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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  If you can find one, buy one - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Dodge Magnum RT - April 14 - 12:23 pm

  I have driven mine for almost 3 years and can report NO PROBLEMS. Lose the Conti tires and put on performance 255 wides and this car comes alive. Now it goes, corners and stops! I would buy a 2008 if I could find one. The RTs must come off a different line than the SXTs because I hardly ever hear of problems. If Chrysler would put in a better dash without all the charcoal gray, it would be an extraordinary car.

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  Best Car to Start with - 1994 Dodge Spirit
  By spirittttz - April 14 - 10:06 am

  Well, I got this car off of my brother after he went to jail, sad story. It was my first car, I got with somewhere around 100,000 miles. It was in great shape. I learned everything on this car, what to do, what not to do. It ran through everything. Took only 1 tank of gas to get from Linesville, Pa. to Columbus Ohio and back (roughly 461 miles total). Good on gas, very sturdy, took a beating on dirt roads but never shuddered. Not much room inside though. The only thing that could stop this baby was a White minivan rear ending me at a red light. I wish I still had this car.

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  Good Value for the money at the lower priced models - 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By floridaflyer - April 14 - 1:22 am

  We bought our 2012 Grand Caravan back in February and four months later we have 5000 miles on it. We are enjoying it, my wife is more comfortable driving the minivan than my car and she really likes the stow-n-go seating. We have been getting better gas mileage (seeing 21 mpg city and 27 mpg highway, my calculations, not the display on the dash which reads a little higher) than the EPA sticker says and thats with running the A/C. I do keep the Econ Button on all the time, except when I am accelerating up this one onramp that is uphill. When I turn off the A/C and the Econ Button for that ramp, it has great acceleration, with the Econ Button on it suppresses the shifts/acceleration.

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  Most amazing car for the Money I spent - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By ACR SRT-4 - April 13 - 11:36 pm

  I must say I was recently in the market for a new car. I could not decide what I wanted I went back and forth between cars I was looking at the Subaru sti and the evo MR until I had spoken to a friend and he advised me to look at an SRT-4. I didnt even know what they were at the time. I did some research and found out a lot about them. So needless to say last fall in sept of 07 I purchased my srt- 4. I got it used but I must say it was taken care of very well I bought the 2005 ACR SRT-4 with the acr seats and wider tires and to this day I must say this is probably one of the best cars you can buy for you money. amazing performance and everything else.

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  great car - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By H Harris - April 13 - 7:56 pm

  Love the car as a daily driver with the performance of a sports car! Almost as much fun to drive as my Mustang GT convertible. The gas mileage is good on a trip..

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  Good car, but transmission … - 1990 Dodge Dynasty
  By mike - April 13 - 2:33 pm

  Has been a good car, but the metal around the gas door has rusted out, nowhere else thou. We have had to rebuild the transmission once at 100,000 miles and got a junk yard trans the second time at 120,000ish... Talked to mechs and was told trans for these cars where crap junk yard trans had 60,000 miles so I have a few more to go before time to get rid of car. Electric window gear had to be replaced, odometer stopped moving at 124,512, radiator was changed. Besides the trans going bad more than enough, the other problems have been fairly minor for a car that is 18 yrs. Old... 3.3 engine has excellent power and will still put your head back into the seat when you kick it....

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  will never ever buy again! - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By middletown n.y. - April 12 - 6:36 pm

  After 36,000 miles transmission went. Dealer fixed, went again, dealer fixed, went again dealer replaced. 6 months later transmission hose is leaking, EGR went, engine light on. Front suspension bushings gone no offroading so it squeaks all the way home, oh 1 more thing drivers side window just stopped working. Very bad investment!

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  2006 Charger R/T - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By imdoc - April 12 - 3:31 pm

  I purchased my 06 R/T one month ago. I absolutely love this car. It handles great both in the wet and dry (I dont know about snow yet). I get all kinds of looks as I drive down the street. It has good acceleration. Gas mileage is better than expected for mixed city/highway driving (about 18), and I cant wait to take it to Yellowstone this summer (about 1000 miles round trip). I love the rear wheel drive as it behaves like cars are supposed to. The interior is simple, but I subscribe to the less is more philosophy. The styling is aggressive and I love its stance. I back it into the garage because I like the way it looks sitting in there when the doors open, vain, I know! Excellent car

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  R/T Pushes Through - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Jackster - April 12 - 12:18 pm

  I read the reviews AFTER I decided to buy the R/T AWD. I love my Caliber. It has a lot of zip, is extremely comfortable, and I enjoy driving it. I traded my second vehicle, a Corvette, in on this economical one. I average 23-25 around town and 24-25 on the highway. I have the Pebble/Sand interior and Inferno Red ext, with sun roof, Boston sound and Sirius. For about $21k, I am impressed! Adding the upgrades and going to the 2.4L AWD probably made a big difference on the other ratings. The lifetime warranty on the drivetrain is also a big plus. Im still learning about the car. Oh, the back seat is larger than my Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo!!

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  Consider the Avenger - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Matt - April 12 - 12:10 pm

  After 5000 miles I can definitely say that the Avenger is a car worth buying. My R/T is sufficiently fast although not especially fuel efficient. I mean, 14 mpg is really below average (mostly city driving). Still, the car is a head turner, drives well, comes with AWD and is perfectly fine for the daily commute while still being relatively affordable. Seats have been updated (lucky for those of you who buy after July 07) and are significantly more comfortable. I recommend the car to anyone who wants to original, while still getting a good car. Reports say that the SXT and SE trims are not worth your money. The R/T is more well endorsed. Good Luck