 pm

  Comfortable, fun to drive and VERY Quick. Too bad the traction control cannot be turned off. Rear seat had immense room. Long wheelbase makes it very stable but not as nimble.

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  Good Van - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By John Lau - June 18 - 10:00 am

  We had a choice of buying a new, bare- bones van, or a used one with options. We saw this and decided that we wanted the nicer things that it had. It never left us stranded, and it was dependable. It handled well for a van, it looked good, and it was loaded. There were never any rattles or squeaks, and except for the CD player (which stopped working two years ago), everything held up just fine.

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  Pleased - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By tropikal - June 18 - 10:00 am

  Overall, a very good vehicle. This is my third Caravan. Very comfortable on the road. The Touring suspension and ABS helped avoid a seroius accident; the car was very stable in an evasive move. Dynamite infinity stereo although the headphones are too difficult for the kids to work (me too). Problems: power sliding door, oil leak at the filter flange, transmission shifts hard from 1st to 2nd under light load.

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  Value for Money - SE Plus - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By First Dodge Owner - June 17 - 11:40 am

  I live in Toronto, Canada. Canadian market has SE Plus model, same 4.0 L engine except for $1,000 more you get more features (remote keyless entry, sunscreen glass, speed control, roof rack, security alarm). I had additional upgrades like Premium seats (same as SXT) for $375 and auto dim rear view mirror plus bluetooth for $300. Engine is noisy at high rams and lacks power. Otherwise quiet on highway.

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  Devil in the Details - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By JBaker in MS - June 16 - 3:06 pm

  We bought this van b/c it was far cheaper than the Odyssey. It had been a great car until about a year ago. Now 5 years old, its beginning to disappoint us. Its little things: theres a rattle in both sides of the front suspension, the front windows arent working, trim is popping loose on the sides, the water pump went out and both doors have had the wiring harnesses replaced. Unfortunately, the warranty ran out long ago. The van drives/rides great. Its great on trips, but long-term reliability is questionable. Also, our mpg has never been good. Its now down to 18- unacceptable in a V6 minivan rated higher than that. Even on straight interstate we only get 21 or 22 mpgs.

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  So-so Van - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By CAS - June 12 - 10:00 am

  Bought a 97 Es extended and for the first 4-5 years the car had so many problems. The worst was the CD Player. Also, right before a stoplight the brakes blew out!! Chrysler needs to work on reliabilty.

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  Worth the money, with rebates - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Wiesbaden.Soldier - June 11 - 11:23 pm

  Purchased this vehicle one month ago, and were still smiling. It handles like a bigger sedan, thanks in part to the larger rims and performance suspension. Gas mileage could be better, but no worse than a mini-van. We are pleased with our purchase so far. Handles like a sporty vehicle and does get positive looks from other people. Interior is perfect. Americans tend to want the "soft feeling" interior, but this vehicle reminds me of a European car on the inside, which is great. I dont sink into the cushions of the car, which gives it a more confident feel. Chrysler is on the right track. We traded our Caravan SXT for this vehicle, and we are thoroughly pleased. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS.