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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  1999 Dodge Dakota - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By JBHC69 - December 18 - 2:00 am

  Happiness is passing everything on the road in your Dodge Dakota! The Dakota is great on the road and in the city, and by adding a hard Tonneau cover, I increased the gas mileage by 2 mpg. Off road, Ive had this truck in some rough terrain in the Rocky Mountains, southern Utah, and the southwest and in all applications it has taken me where I wanted to go with complete confidence. I have had very few repairs. My original brakes lasted 72,000 miles. I love this truck!

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  On the road again - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Roger Nafts - December 18 - 2:00 am

  I havent had any trouble with this vehicle. Oil Changes on a regular basis.

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  Durango Devil - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Bigbillelliotfan - December 18 - 2:00 am

  Refreshing for an American built SUV. Ride is somewhat sporty and pretty predictable in manuvering. Good bang for the buck with a touch of German quality and engineering. Almost has a "hotrod" appeal.

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  Black Charger SRT8 - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Yvette - December 17 - 10:26 pm

  The Charger SRT8 is the most incredible car I have ever driven. The acceleration is awesome. The car attracts a lot of stares and questions. Be prepared for the question: "That got a HEMI in it?" Just be careful about staying near the speed limit - it also attracts the police.

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  Love it - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Sweet - December 17 - 9:16 pm

  Ive had my far share of Chrysler disasters and by far this is the best van ive ever owned! I just traded in a 1998 grand caravan sport with 325 000 miles on it when it officaly blew! Ive also had a 93 with 220 000 miles on it and the transmission blew. I bough a base van and im worried about the transimission like the last ones.

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  Nice Car - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By MikeChasser - December 17 - 2:00 am

  I love my stratus, good car and nice looking too.

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  This Car Rocks! - 2001 Dodge Neon
  By LoveMyCar - December 16 - 2:00 am

  I love Dodge Neons! I just love the way the new ones look, and my car is reliable. My only dislikes is that my car didnt come with a CD player, cruise control, or antilock breaks. Other than that, Great car!

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  Nice update - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By bhosken - December 14 - 1:26 pm

  We previously owned a 1995 Grand Caravan and because of the great reliability we had and the comfortable drive it provided we decided to stay with this for our next van. We love the features included on the SXT and find Stow and Go indespensible already.

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  Exceptional Family Car - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By meredetrois - December 14 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I bought our Intrepid new in 10/01 with 5 miles on the odometer. Now, 2+ years and 32,000 miles later, I cant say enough good things about it. The 2.7L six does everything I ask of it, returns 24 mpg in small town driving, and between 28-30 mpg on the highway (depending on how heavy my foot is). Everything has worked perfectly on this Dodge, and I expect to own it many years after the final payment.

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  Good Buy - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By matty23 - December 14 - 2:00 am

  We just bought a used quad cab Dakota and it was an excellent buy. We got the 5.9L V8 and were getting like 16.8 mpg. It also has flowmasters on it and sounds wonderful. This trucks fulfills all my needs in a vehicle. It was a great buy!