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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  dodge spirit - 1990 Dodge Spirit
  By chris L - April 19 - 2:00 am

  I reslly liked the car. It was slow but it has a very nice ride.

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  I am so Spoiled!!!! - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Stacy Allen - April 19 - 2:00 am

  I had a 2000 Plymouth Grand Voyager SE and absolutely loved it! It was getting up there in miles and had no warrenty left. I have went all over to find a deal to get the same luxuries for about the same payment. Sam Long of Gary Mathews in Clarksville TN finally helped me get the best deal that both my husband and I could live with. This van is beatiful and full of space. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the radio controls on my steering wheel. If you want patient and hardworking sales men definately go there and ask for Sam Long, tell them I sent you.

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  Best in class - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Ron7405 - April 19 - 2:00 am

  We bouth this grand caravan for me my wife and 2 labs and it has done over and above what we have asked of the van ro do.

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  dodge viper rocks - 2004 Dodge Viper
  By fritz wellman - April 19 - 2:00 am

  it the best sports car in the whole world even compared to a ferrari or a lamborghini

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  Best in show and best in Class - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By Ron7405 - April 19 - 2:00 am

  We bought the 4x4 4 door 5.9 dakota since we have owned it we have only had one problem with the truck ( Starter ) failed after 22.000 miles but other than that the truck keeps getting up and up it is a true sport when it comes to the bad weather and snow I guess that is why it is called a sport.

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  What a truck! - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By bmurphy - April 19 - 2:00 am

  I considered the Chevy Clorado and the Ford Ranger. I even considered an extended cab Tundra. The Dodge Dakota is the perfect mid-size truck. It fits in my limited garage space and fills the highway. I loaded my truck up with leather and all the amenities but located such a truck with the five- speed manual transmission instead of an automatic. Part of the fun of driving a truck is shifting. Try a Dakota. You wont be disappointed.

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  ME AND MY RANGO - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By CAROLYN SPELLER - April 19 - 2:00 am

  I BOUGHT MY 1999 DURANGO JULY 2002,BUT IVE BEEN WANTING ONE SINCE 1999 THE YEAR MY NEPHEW BOUGHT HIS. WHEN I SAW MY NEPHEWS , I SAID TO EVERYONE IVE GOTTA HAVE ONE .I AM 52 YEARS OLD .I HAVE HAD 7 VEHICLES BETWEEN MY HUSBAND AND ME.BUT NEVER HAVE I EVER WANTED A PARTICULAR VEHICLE SO BAD . I LOVE MY DURANGO .I LOVE THE WAY IT DRIVES . I HAVE TWO 4YEAR OLD GRANDSONS THAT LOVES GETTING INTO THE BACKSEAT AND WE JUST RIDE, RIDE ,RIDE.I JUST LOVE THE WAY IT LOOKS.IT HAS A LOOK ALL BY ITSELF. I JUST LOVE MY RANGO

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  Great Car - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By stoneked - April 18 - 2:00 am

  This car is a fantastic vehicle! Fun to drive, great fuel economy and roomy. My only complaint is it is a little loud as far as road noise. Needs a little more insulation under body and wheel wells. Also the door rubber seals come loose.

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  Sweet ride - 1993 Dodge Daytona
  By DaytonaFreak - April 17 - 2:00 am

  I have a 92 Daytona IROC. This is a sweet car. The V-6 3.0 Litre engine provides more than enough power and even offers decent mileage (average - 24 MPG.) While it may not be the best and the fastest on the market, it does hold its own against many other sports cars. The Daytona IROCs are relatively rare but well worth the money.

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  Fun to Drive! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Arkay - April 15 - 5:03 pm

  Whenever someone asks how I like my Charger, the first thing I always tell em is that its fun to drive. The Hemi is cool. The combination of the accelaration, the handling, and the smooth, quick braking makes it easy to pull out into traffic, and then maneuver around it. The exterior look turns heads and gets lots of positive comments. The interior, with the Road & Track package is really comfortable and quiet. Everyone who has ridden in it compliments it. There is plenty of room in the back seat. The trunk is spacious, too. Good sound system. I try to find reasons to drive it ("Honey, Ill go pick up the kids."). No regrets.