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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  none - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By bigs du - October 14 - 2:00 am

  great styling and dependability. great road suv. ride could be improved. great engine and acceleration. hard on brakes however.

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  Love it - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Heidi - October 12 - 6:03 pm

  I love this journey. We have had no problems with it since we have owned it. The space is awesome, easy to get in and out of the way the doors open so wide. Love my third seat. The radio sounds awesome. Fun to drive and quiet on the road.

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  Research pays off - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Efrain Feliciano - October 12 - 7:20 am

  I researched this car for about 6 months before purchasing. Lots of fun to drive and the car handles great in the rain. I am anxious to see how it handles in the snow. The engine can be a little noisy but I dont mind it at all and the sound system is really good.

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  Good Car - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By rjack - October 12 - 2:00 am

  My R/T drives very well when I dont have any of these problem. The problem that I had is the entire exhaust was replaced due to a buzz noise in one of the muffler. My passenger side door has been squeaking from the start, the booster (power brake was replaced), my car is alway pulling to the right & all of my windows make noise when rolling the windows upward of down. If the dealer can fix these problems it would be a perfect car.

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  Comfotable car - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By Tim Pelke - October 11 - 2:00 am

  It is a nice sports luxury model sedan to drive near or far distances. Very comfortable. Doesnt waste fuel fast at all. recomend it to a smaller family.

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  Durango - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Reni - October 11 - 2:00 am

  Great vehicle, but the mileage could use some work.

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  Wife loves her new Caravan SXT - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Jim5590 - October 9 - 2:53 am

  This is our forth Dodge/Plymouth Minivan and it is by far the best. I was pleasantly surprised about how well the Van cruises throught the mountains and the handling is great. We added the Dodge running boards and it added to the good looks of the Van. This one is a long term keeper.

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  Mini Dad - 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By W. Wojo - October 8 - 6:47 am

  Have test driven both the Odessey and Sienna. The Grand Caravan compares favorably to the high priced Honda and Toyota models in all categories. Better gas mileage and better acceleration than either of these two, even though the Japanese models are higher rated. The Caravan is very quiet at highway speeds and the ride is limo quality. Reliability has also been a strong point. Over 2 years now and only routine maintainence. The Dodge dealer has taken care of all maintainence work along with complementary oil changes. Try matching this service at one of the Japanese dealers.

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  Love My Neon - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By daughterofcyn - October 8 - 2:00 am

  I have had my Neon over 4 years and have only had to replace the brakes. The car is extremely reliable and has been across the country several times. I have to say that my Neon looks as good as it did when it came off the showroom floor -- inside and out. That comes from quality construction and careful care. I live in Texas -- 100+ summers -- and the a/c usually needs to be turned down because it works so well. Excellent car overall!

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  Strong as an Ox at 125,000 miles - 1992 Dodge Dynasty
  By Moonshadow - October 7 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my old Dynasty for 2 year and before then my grandma bought it new. The car has been a great vehicle for both of us. We did have to replace the original Transmision(which is the achillies heal of these otherwise solid cars) and it was with a better designed more up to date tranny.All thats been done since then was some basic mantinance, a o2 sensor, and a cold air intake. The car is quite powerful with great gas mileage(even without the upgraded air intake) and runs like a dream and looks great after a good car wash. Not a bad car to have , even for a 23 year old.