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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  I LOVE it! - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By pennylou99 - January 21 - 7:47 pm

  The gas mileage is horrible. But other than that. I love this truck. I have never had any major issues with it. Normal repairs. If you keep the maintenance up on this, your Dodge will run for a long time! Im right at 140k miles and the engine is solid. I drive kinda crazy and needed something that could handle my lead foot. Im like to be quick on take offs, so this truck has been perfect for me!

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  My first car, lemon - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By carnube - January 12 - 5:07 pm

  I bought this car used in 2010. I dont remember the exact millage but I believe it was over 150XXX. The AC didnt work, the turn radius was horrible, and there was a cassette stuck in the cassette player. I used to ask my passengers to try to get out for fun. 7 months after I bought it, it started overheating, got stuck on the side of the road a couple times. Had to replace the radiator and it cost about $500. Month later, the transmission went and I decided to junk it.

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  I love my charger/hemi. - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By classygail - January 9 - 5:24 pm

  I purchased my red 07 with 9800 miles, barely broken in. I love love love it. did have the transmission part fixed its under recall warranty. Didnt pay a dime, no problem since. I have no problem merging unto hwy entrance. Watch your neck lol lol It holds 5 adults comfy. I have 40k miles now n I.m seeing a leak somewhere. Gotta have it looked at. Hope its not anything serious.

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  2014 SRT8 Challenger Review - 2014 Dodge Challenger
  By briany4567 - January 1 - 11:10 am

  The Challenger is a big, heavy girl make no mistake about it. It gets terrible gas mileage as a result. But if you are in the market for a muscle car and gas mileage is a concern, perhaps you need to rethink your decision. It has some blind spots due to its size. Its way better than muscle cars of yesteryear in terms of fit/finish/braking and handling. But it is still a growling, snarling beast that you hear and feel almost every step of the way. She can be a civilized daily driver if you want it to be, but there is no escaping knowing what is lurking just under the surface. If you understand what a real muscle car SHOULD be then you will appreciate this car as a homerun in look and attitude

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  Awesome SUV - 2014 Dodge Durango
  By bigsky_klx - December 30 - 3:50 pm

  Probably one of the best SUVs out there right now. I bought my wife a bare bones SXT with upgraded 8.4 touchscreen and heated seats/steering wheel. She loves it and wont let me drive everywhere anymore. Comes nicely loaded and doesnt feel cheap even in the base SXT trim. If fact you have to hunt for any options it is missing. No one can tell it isnt a Citadel model. The 3.6 has the perfect balance of power and economy. Honestly I dont think the hemi is needed unless you plan on towing with it. It has a useable 3rd row. It comes down the same assembly line as the Jeep Grand Cherokee that has won all the best quality build awards. Also, it is on the Consumer Reports Recommended list.

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  Its a Truck, not a Minivan! - 2010 Dodge Nitro
  By vlad_jv - December 29 - 2:44 pm

  Test drove a few before considering the 2010 SXT 4x4. Some of which included the Mazda CX7, and the 2008 Acadia. Mazda handled like a sedan, and the Acadia like a minivan (a little more fun). The Nitro handles like a truck! Its built on the RAM chassis, so dont expect anything less. Fuel economy is not impressive, but still within average for a 3.6L. The 2008 Mazda Tribute 3.0L was getting a little better but not too much. Overall, it handles like the truck but has the comfort of a large SUV. Its flexibility of offering exterior raw power with interior comfort makes it perfect option for looking to have 2 cars in 1. My commute includes 100km hwy and 100km city daily to work/home

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  Good, basic, reliable transportation - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By wk4x42007 - December 28 - 5:17 pm

  I purchased this car for my daughter back in 2010. It had about 30K miles on it. She drives 1.5 hours on the highway round trip everyday to school, so I needed good MPG, excellent safety and real reliability. The price was awesome ($10K) and this car has delivered. It has over 90K miles on it and all Ive done is change the oil, replace belts/tires/wipers and do brake jobs on a normal maintenance cycle. It has taken her through nasty weather without difficulty and protected her nicely through 2 occasions in which she has been hit by other drivers. For the price, its been a gem.

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  Good while it lasted - RIP my friend. - 2000 Dodge Caravan
  By wvuprof - December 27 - 8:48 pm

  Bought with 98k miles on it. Comfortable, easy to drive, no extraordinary maintenance or repair costs aside from new tires and regular oil changes for 2 yrs. At 136k miles, the transmission failed. I had it rebuilt, but other things started to go bad afterward (I dont believe these problems were caused by the mechanics during the rebuild). A small oil leak (not sure from where), a radiator hose blew out, washer sprayer quit, small stuff like that. Nickle and dime. A year later, the dashboard electric went out. No wipers, no speedometer, no fuel gauge. Despite the electrical problems and annoying glitches, the motor ran well. It was good while it lasted, but no more Dodges for me thanks.

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  Good things come in small packages - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By walternmoss - December 19 - 10:14 pm

  This car is a joy to drive. The interior is amazingly comfortable and comes loaded with great tech. Performance is great and overall the driving experience very fun. We actually have the 2.4 Liter engine with the 6 speed automatic transmission.

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  Average at best - 1990 Dodge Shadow
  By pylon_johnson - December 18 - 3:28 pm

  I received what I thought was a cream puff...in 2003, I was given my grandmothers 1990 Dodge Shadow with only 27,000 miles on it to use as a second vehicle. Overall, it was pretty average and dull, though I will say it did get around very well in the snow. I had owned a 1991 Escort a few years ealier, and to compare the Shadow to the Escort, which were competing vehicles, the Escort blew it away. On the surface, the Shadow seemed better, with more horsepower, larger wheels, and more options, but where the Escort was peppy and fun to drive and great on gas, the Shadow was like driving a lawn mower, and was not very good on gas for a 4-cylinder with 93 hp.