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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  A/C nightmare - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By M. Shot - April 21 - 6:53 am

  Ive had my Stratus R/T for 2.5 years and 3 dealership have not been able to fix the A/C. The last dealer to attempt to fix it told me they were on the phone with the engineers in Detroit. Apparently they dont know how to fix the A/c either. Ive also had the wiring harness for the automatic rear view dimmer and map lights replaced. They still only work half the time. Other than that the car isnt all that bad.

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  My Spirit - 1991 Dodge Spirit
  By Professor - April 20 - 4:08 pm

  This car has performed magnificently for me throughout my ownership of it. Although it was built for economy I found it large enough and comfortable enough for my needs. Although I have kept it serviced regularly it has required almost no repairs. If they still manufactured this model I would buy another one just like it!

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  How I wish car seats fit properly - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By Sheri - April 20 - 1:43 pm

  My only issue with the Dodge Durango is that i cannot get my infant car seat to fit properly when rear facing... even if I move the passenger seat all the way forward (so no one can sit in the passenger seat if this is done). Not impressed at all that I bought an SUV (family oriented vehicle) and I cannot even safely transport my child). What a waste of money.

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  Very Nice Ride!! - 2007 Dodge Magnum
  By JJokert1 - April 19 - 10:20 pm

  Great Ride! Fun to drive. I got the SXT with leather, sun roof (huge opening), 3.5L V6. The 3.5 liter has great performance for the size of the ride. I think the 2.7L would be too small but just an opinion. Love the smooth ride (a lot of people dont know most of the suspension parts are Mercedes Benz). HUGE amount of cargo space in the back. And has a lot of great standard features. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for an SUV type cabin but a luxury type of ride. Cons: Cruise Control Stick design takes getting used to. Some blind spots on the sides of wind shield. Parking is kind of tough since its a long ride. A lot of backing out and straightening to get into spaces.

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  A great truck -The 1996 Dodge Dakota - 1996 Dodge Dakota
  By Mike - April 19 - 4:29 pm

  My wife and I have owned our Dakota since September of 1995 when we bought it new. I will drive it til the day it dies , and I dont think that will be any time soon! It has been a SUPER truck! I have hauled all sorts of things in it, gone on vacation in it,driven it to work daily for years and it has never let me down. It has 132,000 miles on it, burns NO oil and runs as well as the day we drove it off the lot! Not counting oil changes and tires, I have probably spent less than 500 dollars in repairs and upkeep in all those years! If you need a great light to medium duty truck for daily use, if you can find one in good shape that has been well maintained , you cant go wrong here!

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  Great Family Van, or "Travelwagon". - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By s_matthews05 - April 19 - 10:21 am

  We bought our 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SE used in 2011 with 90,000 miles on the odometer for our trip to Nauvoo. That van was the best vehicle for driving to Nauvoo! We were able to fit all of our luggage, etc. in the van with absolutely no problem (one seat removed). In 2012, we drove to Yellowstone National Park and the van performed very well. Some reviewers say that the 3.3L V6 is somewhat underpowered, but it performed well for us. We have had some issues, though. We did have to replace the brakes, and the power steering reservoir. Overall, we enjoyed the van until it was totaled in an accident. Its since been replaced with an 07 T&C LX Stow n Go that is even better! Highly recommended

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  Im not a Soccer Mom in the Magnum - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Paul - April 19 - 9:07 am

  This is a family car with attitude. We love the aggressive styling inside and out. I love how the car just glides over the road, even with all the pot holes from this last winter. The only issue we have had so far is the washer sprayers on the hood broke. Those as well as most of the Magnums parts are "dealer only". We really didnt want to buy a mini van but that was what we where needing, so glad we found this instead.

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  My second Gen 3 Dakota...for a reason - 2007 Dodge Dakota
  By tms1521 - April 19 - 7:28 am

  This is my second Gen 3 Dakota. I previously had a 06 ST Club Cab. But it was time for an upgrade...and I made the right choice. I have the V8 so with gas prices the way they are, it is not favorable. But it is a great truck. It is rugged, comfortable and has plenty of power. I highly recommend this truck!

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  not to bad - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By marc_usmc - April 18 - 7:51 pm

  I had to have this car as soon as I saw it. It does tend to have a lot of belt and O2 sensor problems but after 160k and lots of racing and double clutching my tranny is in perfect condition you get out of it what you put into on if you take care of It you dont have too many problems. The most expensive thing I did to it was replace a control arm. But it is very hard to find custom parts for it I had to fabricate some stuff my self. And it gets horrible gas mileage. The turbocharged es has some serious balls though

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  Nothing Compares - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By kcmartin1@aol.com - April 18 - 11:46 am

  Power to spare with milage to be proud of. 1500 mile trip with 80 mph+ cruise most of the time achived 23mpg - COOL. Every day backk and forth to work is about 20mpg, constant city stop and is only about 14mpg. Quite secure ride. Electronic Stability Program (ESP)is fantastic on wet roads you swear this thing has all wheel drive.