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:

• 

  Great Sporty Family Car! - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By jamlei - March 19 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive, looks sharp and very comfortable! Magnum engine very powerful!

• 

  i love it - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By solome - March 19 - 2:00 am

  I have had it for a month and would never give it up!

• 

  Great Van - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By honeypot - March 19 - 2:00 am

  We love the stow and go seats. Thisd is a great van for any size family.

• 

  Love it - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By CJ - March 18 - 7:06 pm

  This is a great vehicle. Its got a 3.8L and its powerful. Drives like a car, unlike my 96 Ford Aerostar. The stow-n-go seats are so easy to use and so versatile. The kiddos love the DVD and I do, too, as long as its not Son of the Mask playing. We took it on a trip from Phoenix to Yellowstone one month after buying and it did great. Very comfy. Got 23 mpg on the trip, but only get 19 mpg normally. The rear air is a godsend here in Phoenix.

• 

  Exquisite Touring Car - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By laspalmasdesign - March 17 - 8:36 am

  I couldnt be any happier than I am with the purchase of my 2005 Magnum R/T. Its everything I had hoped for and more. Its powerful engine makes driving up twisty mountain roads nearly effortless not to mention the superb handling which makes the car feel "glued" to the road.. The interior is very quiet, the seats are comfortable and the ride is supple without being mushy.

• 

  My new used Intrepid - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By BKilpatTN - March 17 - 2:00 am

  I bought a used 2004 Intrepid (probably a program car) when I traded in my 04 Mustang. I needed a bigger car because I just adopted a greyhound, and there was no way she would fit in the back seat of the Mustang. The Intrepid also gets much better gas mileage.

• 

  great and fun car - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By Drip - March 17 - 2:00 am

  Easy to handle and doesnt feel like a big car. Very surprised how well it handled in the snow this past week.

• 

  none - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By mikey2222 - March 17 - 2:00 am

  Amazing truck very smooth ride, more than enough than needed power, great features, great all around truck

• 

  Great Truck! - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By HOSS318 - March 17 - 2:00 am

  My dakota is the perfect sized truck. Not only is it easy to park, but I average 18 MPG, and 22+ when Im easy on the gas, and Ive got the 4.7L V8 in a club cab. The pricing is amazing, too, given what you get. Im eye-to-eye with F150s so I dont really feel like its a "small truck".

• 

  Great Cars - 1997 Dodge Neon
  By neonknight97 - March 16 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned this car for 7 years and for what I have had to put in it you cant find a better car.