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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  60K miles trouble free..awsome - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By JD_in_Montana - August 14 - 2:00 am

  Styling, ride characteristics and superb reliability have been the hallmarks of my Durango. Very very low maintenance / repair. Worst was front driveline (under warranty) due to worn u joint (my fault, BTW!!). Other than that...NOTHING in repairs have been required. 4.7 engine is exquistely simple to maintain (no rotor, distributor, plug wires). And with the HO Cams this truck is QUICK!!

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  good 5 years - 1998 Dodge Avenger
  By tonyquinn - August 13 - 2:00 am

  The Dodge Avenger is a great car to commute in. The gas milage is good the sterio system rocks the seats are comfortable the engine has the power you need to get in and out of traffic the motor runs cool under hot conditions with the air on climbing a grade.

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  Good Car for the Dough - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By Stain - August 13 - 2:00 am

  For the price it doesnt get much better. Comes with a very high top speed for smaller car. Very fun to drive. Only complaint is thins are starting to raddle at 13000 miles.

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  Love Affair with my Van - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By musha - August 13 - 2:00 am

  I just love my caravan...Love to drive it and everything else about it...I can not say enough good things about the Dodge Caravan....I will never go back to a car again...

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  Great Value and Performance All Around - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By famrex - August 12 - 11:56 am

  This car is so much fun to drive, rides and handles very well with the 17" tires. Once I got used to the CVT it has good acceleration for the small engine. If youre looking for a mini suv/wagon/sedan for about $20,000, check this vehicle out.

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  Good Truck - 1992 Dodge Dakota
  By jaze202001 - August 12 - 2:00 am

  Good overall truck. My truck has 410 000 kms on the original engine, and still runs very strong. 318 5.2L V8 is a very reliable and quick engine (lots of power for this smaller class truck.) This truck does not owe me anything. I would encourage anyone to buy this truck if they found a good looking used one.

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  DODGE INTREPID LOYALIST - 2003 Dodge Intrepid
  By Robert Jackson - August 11 - 2:00 am

  I have now leased my second Dodge Intrepid since late 1999. I was very pleased with the 2000 model, so I decided to lease a 2003 model which now the base model is the SE unlike 2000.

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  Sold - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Vance - August 10 - 4:33 pm

  Im not used to catching peoples eyes just driving down the road. The aggressive looks of this car still get me to double take after I park it. Everything about the Charger adds up to a fun, impressive, luxurious ride where the only downside is your friends always want you to drive when you go anywhere! Seriously, I cant see myself buying a different car after this. The Beemers and Benzes my friends drive dont measure up to the affordability, style, and mean power they find in my Charger. I dont mind driving them.

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  Not sure why the reviews are poor - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Bradley - August 10 - 4:26 pm

  This is a beautiful vehicle inside and out. I dont see the "seams not lining up" or other problems listed in the other reviews. Seats are a little hard in back but we test drove Kia, Honda, Toyota and they were similar. Handling is responsive and the vehicle has a very nice feel -- solid but nimble. Nice tight turning radius. Ours has the rearview camera which is indispensible and should be on every car. Very quiet on the highway. The DVD with wireless headsets are awesome. This vehicle has a lot of space and great fuel economy for a larger van.

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  Great, Dependable car - 1997 Dodge Stratus
  By Mopar4Life - August 10 - 2:00 am

  I got this car from my dads job at a dodge dealership at a great price and Ive been nothing but happy with it. The 2.4L in the car is probably the peppiest 4 cyl. in its class. I had the head gasket changed before I got the car (All 95-99 stratus needed the new metallic head gasket). I plan on using this car throughout college without it having a bit of trouble. Im extremely happy with this car, especially with the money i paid for it. GET IT!