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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  Love it - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Chris - June 20 - 3:19 pm

  I spent six months researching and comparing the R/T before I ordered mine. I waited until all of the 2008 models came out from other manufacturers and didnt like any of them better than the Avenger. The looks, the style, and the HP sold me. I have no regrets with my purchase.

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  So far, so good! - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By The Sock Monkey - June 20 - 8:16 am

  I traded in a 2012 R/T Plus for this 2016 R/T with Road and Track package. The Road and Track package literally turns this into a different car. Two different cars, really. You get two drive modes. Normal drive mode which I call "grandpa mode" is great when youre driving your mother in law to the hair salon. Or taking clients out to lunch. Or whatever. For more entertainment value, theres Sport drive mode. Power steering sensitivity, traction control, shift speed, etc., are customizable in both modes via touch screen. So basically, you get two cars for the price of one. Which is great. You can opt for the Scat Pack, SRT8 or Hellcat if you want to spend more. For the extra money, you get higher levels of performance and/or refinement and all three of those also have customizable drive modes, though they tend to always feel more "sport mode" all the time. If you want a car that feels like a "grown up" car when you want it to, but also can be fun... I dont think you can beat a Charger with the Road and Track package. I will also say that in the last 4 years, though the interior of the car aesthetically hasnt drastically changed, it definitely has improved in a number of small ways. Anyway... yeah. Id recommend it.

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  Almost 3 years old - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By TJ - June 20 - 3:14 am

  2006 SXT, Cool Vanilla, Sunroof, Leather heated seats. The honeymoon period is over. Although I still enjoy the overall ride, power and performance, I am bothered by the electrical issues, and the cheap interior this car has. Also the lack of amenities other cars offered for the price tag. The bad: Cheap plastic interior, passenger door handle broke, plastic glove box door handle broke. Leather seats look/feel cheap. Electrical sucks, rear driver side window wont go down. sometimes the Sunroof does a wacky open close open when you press the button. Horrible radio, especially with AM reception. The check engine light is lit at only 37K miles. And mind you, I baby this car

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  Fun but a lot of problems - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By Cargurl - June 19 - 7:09 pm

  I bought the car new and had nothing but problems.They did not give me a new car. They rewired the whole thing and it just wouldnt run.

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  Could - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By burntfrank - June 19 - 4:16 pm

  Downgraded from A4 looking for more room and better gas mileage for under $20k. Definitely a nice amount of room to work with considering the overall size of the package. Gas mileage doesnt impress, but solid mid-to-high 20s in mostly highway driving. Ive put almost 8k miles in about 4 months and havent had a problem. I do miss the AWD, though.

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  Very Disappointed - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By Unhappycamper - June 19 - 8:45 am

  It sounds like I am the only one but I am so disappointed with my new car. I have wanted a Charger since they hit the ground. After all the waiting until I could afford one, I ended up buying the lemon from the lot. My car has 850 miles on it and has been in the shop 5 times for the transmission. When the transmissions shifts between 1st & 2nd gear it feels like I am driving over railroad tracks & it does this every time I stop & take off. The dealership says this is normal and it should work itself out after I have drove it 3000 miles or more. They also say that 1/2 of them do this & 1/2 of them dont. I dont even want to drive it. The excitement is gone.

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  Excellent "car" - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By pam horan - June 18 - 6:20 pm

  An excellent minivan. Very comfortable, reliable, and good-looking too! Didnt want another minivan until my husband and brother talked me into this. Truly handles just like a car. With the big engine, it has great pick-up

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  You Wont Be Disappointed! - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By FastFish - June 18 - 3:45 pm

  (R/T Daytona – Orange) A dare to test drive the car resulted in buying on the spot. At the expense of sounding like a broken record with the other reviews posted here, I must say: DAMN NICE CAR! From owning BMW’s to Mercedes, this car has what it takes and for way less money! In short, just an extreme pleasure to drive! More features and creature comforts for the money and tied with outstanding performance, it’s a combination you just can’t walk away from. It’s still new so I cannot report on reliability but from what I have read from this forum as well as countless others I am sure that I will not have any surprises. Guess what my wife’s next car is going to be????

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  Does It All - 2008 Dodge Dakota
  By doug - June 18 - 2:20 pm

  My truck is actually a Sport w/V-8, crew cab. This is my 3rd Dakota. So far, my favorite. Its red, fast, looks sporty, handles great, rides good, doors open wide, seats firm and supportive, tows, looks good anywhere, best warranty of anyone. Traded down from full-size Chevy. Like this better. Easier to get in and out of and wife likes the size. Mileage is 21-24 on highway driving sensibly. City is lower of course. Acceleration is matched by nothing else is its class. Brakes and transmission work flawlessly. When you turn on your truck, does it return the favor? Mine does!

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  Beast - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By jordan_sterba - June 18 - 12:29 am

  This is a very reliable little car, unfortunately stuff from mopar is real expensive so they are easy to total. But other than that i give the car a 2 thumbs up all around