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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  Amazing vehicle! - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By devoe6xo - June 22 - 11:37 am

  I bought mine in December of 2008 with 107,000 miles on it, and for the money I paid it was a great deal! This thing runs like a champ. I take it everywhere that my friends take there more expensive 4x4 trucks and get through everything with ease. Mine had the 5.9 L V-8 in it so it had plenty of power, with some to spare. I absolutely loved this s.u.v and would have never gotten rid of it if gas hadnt gotten to 4 bucks a gallon.

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  Peppy - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By billy - June 22 - 10:56 am

  Makes getting on a crowded highway feel safe. Great acceleration, but as you might expect, you can watch the fuel gage go down. Also, as a city resident, this mid size, narrow SUV is great for squeezing down narrow streets and parking. Spent about $300 over 2 years above routine maintenance which is not bad. Bought truck with 30,000 and now have 50,000. Overall like the dodge (this is my 3rd) and I think dodge gets a bad rap most prof. reviewers (consumer ratings are always higher).

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  I love my SRT-4 - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By starkie - June 22 - 10:00 am

  Fastest car EVAR! But it really is quick. And quicker when you tinker with it a bit and install some of the avalable MoPar mods. Best bang for the buck on the market.

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  Overall rating - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By mickey knt - June 22 - 7:46 am

  From the sleek curves and body lines to the interior, I dont think you can find a better buy. I bought it for the look. Will drive it for the comfort and how safe I feel behind the wheel. It was money will spent.This is a car I will enjoy driving for years to come.

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  Family Passenger for All around Purpose - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Bob Eskridge - June 22 - 2:36 am

  Driving our Sport Caravan is perfect for short and long trips. Comfort is exceptional with 12 year old twins. Maintenance has been minimal and gas mileage averages around 16 in town and 20 on highway.

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  Love It - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By J - June 21 - 10:18 pm

  Drove a rental for a weekend and fell in love with the red insert seats and chill zone. Ride is very good on the highway and cvt2 trans is not as bad as some of the other people said and the road noise is there but is not bad. Overall a good car

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  2006 Charger RT Great Ride - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Peter - June 21 - 4:16 pm

  The new Charger really delivers the performance and comfort. All my friends happily jump in all 4 doors when we go for a ride. The car looks very serious from the outside and inviting on the inside.

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  Great car on the road - best looking mid - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By pat - June 21 - 4:10 pm

  Ive had the car for abut 2 months now. Its great. A good priced head- turner... maybe even more than a Mustang. (you know its stylish when the guy driving a Mustang takes a long jealous look at your ride. Interior might be cheap, but it is still somewhat in style.

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  2003 SRT4 yellow - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By bo grizz - June 20 - 7:23 pm

  Awesome car love to drive it every chance I get. The price is great and will outrun a lot of cars that cost a lot more. When you need the power its there. I am 60 years old and it reminds me of the 60s era. All I say to people is to get in one and test drive it and you will see what I mean, it is one mean machine.

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  My Wonderful Green Machine - 1997 Dodge Stratus
  By Dave Perry - June 20 - 6:53 pm

  I purchased the car new with about 12,000 miles on it. I believe a salesperson from the dealership used it, however, the car drive and looked like brand new when I purchased it. My wife fell in love with it. She worked about 75 miles from our home and drive it 5 days a week which equated to about 150 miles per day and more than 36,000 mile a year. She now has another car (for the sake of a new one) and I now drive it. It has close to 220,000 miles on it and is still running strong. The biggest cost was the head gasket replacement once it passed 55,000 miles at my expense ($1250.00). Other than that, repairs were only routine as with any reliable car. I love this car!! Its part of me.