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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  transmission - 2007 Dodge Caravan
  By Tom Brown - February 10 - 5:28 pm

  I bought a 2007 Dodge Caravan on 07- 02-07. Transmisson was bad the day that I drove it off the lot. Have had it worked on twice by the dealership. Still have the same problem as day one. Chrysler can not fix the problem and like anything else you buy, if it dont work, it should be replaced. I get get mad each time I pull from my drive. Never fails that I get a hard shift. I did not buy the van to have this problem. I would like to know if Chrysler has plans to make repairs in the near future. Vehicle has learned my driving habits by now.

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  Excellent Car - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By Good Times Ride - February 9 - 11:32 pm

  This fun car has given a bargain for my dollar. It is well designed for a commuter car. No problems other than normal use repairs. Great car for the price. Need to have more of them for our expensive economy. Its confy an stylish as well.

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  Great car - 2008 Dodge Magnum
  By PaulV - February 8 - 10:05 pm

  I wanted a sporty, powerful, low CG car, able to pull a small trailer, and haul lots of stuff. This was the only one under $50K. I recently completed a 4000 mi roadtrip and it was great.... very comfortable (Im 64"), and it didnt even downshift going up mountain passes. The lifetime powertrain warranty & multidisplacement engine were big pluses. The high intensity headlights are great turn night into day. I think the interior is ugly 5 different colors... bad try at a retro look, but Im getting over it. The visibility isnt good, and made worse by heavy window tinting. The trailer package didnt come with a hitch or wiring. The my gig system works well great sound.

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  Great Car! No Regrets! - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By Dodge Owner - February 8 - 12:53 pm

  This is the best car we have ever owned. Powerful engine, quiet ride, sleek styling. Love the leather, heated seats, sunroof, and AWD!

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  bad car - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By nomoreamericancars - February 8 - 2:00 am

  Anything that can go wrong went wrong with this car. VERY POOR reliability.

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  I love my neon - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Whine - February 8 - 2:00 am

  Its a lot of car for a little cost. It is more than worth the price. It handles wonderfully on curves and wet roads. Plus, you look great driving it!

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  A nice looking fast car for the price - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By marie salazar - February 8 - 2:00 am

  The SRT-4 is a very fun car to have. It is a very fast and nicely designed car for the price. It gets a lot of attention on the street. You can put a little amount of money into it to increase the power.

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  1 fast car! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By robert vansteenburg - February 8 - 2:00 am

  fastest little car on the block!! move over big block.. i just hope the tires last one year.thank you dodge you have 1 great car.....

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  Sporty yet Classy - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By Generichandle - February 6 - 5:16 pm

  I just bought a used 2005 Dodge Stratus R/T Coupe 3.0L V6 automatic. It had only 25,500 miles on it when I bought it. I bought it used for only $12,000 - it was pretty loaded for that price minus leather seats and electronic seat adjustment. Other than those two additions, the car is an awesome car and it drives great and is fast and sporty - I dont like Mitsubishi Eclipses so this was a good happy medium for me. When I got it insured, the insurance agent looked at it and couldnt believe it was a Stratus - obviously, he had only seen the sedans and not the R/T Coupe!

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  Dodge Interepid-2000 - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By L. Gebo - February 6 - 10:00 am

  I have enjoyed my 2000 Intrepid. The problem I have had with it thus far includes the front bumper hitting high driveways which has caused paint damage. Paint defects in other areas as well. This takes away from the quality, look and appeal of the vehicle. I wish I would have been informed of this problem at the dealership. The trunk leaks as well. I am not sure if this is a manufacturers problem or something happened to it in transport.