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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  More than pleased - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By Keys - February 29 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this car new in March of 2002. I am extremely happy with both its performance and reliability (Zero Problems). Though not as refined as some of the foreign competition, the bang for the buck quotient is very high. Interior room is amazing, and I wouldnt be surprized if this car has the largest trunk capacity in its segment. It just doesnt seem right that a car this big should handle like it does. Just think, a car with 244 ponies, great handling, tremendouse interior space, and distinctive exterior styling for under thirty grand MSRP. What more could you want.

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  Love it! - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By BJP - February 28 - 1:13 pm

  We just switched over to the new Durango from a small convertible. I expected a lot of difficulty getting used to the much larger SUV, but instead Ive found it handles like a smaller car and just happens to have all the leg/head room my 6"7 husband needs to ride comfortably. The acceleration is incredible. I never wouldve thought such a large vehicle could move so well. We got a base model with only a couple minor upgrades, but I still feel like Im riding in class. The 6 CD changer is a great standard feature. The best part was the $8000 in rebates that made the price easier on the checkbook. When the lease is up I will definitely upgrade to the next model. Im hooked!

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  EHHH!!!!!!! - 1994 Dodge Spirit
  By aliasMAN - February 28 - 2:00 am

  IT IS GOOD!!! I BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE I THINK DOGE IS INCREADABLY RELIABLE AND I WAS RIGHT.

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  sweet - 2004 Dodge Viper
  By Mufasa - February 28 - 2:00 am

  This is the nicest car I have ever had, it is fast, powerful, and a beuty for the eyes and ladies

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  nice - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By Huh? - February 27 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 01 Durango R/T with the 5.9 and about 44k mi. A few days after I got it. Over drive Components destroyed the tranny. The dealership replaced the Tranny and I havent had any trouble since. There are a few little noises inside the dash that are a bit annoying. But the comfort and perfomance of this R/T largly out-weigh the small problems.

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  Nice Truck but Concerned - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By ChuckM - February 27 - 2:00 am

  I bought the truck brand new as a leftover. Had 23 miles on it. I use my truck for people hauling since I am in the Real Estate Business. So Far I have no complaints about the truck. I actually LOVE IT! The thing that concerns me is the Ball Joint Problem. I wish they would do a Recall on this problem now instead of waiting for more front tires to fall off causing someone to get injured or killed. They would put a lot of peoples minds to rest knowing that the tires will remain where they belong, on the truck!

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  65000+ and Still Strong - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By Mimster - February 26 - 2:00 am

  Our 2001 Durango was a Demo and had 6K on it when we purchased it. We have put over 65K on it and it is still running strong. No problems at all! Just wanted all you die-hards to know what you have to look forward to!!

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  Nice car - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By chuggs - February 25 - 9:00 am

  Id done months of research on cars, and the Magnum was the first one I wanted to look at, but I couldnt find one under $20K. We found ours (black with dark tinted windows - beautiful car) for around $16K with 22K miles on it. Its a great car, coming from a 1999 Grand Am with one kid and one on the way. the 2.7L isnt torque happy, but we didnt need a racer, just a daily driver with room for 5 that got good mpg. Weve had a couple of problems (brakes and visor clip so far), but it was used, so I wasnt expecting "new-car" functionality. Thank God for warranties, right? If someone asked me what car to get for a family of 4, this would be it. Thanks Dodge!

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  3rd Neon for me! - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Dick Bert - February 25 - 2:00 am

  Bought my wife a 1998 neon with all the goodies, 5-sp, DOHC, moonroof, etc, and shes loved it. Couldnt talk her into trading for a Honda with a 6 cyclinder. Then it was totaled. Were now buying an 03 R/T with ALL the goodies for $14,500 drive-out, and shes excited. Leather, moonroof, etc. I put Bridgestone BT70S on her old Neon and it cornerd like it was on rails! Cant wait to slap Potenzas on this new car. Only problem I ever had with the 98 was the infamous headgasket, but it was fixed under warranty. Love to drive this car!

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  The New one is better than the old one - 2003 Dodge Viper
  By twinviperguy - February 25 - 2:00 am

  Bought the car as the 5th Viper Ive owned. Truly outstanding car - far, far better than anything else thus far. Performance, acceleration, handling, ride and braking are well beyond any of the old models.