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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  Excellent Value - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By byron Todd - November 8 - 2:00 am

  Beautiful Color. Fun to Drive!!

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  Good Value - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Steve - November 7 - 9:53 pm

  We decided to "downsize" from a Pacifica. Decided on the R/T AWD with a few extras like the driver convenience package (which we like -- compass, outside temp, etc.). Even with the extras, a great value. CVT takes a little getting used to, but the autostick is kind of fun. We like the exterior styling, with a higher stance than most cars its size. Only criticism is that the 6 disc CD changer doesnt have the MP3 mini- jack, so Ill have to get an FM modulator.

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  1997 Dodge Dakota SLT - 1997 Dodge Dakota
  By Ethan Watters - November 7 - 2:00 am

  Great Running truck. Fun to drive, and more than enough power. Great Handling

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  SEDAN SE - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By autobarry - November 7 - 2:00 am

  Great car in all aspects.

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  4cyl Turbo finally bites the dust @206k - 1990 Dodge Caravan
  By Duncan - November 6 - 2:00 am

  Bought this 4-banger turbo van for $2200 at an action in TX. Put 140k mi on it. Changed the oil every 4k did several brake jobs had the trany rebuilt once. Got my moneys worth. Finally, the head gasket blew at 206k mi. Who said these turbos are unreliable? Should I rebuild it?

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  Dodge Dakota 2001 - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By sbeals - November 6 - 2:00 am

  Great Truck. Many benefits of SUV and all the benefits of a truck. We love it. Great ride and super performance with the V8.

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  05 Dodge Neon - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Karen B - November 6 - 1:10 am

  I have to admit I wasnt impressed by the Neons appearance the first time I saw it. Since buying one, I have thoroughly enjoyed the comfortable interior and sporty feel. Im also very impressed with the power it has compared to our other car (also 4 cyl, but only 1.4L engine.) And I have to admit for stock speakers- they can really put out the bass.

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  Coming from a van hater - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Van hater - November 5 - 8:06 pm

  Top of line 3.8L ES, non-AWD. Awesome vehicle. 3 zone auto A/C is great. 3 power doors great. 77k miles. 17" chrome wheels look great. Whats better than Odysseys 3rd fold flat seat? A 50/50 rear bench. Cant count how many times half of that seat is down to allow beach stuff or whatever and still get 4 kids in. Odyssey 3rd seat is all or nothing...overrated! Also have the back shelf...useful for groceries...above and below. And, in 2001, no leather from Honda...we have all leather. Kids and cloth interiors do not get along very well. We tow a 3500# trailer quite frequently...tows very strong. People almost look surprised when they see a van pulling the trailer...yep, not an SUV.

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  greatest minivan - 2004 Dodge Caravan
  By scotty stangl - November 4 - 2:00 am

  awesome van, better than ford, chevy, gmc, anything this is the van to get

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  Another good one - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By jefferson - November 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car about a year ago with 17K. No repairs have been needed, just routine maint. It is really at its best on curvy roads, the suspension/tire combination handles the sharp turns well. Nice power when it is just me in the car but when it is loaded down I miss my99 with the DOHC engine.