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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  Highly recommended - but hard to find - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By Moparz3X - June 7 - 4:11 pm

  I purchased this car after my 2001 Chrysler Concorde was hit by an off-duty cop. The 3.5 L motor is the best. Great power, high MPG (25 MPG in Denver, 30 MPG on highway). Highly reliable and extremely comfortable. I wish Dodge/Chrysler hadnt quit making this car - it is much roomier than the Charger/300 replacement. I put 18K on the car each year and not problems whatsoever. If you find one that has been maintained (Im a mechanic) youll be pleased.

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  My Durango has a nickname OUCH$ - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By LBL - June 7 - 3:54 pm

  I really do like it after approximately 30,000 dollars yes 30k. New crate eng, radiator, 2 wtr pmps, fuel pump, brake lines, axle bearings/seal rear, rear replaced, headlight switch, drvr dr motor, etc etc. Now it rides better than the day I bought it, and I still for some strange reason just like it! Go figure. Oh did I say transmission replaced too. LOL tears of joy. Ps. Pass. Side mirror and heater box need diverter switch /core next. Hahaha .

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  Some redeeming features but think twice - 2015 Dodge Dart
  By Dave in OH - June 7 - 2:54 pm

  Got a chance to rent one of these, and since my daughter will be looking for something used soonish for a first car, I thought why not try it? Nut shell summary -some stand out features, but would not buy or rent again. Cars should be made to be driven as job 1, not just looked at or sat in. The good? Appearance was nice in my eyes. And, the interior was not low rent by any means. Soft touch material and mostly decent switch gear feel? Check. Logical control layout? Check. Seats were okay, but not great. Still, given the price point? Color me impressed. A few quirks to note here which kept the rating being higher in these areas. 1) Front seats needs to go lower. While I can fit... I have to recline the seat and doing so blocks the speedometer. So I can either fit comfortably, or not see my speedometer between 50 and maybe around 80. Tilting/telescoping wheel hopefully is an option, so check if you are a all torso kind of guy like me. 2) Glare off gauge panel. Given the rest of the interior quality, the lack of a (more?) reduced glare gauge cluster covering seems a noticeable omission. Not cant read it bad, but still quite annoying when the light glare hits it. And, the mostly not so good. With the exception of steering, which really does hit the mark for this sort of car, driving dynamics were pretty bad. So the steering first. Somewhat lose on center but with good, but not too much road feel. Tracks well, not too much effort at any speed. Pretty much exactly what the doctor order for daily driver sort of car and maybe more. However, the engine was buzzy and lacked any ommph over 45 for the first few days Had to hammer it to even get up to passing speed in any reasonable time. After a few days the TCU and engine eventually learned that when I applied gas I truly madly deeply did want it at least _try_ to move faster than a dodering great grandma. Still even then, it remained rather poor, but at least not almost dangerously so, as was my experience the first few days with it. Engine noise and vibration were a constant unwelcome companion, especially at idle. Even the dash liner would visibly vibrate at times. If Dodge had not put so much effort into the interior it would have been buzzing like my old 78 Malibu did when it was cold. This is the lowest level of NVH refinement of any other car I have driven or ridden in in the last decade, or possibly two, which is quite a few cars from all price points. Brakes may have had a warping issue on this car so read as such, and not as directly critical of the car model. The rears gave a distinctive whrrr whhrr when backing down my driveway. I had to stop quickly once, and they actually clunked and the car lurched a bit while stopping fast. I assume this is not normal for a Dart, and did let the rental agency know. I would however worry about a car that did have brake issues as early as this, even for a rental. My adivce? Try some emergency stops and braking while backing down a hill to be sure if you are test driving one. Suspension. On smooth even pavement it was fine, and even a good ride. However, anything else gave varying degrees of jittery and busy. Absolutely no confidence in trying anything beyond 20% pushing it in this car. Given the brakes, and lack of oomph, that was probably for the better. Still a suspension should not communicate that it wants to take the car in all sorts of directions you are not steering in on anything but good pavement. If you live in an area of crappy roads like I do, make sure to try it out first and see for yourself if it suits. Fairly obviously, I have no idea if it corners fairly flat / has body roll, was not even tempted to try it. In short? VW, Mazda, Ford, Nissan, Honda, Subaru, Hyundai, GM... All seem to have better cars in this price range/category from a driving perspective.

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  So far I love it - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By Matthew - June 7 - 7:33 am

  I love this machine! The only thing I have to say is it could be better on gas, but I my total miles back and forth to work is only 6 miles a day. The reviews are not that great in C.R. but I must say I dont agree with a lot of the test reviews! The style inside and out is great and I think it handles very well. ( keep up the good work Dodge)

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  This car stinks - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By catwise4@yahoo.com - June 6 - 7:03 am

  I purchased this car after Thanksgiving and in less than a year of ownership I spent over $1200 on the same issue and still not fixed. Dealership doesnt seen to know what is wrong with it, horn honks at random, from time to time it goes dead and wont start, sometimes windows wont roll down or heater for this trip wont work, air pressure alert goes off for no reason.....This SUV has been the worst ....... unreliable, and right down irritating! Dodge is of no help

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  Great car for gas mileage - 1998 Dodge Intrepid
  By rangejeep - June 5 - 1:07 pm

  Bought with 42,000 miles and racked up 160,000 Miles. I like the pep of the ES engine. Nice room inside (Im 6-6). The auto stick is fun and useful when driving bumper to bumper traffic. Just pop into 2nd gear until you clear the traffic. I originally bought to have a large car now I keep for the good mileage. On the highway Im at 30mpg. Im surprised that no other large car gets better mileage in 10 years! Sure it has its issues and Ive kept up with major maintenance like timing belt (a must at 100k miles). Some electric glitches and interior fading from the sun but its held up well. The clear coat is now starting to peel but not too bad. If I keep forever a paint job would be in order.

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  Dodge Caliber - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Jobs Beno - June 5 - 12:57 pm

  I took delivery of my 2008 Caliber SXT on 5/24/08 - I ordered it as it was the only way for me to get the 1.8L/5- Sp Manual configuration. The black paint is awesome! I love the car. Ride and handling are great - the 17" wheel/tire combo works well. The manual tranny allows me a great range of driving styles and the 1.8 L I4 has plenty of power as far as Im concerned. The seats are comfortable and the rear legroom is more than satisfactory. Fit and finish are tops and the car is absolutely solid all the way around. I have no complaints about build materials - its all top notch! Chicks dig it too.

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  A decent people mover and ultility vehicle - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By b3200 - June 5 - 9:20 am

  Drives great, poor gas mileage (16-19mpg. The engine is great. At 60,000, failure of side door electric motor, and air conditioner compressor. I am happy for the extended warranty from 1source warranty. Future consideration would be not to buy this vehicle considering a Honda Odyssey. What I wish on this vehicle is an intermittent horn which would actually work. Otherwise, I am happy with the workmanship on this vehicle.

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  Pleasure to Drive - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By chefpearman - June 4 - 11:48 pm

  I was looking to trade my Truck for a fuel efficient car, but I did not want to pay a lot, nor did I want to have an ugly car, so I was pleasantly surprised with the sporty look of my Caliber SE Plus. In Addition it is getting great gas Mileage, I am averaging around 28 to 30 miles per gallon. I strongly recommend this car if you are looking to save money with out sacrificing a fun ride.

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  my first dodge - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By miguel - June 4 - 11:08 pm

  Very quiet, with new rotor-and brakes, I know I am good for the next 40,000 miles, next challenge what about oil, will burn more?