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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  dango 2002 - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By wctwig - January 19 - 2:00 am

  I have no complaints with this vehicle. Its performed as I hoped it would.

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  2003 dodge durango - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By A99BIGFOOT - January 19 - 2:00 am

  THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST TRUCK I HAVE EVER OWNED.IT IS THE COMPLETE PACKAGE.THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY BUT IT DOESNT FEEL LIKE YOUR DRIVING A BUS LIKE THE FORD EXPEDITION MY BROTHER OWNS.THE ENGINE IS POWERFUL BUT NOTHING CRAZY.THE GAS MILEAGE IS LOW BUT WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM AN 8 CYLINDER .IT BLOWS AWAY THE PREVIOUS TRUCKS I HAVE OWNED(98 4- RUNNER,98 FORD EXPLORER,2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER).THE RIDE IS EXCELLANT,VERY SMOOTH.

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  Crossroad plus more than expected - 2016 Dodge Journey
  By McD2000 - January 18 - 3:28 pm

  I have had my Red Crossroad plus for four months and 5500 miles now and love it. I got the 4cyl engine due to special pricing, the engine is a 4 cyl but does better than I thought it would. The ride is top notch and it is very quiet inside, not that much road noise. i traded in a 2010 Honda Accord, a car that I really liked but its road noise was big distraction. The journey is very quiet and has a tight supple ride. Handling is crisp and steering is nice. Lots of space inside, it looks much bigger inside than it looks on the outside. The crossroad plus has all the bell and whistles, love the nav system and the backup camera. The vehicle turns heads as i drive by. It is a splendid road trip vehicle. We took a trip from Texas to Utah and Colorado and had a wonderful time and love the Journey. So far no problems with the car. Very happy with this vehicle. 11-24-16. Update. four more months have come and gone since the last review and I just love the Journey that much more. I now have 8000 miles on it and the gas milage is even better as it gets broken in. Still no problems what so ever and as quiet and comfortable as ever. FIVE STARS PLUS great job Dodge!

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  Buy a Dodge today - 2004 Dodge Caravan
  By Nurse Susan - January 18 - 2:00 am

  for the style, comfort, durability, quality, and price, this van can not be beat. excellent warranty options, easy to handle and priced very affordable for those on a budget

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  2004 Electric Blue SRT-4 - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By TwiztedNeon - January 18 - 2:00 am

  I love the car. The performance is awesome. The only downside is that it uses alot of Gas.

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  2003 Dodge Neon SXT - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By NoOneYouKnow - January 17 - 2:00 am

  A great overall car! I got mine at a great price because a friend works for Chrysler. Looks great, runs great, feels awesome! I get about 250 miles per tank, which is mostly city miles. Ive had it since Sept. 2003, and so no problems whatsoever! The only thing I would EVER change is a bigger engine, but then it would kill the fuel economy, and bump up the already cheap price-tag.

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  great car - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By shawn carter - January 16 - 2:00 am

  this is a great car to drive. It has the power to pass on the highway and it the city and yet is comfortable for a Sunday drive. It is quite roomy, one of the best features. You will never bang your head. Plenty of trunk room. Overall it is a great car to own.

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  Anything But Cute - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Tim & Gina - January 15 - 11:33 pm

  We have owned our R/T AWD for a month now & we love it. We fight over it every day. We are extremely impressed with the quality of the car & the gas mileage. We average 29mpg & have had over 32mpg at times. We drive it 120 miles round trip & the majority are highway miles. The Boston Acoustics stereo easily drowns out any new model rattles. The electronicly controlled 6 spd like CVT runs smoothly but is a little jerky when slowing down. But, we seldom need to apply the brakes as the downshifting slows the car naturally. We dont have the moonroof & it has ample headroom. 18" rims without the chrome are perfect on this car. We tinted the windows & the car looks awesome! Great car to buy!

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  A Different Wagon - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Roy Pratt - January 15 - 5:53 pm

  After seeing the introductory annoncement on the Magnum I was pleased to see eye catching styling, but that is only exterior appeal. The real test came, after a lot of research, to the test drive. I found the advertisements to be every bit as honest as the researchers/road test folks had stated. A GREAT RIDE AND EXCEPTIIONAL PERFORMANCE!

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  Love it! - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By Mankster - January 15 - 2:00 am

  Ive had nothing but fun with my Durango. Compared to other SUVs, it ROCKS! Too many of them lack power, styling, room, etc... Not the Durango. It has all the above. The only thing I would like improved, would be the gas milage, though its not all that bad when compared to other SUVs.