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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  Cant believe I bought a Dodge either - 2015 Dodge Durango
  By Vivien Baty - October 20 - 6:06 pm

  I was looking at BMW, Mercades, Lexus!! Saw a used Dodge Durango Citadel and didnt stop until I was driving one!! Best decision I ever made! I love it!!!

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  Love my 2015 Durango - 2014 Dodge Durango
  By Mark - October 20 - 5:08 pm

  In my 42 years I have owned more cars than most. I have had many Chrysler/dodge products with a mix of Ford, Volvo, and Honda products. I love my Durango SXT with the sport appearance package! Im so tired of hearing from foreign car owners about how American cars are junk and foreign cars are the greatest. This is what Ive learned. I could have gotten a Toyota or Honda, comparable to my 2015 Durango for a minimum of 10-12k more than what I purchased mine brand spanking new. If you do the maintenance that is absolutely required of you whether its foreign or domestic, cars now are build to last. I also switched to Mobile 1 synthentic oil (silver) My SXT is a "base" car, but base today in 2015 is nothing like a base car of just 5 years ago. It has way more toys that my 2011 Ford 150 XLT Crew Cab, which I also love. I love how it drives, how it looks, and its perfect for a family. We tried a more gas efficient, small car for a year and a half and it was plain miserable with 3 young, but growing boys. I cant say enough about this SUV and I would purchase another. My plan is to keep this one for a very long time. Ive had Chrysler products through 110k miles with NO major issues---Pacifica, Dakota, Plymouth Breeze, and LaBaron GTC. The only one I considered junk was my 2010 Dodge Caravan SXT---Junk!

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  Car never stops - 1998 Dodge Avenger
  By Dusty whitford - October 20 - 9:02 am

  My Dodge Avenger has been to hell and back with me driving it and I had to replace some thing but honestly I can tell you what I did to have to replace everything on my car and its at 200*** miles and still runs strong. I havent done any motor work except change to oil so say what you want about this car but if you dont want yours give me a price [contact info removed]

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  14 Years and 177K Miles - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By Rob Baber - October 19 - 4:01 pm

  I bought the truck new in 2001 and raised two boys during our tenure with the truck. It has been to countless sporting events and too many road trips to number including weekend camping trips and Boy Scout Summer Camps (Dont ask/Dont tell). Never let me down on the road. My two boys both learned to drive in this truck and both used it as a first vehicle. Note: Dont let your kid deliver pizza in this truck unless you own a gas station. It drinks the gas, but so do all vehicles of this size and age. I have pulled boats, cars, U-Haul trailers, etc. The 4WD works great for those very occasional snow/ice days in Texas. I have had the transmission serviced every 30K miles, as I heard this was a weak link in the truck. I have replaced numerous items such as the front drive shaft, radiator, driver window motor (X3 I think), starter sensor and ECM. I probably should replace the rear leaf springs, but I have not. With 177K miles, it drinks a little oil and the A/C needs charged about once a season, but it has been the best vehicle I have owned. No major problems. I hesitate to get rid of it, but time to pass it to another family... I would not hesitate purchasing another Durango, but going smaller and sportier, 2008 Chevy Trailblazer SS.

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  Second SRT8 - Great Cars! - 2015 Dodge Charger
  By James Nelson - October 12 - 5:02 pm

  Traded a 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT392 for this one. Actually wanted this car back then, but bought the Challenger based on a good deal. Im not a family guy, but I prefer sedans for their short doors and all around practicality. The Car: 2015 Dodge Charger SRT392, 8 Spd Auto, pitch black, fully optioned except for sun roof. What attracted me to this car: Im a car enthusiast, so I follow car reviews on YouTube continually. I love the power and torque of the 392 and was interested in the Hellcat models as well if the price was right. The reviews on this car convinced me that it was a major leap forward from the 2012 I owned, and the price gouging on the Hellcats (Shame on you Dodge dealers nationwide! You will come to regret this!) convinced me that they were not feasible. Major Selling Points: Upgraded electronics interface and SRTs tires/wheels/brakes package, which are essentially identical between the 392 and Hellcat. Most Surprising Aspects: Overall fit and finish, luxuriousness of the interior, and attention to detail. The interior now feels like an upscale European car in every way, the pitch black paint job is absolutely blinding in full sunlight, the new front end styling is stunning from every angle, and the center stack electronic interface is by far the most useful and attractive Ive ever seen. Little things I love already: The Harmon Kardon 19 speaker stereo subwoofer and amp, which had been previously hidden in the spare tire well of the trunk (and still is on Challenger models), has been relocated to parts unknown under the rear seat, freeing up the trunk sub-space for a foam storage unit thats perfect for holding car cleaning supplies and the like so that they dont slide around in the trunk. Also, both the floor mats and a quite useful mesh trunk "cargo hammock" are included gratis. The little things make a BIG difference! Thanks for noticing Dodge! Most surprising thing so far: Gas mileage. MUCH better than my 2012 SRT Challenger so far! I chalk most of that up to the Sachs ZF-8 Speed auto trans, which is almost worth the price of ownership alone. Recommendation: If youre in the market, buy one!

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  My 1996 DodgeMobile - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By Patrick - October 10 - 3:04 am

  These older dodge intrepids are much better than the 1998-2004 model years.

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  Pitch Black Perfection - 2015 Dodge Challenger
  By Natalie Groeger - October 9 - 10:21 am

  Purchased our 15 Challenger SXT on 7.23.15 and already put about 3,400 miles on it. Although shes only a baseline (albeit with the Super Sport Group for a sexier look and the Driver Convenience Group for more safety tech added) with cloth interior, shes still won trophies at car shows with 200+ cars entered. Granted weve added a K&N cold air intake that gives her a throatier, almost V8-like, growl on acceleration, even before then the performance was considerably good for a V6 3,800-lb. car. The engine is sound and takes punishment from the throttle like a pro, and its steering performance around tight corners is surprisingly good. Adding the cold air intake ($267 for K&N 63 series) has added about 10 more hp and Id guess 3 more mpg. I use about a quarter of a tank less each week since Ive put it on, so Id recommend that mod even if its the only one you do. I will say that I wouldnt buy another Challenger unless it has the Driver Convenience Group as an add-on! The blind spot assist for that big block of metal behind your shoulder is a must have, same with the reverse parking sensors that use similar software to BMWs that includes a visual map that shows you where the object is hidden behind that big butt of yours. NOTE!: Factory settings do NOT have an audible chime for the blind spot sensors on the side mirrors, so youll have to activate that feature going through the settings on your vehicles touch screen...not hard to figure out though, but youll definitely want that on. It will only chime at you when your blinkers are on and a car is in the blind spot area in the lane youre getting over on. That all being said, I 100% recommend this car as a daily driver. Having a V8 was of course an option, but my husband is under 25 and I wanted to keep the insurance as low as possible and be able to use it as a daily driver as we live about 30 miles away from work places. The performance doesnt disappoint and, honestly, even after test driving the R/T with the 5.7L I figured the noise was better, but the acceleration and gain on hp wasnt so drastic that it says "buy me". With the 3.6L we have plenty of fun, tons of stares and enjoy paying only $89/month as a 24-yr-old female and 22-yr-old male on our insurance, and I only spend max $30 on gas per week filling up from the 1/4 tank line. An acquaintance of ours drives the same 3.6L engine in his 14 (also with CAI) and builds 1,000hp+ drag cars for a living, with magazine articles in his honor, so theres nothing to be ashamed of driving this V6.

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  never had a problem!!!! - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By carol - October 9 - 12:52 am

  I have had this van for 12 years. never had any major repairs. great on gas. would not trade it in.

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  Header Orange. Love it! - 2015 Dodge Challenger
  By Mark - October 8 - 8:44 pm

  This car is terrific! I ordered and leased this 2014 Header Orange RT Plus for 2 years and almost hate to give it up. And even though Dodge may not offer Orange in 2016, Im going with Plum Crazy this time. I have to get another Challenger. I love almost everything about this car from the classic muscle car look to the sound it makes when you put your foot into it. And it just makes me feel great when Im driving it. I have leased my last 9 cars which have all been average, but this is the first time Ive ever felt like hanging on to one. I love this car! Gas mileage was expected just as the blind spot in the back. Hey, you cant have everything. Its solid and I have had no issues regarding any repairs or complaints with the car. Dodge has done well with this one and now Im a confirmed customer.

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  Did my research, ended up with a Dodge? Yup. - 2015 Dodge Durango
  By Craig - September 30 - 10:03 am

  I wanted decent gas mileage. Big engine, small vehicle "package", that includes trailer towing: the best I could find. Needed to pull a travel trailer (just under 5,000 #), AWD vehicle for snowmobiling / pulling that trailer and being able to fit some kids and even grandkids in. Did opt for the factory trailer tow package, a GOOD thing. Reviewed the imports, chevy, gmc etc. Dodge kept coming up as an option (I kept trying to ignore). The only reason entertainment is not 5 stars is the lack of a CD. player. I guess thats old technology. I bought a battery operated CD player and play it through the aux. jack. The only reason not 5 stars for acceleration is because I decided I did not want to opt for the Hemi $, or poor mileage. Could use a little more storage behind the 3rd row seats but bearable. 63 years old, many cars/pickups in the past, honestly "love" this thing! Not HUGE like Tahoe, Armada, Sequoia. Easier to park, maneuver and get in and out of garage. Pulls the trailer, along with 7 passengers, unlike most other smaller cross-overs/SUVs. Actually gets the mileage indicated. Love the 8 speed tranny with paddle shifters, especially towing. Good looking, great underpinnings, think Jeep / Mercedes. Look in a Jeep and the interior is almost identical. But much less $! Fine looking and riding vehicle, glad to be seen in it too! Ignore the Dodge insignia and just buy it.