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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  2012 Charger SRT8: getting what you pay for - 2012 Dodge Charger
  By mtstevens82 - November 20 - 2:19 am

  Having driven the 2011 R/T for most of the year, I was already familiar with most of the features but was completely unprepared for the improvement in handling and power this beast brings to the table. On a highway you can easily top 100 mph without the pedal getting halfway down and still be treated to a symphony from the engine, which prompted an unprintable exclamation of approval from my first passenger. The auto mode sets the suspension for maximum comfort and in even the sharpest turns the car remains level. Sport mode unleashes the cars max performance. Fuel economy is about the same as I had with the R/T, although thats more due to San Diego traffic than anything else.

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  205,000 Near Perfect and going still.... - 1999 Dodge Stratus
  By 2004_mustang - November 18 - 3:23 am

  I got this car in Sept 2005 with 93k miles on it. 3rd owner. It has alomst 205,000k miles on it in Nov 2011. I have almost all the original parts still working fine on this. It has always started up, doesnt make noises, shakes or leaks. At 140k I changed the shocks, struts, fuel cleaning and all the fluids and filters. I do regular maintaince on this so that is why it has done so well. I did have to replace the AC unit, EGR valve, tie rod, fuel pump, water pump and that was about it other than regular tires, brakes and stuff like that. This is a basic, simple car that when maintained. Runs as good as the day it was created, most people dont maintain there cars. All pluses here.

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  Love my Dodge! - 2011 Dodge Avenger
  By johntesh71 - November 16 - 10:18 pm

  Ok so Im officially 3 months into ownership, and I cant find one thing wrong with this car.....The car now has 5000 miles on it and hasnt required an oil change or any major maintenance since I got it...The car is still fast as hell with its stock 295 HP V6, beating out 0-60 times of 5.7 seconds and quarter miles of nearly 14 seconds at nearly 100mph.....But still the wonky Torque steer and the very speedy transmission get in the way of any true performance from this cars amazing engine which still gets around 31MPG highway and nearly 24 city...I have never owned a better vehicle in my life and Will never stray from my Chrysler products for as long as they exist.

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  Love my lil Caliber - 2010 Dodge Caliber
  By klwain2 - November 16 - 9:43 am

  I just love my Caliber! I purchased it at Fifve Star Dodge in Macon, GA. After a lot of research, I decided on this model and have not been disappointed. Very roomy interior, great sound system, quiet and comfortable ride, and cute exterior design. I wanted the impossible and found it in this car. It is almost a wagon, almost an SUV and almost a sports car! Love it!

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  Best vehicle I have ever owned! - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By lyss - November 15 - 1:07 pm

  I bought my charger in late 2008 and I still own it. I cannot seem to find myself wanting to trade it in due to having no problems with it. I wrecked it back in early 2010 and even with all the repairs that were done at the dodge dealership I have had good luck so far... This is my 2nd dodge I have owned and plan on sticking with it.

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  Great fun - 2012 Dodge Charger
  By grandemamou - November 13 - 8:42 pm

  We had settled on a Maxima and went to look at the Charger as a base of comparison. I was blown away with the build quality and materials of the interior. Gone are the cheap hard plastics replaced with high quality soft to the touch materials Great power with the Hemi and smooth as silk ride. We have about 2,000 miles on it and couldnt be happier. Steering is a little numb but this is a big car. Super comfy so I guess there are compromises.

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  The Dodge Charger SRT8 is a Beast... in a good way - 2012 Dodge Charger
  By jfwright1955 - November 13 - 10:03 am

  The 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 looks means, sounds mean, it is mean. Seeing it parents will lock their kids indoors peering out the windows until this bad boys gone by. Even parked youll want to cross the road just to walk around it so it cant bite. When you first fire up the engine you know unmistakably theres a beast under the hood. However, from the inside of the cabin you hear a quiet, pleasant exhaust note. Romp on it and its a whole different story. Whatevers under the hood wants to get out and its going to drag the car and passengers along with it whether they like it or not. Youd better hang ladies and gentlemen because youre going for a ride like youve never had!

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  Two days old, but love it - 2012 Dodge Journey
  By aliciakay - November 11 - 5:32 pm

  We just purchased the 2012 Journey American Package. The adjustable seating arrangements are so fun and convenient. The middle row can be adjusted in two parts! So, the single seat with the car seat can stay in the further position, so my chair wont be kicked, and then the other two seats can scoot up, to make more room for the third row. All seats recline, which is great for long rides. I enjoy the middle and third row vents being in the overhead, so its out of the way. Speakers are heard from all rows, gets up to speed fast getting on the fwy. I feel in control when driving. All parts feel solid, well made. Easy entry is awesome. So far....very good, we love it!

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  39 years later it was my turn - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By smart_shopper - November 11 - 9:55 am

  As a child in 1969 I went with my dad when he picked up a new 1970 Dodge Charger. I sat in an orange car that I later learned was a Challenger. Ive owned a lot of cars over the years, including a new 1997 Trans AM WS-6, which is a beautiful car until you have to do any engine work. I can say the Challenger is arguably the best new car Ive ever owned. It is huge, its larger and weighs as much as my truck, a 1st gen 5.9L Durango, yet it gets almost 24 MPG on the Interstate. It has many bells & whistles never thought of in 1970, and its the best looking retro muscle car in my opinion. Due to size and weight, its not as fast as the smaller Camaro, but to each their own.

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  Loving this new Durango 5.7 AWD Citadel - 2011 Dodge Durango
  By ozcop1 - November 9 - 12:37 am

  I have only owned this SUV a week and have only driven it 300 miles. So far, I really like the ride and drive, and even the fuel mileage, which in local driving only is turning 16.2 mpg. I fully expect better mpg numbers as its broken in. I love the entertainment system, which came standard on this model and have been loading CDs to the hard drive this week. The sound system is excellent! If I have a complaint it is with the non-tilt steering wheel. The adjustable column and telescoping wheel is nice, but you have to get it adjusted just right to see all the dash and electronic read-outs. Not a big deal, but certainly different from my 05 Limited I traded in. Thats only a minor issue.