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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  Hope to stay pleased. - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By mshep11025 - December 13 - 2:00 am

  Looked at a Ford Ranger 4WD Edge first and just about bought it. Wow, am I glad I took some advice and looked at the SLT...........not really in the same category but in my case, close in price. Hope I comtinue to enjoy as much as I do now. My wife also loves it because it has plenty of style, room, and power w/o overwhelming size.

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  almost perfect - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Bassman - December 12 - 2:00 am

  awsome to drive,turning rato is great. very roomy and the seats are comfortable, all radio and instrument switches are easy to get at.

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  Good truck - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By Chewie88 - December 11 - 2:00 am

  I have enjoyed this truck so far. It has benn on one long trip already and was comfortable for the ride. I do think that it could have better gas mileage.

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  Charger RT - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By JessMardlin - December 10 - 7:03 pm

  My Charger RT is equipped with a 5.7 Hemi engine. Not only does it have get up and go, it also gets great mileage. Equipped with something new from Dodge, you can actually feel the transmission switch between 8 and 4 cylinders. My daughter loves the DVD player and I love the fact that she can listen with headphones so I do not have to! We took it on an 800 mile trip and my back never bothered me once. Its also nice to see heads turn as you drive by!

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  Dodge the king of truckville - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By Todd.S - December 10 - 2:00 am

  I have had my 2000 Dodge Dakota Quad cab for almost two years now and I have put on about 64,000 mi. on her with out a hint of a problem. At work I use her for hauling cases of beverage and parts, at home I use her for hauling the family and a trailer from Long Island to NJ, & PA. So I spend a lot of time in the truck,and I find the ride is smooth and quiet. My Dakota probably has the least cabin noise of any small pick up I have driven. OH YEA! Its fun to drive on the weekends (especially when the kids in there little 4 & 6 cylinder rev. rockets pull up) In my opinion the best value / Bang for your buck bar none!

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  RIDES AS GOOD AS OUR LEXUS DID - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By JDCAR - December 10 - 2:00 am

  THIS HAS BEEN A REAL TREAT. WE LOVE THIS VEHICLE! IT RIDES AS GOOD AS OUR LEXUS. WE GOT RID OF OUR RODEO (good suv),I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE QUALITY OF THIS SUV. I HAVE BEEN IN THE CAR BUSINESS FOR 25 YEARS AND RECENTLY RETIRED BECAUSE OF HEALTH REASONS. I FIND IT VERY EASY FOR ME TO GET IN AND OUT OF. AND PLENTY OF STORAGE FOR MY WHEELCHAIR.

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  Excellant Auto - 2003 Dodge Intrepid
  By Intrepid Owner - December 9 - 2:00 am

  Not my first Chrysler product-3rd cab forward design. All have been excellant family cars. I drive long trips and need a car that is dependable, pleasant to drive, has good fuel economy, and can carry a reasonably heavy load.

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  Excellent Ride - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By Squid762 - December 8 - 2:00 am

  I purchased the 2001 Stratus RT coupe new in 2001. I have had no major problems with the car. I have had it in for recalls but other than that there have been no problems. The satin white I own has been discontinued. It is pearl and very sharp.

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  2003 Status R/T - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By pdxr/t - December 7 - 2:00 am

  I traded in my 2001 Dodge Durango because of the horrible fuel milage (12/17mpg) I was getting. I am very pleased with the 18.5/27.5 I am getting now. It handles great with the 17" tires. The 2.7 is pretty peppy for its size. Anybody know where I can get aftermarket permormance parts for 2.7? The one thing I do miss is the heated leather seats from the Durango. The R/T is a sharp looking, good value for the price.

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  Dodge SRT-4 - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Moparmike98 - December 7 - 2:00 am

  After viewing numerous SRT-4s that I have had the pleasure of driving, and racing, I have to admit, the SRT-4 is by far the greatest value for the money. I was so impressed I bought one myself.