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:

• 

  Love this SUV!!! - 2011 Dodge Durango
  By lisa247 - June 28 - 7:04 pm

  I just bought the Durango about a month ago and truly love this vehicle!! I have been leasing a Honda Odyssey for the past three years and thought that was a fantastic vehicle for my two kids. When it comes to functionality you just cant beat the minivan. I was having a hard time trying to find a vehicle that gave me all of the things I loved about the van, but didnt look like a van. The Durango was perfect! I test drove the Ford Exlporer, Mazda CX-9, and the Chevy Traverse. Out of the four choices that gave me the third row seating, I was able to get the most amount of features for the dollar with the Durango.

• 

  I would highly recommend this car - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By mattman6 - June 24 - 2:10 pm

  We have had this car since April (put on about 3,000 miles) and have taken several trips with it. The seats provide excellent support for extended trips, the ride is feels solid with out being overly soft or to harsh. The car is extremely quiet, and the biggest surprise is the fuel economy. Daily driving is short trips around town we average between 20-21, on the highway we have averaged 28-30 at highway speeds of 70-75 with 5 people, gear through the hills of PA. We havent had any issue with it. The transmission is a little sluggish at times shifting but overall its a solid car. Fit and finish are excellent.

• 

  2001 Dodge Caravan Sport~289,000 Miles and Still Going! - 2001 Dodge Caravan
  By rosehavenfarm1 - June 23 - 9:05 pm

  Bought this van as a second owner. Previous owner put 200,000 highway miles on it. We bought it for a song and havent looked back. Other than tires, oil change and a waterpump, the "Puddle Jumper" hasnt let me down. She is wonderful. Planning on taking it to Colorado this fall. Its 1,289 miles from home one way! Shes going in the garage to get a "look over" within a month. My van is wonderful. Going to get handed down to my 16 yr old son after he gets his license.

• 

  Love this car! but beware of the back seat - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By frylock05 - June 6 - 8:34 am

  I have had both the 2010 Camaro and now I own a 2010 Challenger. Its far more roomy and attracts quite a bit of attention everywhere. It has that original retro look, like a retro remix....lol like the 70s challenger had a baby and this car is it. I only dont like 1 thing and that is that to get in the backseat you have to go threw the passanger side only. Also the seat release on the back of the passanger seat is not safe. I was hit in the eye trying to get out of my backseat by it, I had to have 6 stiches that really did suck..but I still love it its a trully beautiful machine and is a just delight to drive so I reommend it to others...but beware of the back seat.

• 

  Amazing! - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By 1atomic - June 5 - 1:01 pm

  We are very impressed with our new 2011 Dodge Charger R/T and delighted we opted for AWD, a "must have" in the Northeast. Our new Charger was ordered all "optioned out" and the price was still below that of its rivals.

• 

  Awesome vehicle! - 2011 Dodge Durango
  By beef76 - June 4 - 12:35 pm

  Let me start by saying that I have never owned an American made car. However, after doing a year of research and test drives, it came down to the Citadel. This was a late entry, since it just came out, but nothing else compared. The inside is pure luxury, not cheap plastics as before. The Acadia Denalis was second, but really there is little comparison.

• 

  Dodge Charger RT Girl - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By chargerrtgirl - June 3 - 3:53 pm

  I LOVE this car!! I wanted to get something with plenty of room but still sporty, my husband and I went shopping and we saw this red Charger RT and I automatically wanted to drive it! I pressed the gas and I had that feeling, The feeling of LOVE!!! I have had it for a year and I love it now as much as I did the day I drove it home.

• 

  Unreal - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By brian714oc - June 1 - 12:25 am

  i own a 2006 rt with the hemi and let me tell u it one heck of a car i couldnt complain on any day of the week cause in the end of them all i have my magnum to run to and with , dodge did something not to many have and thats impress me

• 

  Better Than You Think - 2011 Dodge Avenger
  By georgecavalier - May 30 - 10:18 am

  Bought in Heat trim with the 3.6 Pentastar V6... Edmunds wouldnt let me choose that for a trim. MSRP was close to $26K but I got it for just above $18K. Car has plenty of power, my only gripe with performance is the economy-minded transmission. Its quick to get to high gear and sometimes needs a stab of the gas to shift down. Otherwise, a fun car to drive that never feels underpowered. I get around mid-20s MPG but probably could do better if I kept my foot off the gas pedal. Smaller than a lot of midsizers nowadays but theres more room than youd expect. Nobody feels crampt. The cabin for 11 is much nicer with plenty of high quality materials. Rides smoothly and theres little noise.

• 

  2011 Dodge Nitro 4x2 Detonator - 2011 Dodge Nitro
  By duckettsteven - May 19 - 5:11 pm

  Amazing SUV!! Handles and dries great, very quiet comfortable cab. Its a head turner. Nothing but compliments from other people. I average about 19-22 MPG but i have added a cold air intake by mopar for more horsepower and better gas mileage. Tank usually lasts me about 350 miles. My children luv it. Car is more than worth the $$.