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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  awsome - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By gershon - July 31 - 2:00 am

  this car is fun to drive. Looks very fast the only complain would be that you cant install anything to the engine without messing up the censors.

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  GOOD TRUCK - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By CPB - July 30 - 10:00 am

  THIS THE 5TH ONE I HAVE OWNED - ALL HAVE BEEN GOOD. I WILL CONTINUE TO BUY ONE EVERY 2 YEARS. JUST SIGNED A DEAL ON A 2002 YESTERDAY.

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  best value - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By danieldkk - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I only had it for a week, but so far, its the best car I ever had in my life.

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  ultimate crusier - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By tommyboy - July 30 - 10:00 am

  sit back an set the cruz an sail away in this smooth riding gem,test drove all of them nuttin is sweeter

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  Intrepid review - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By anne - July 30 - 2:00 am

  I love this vehicle. It has plenty of space in the back seat and the trunk is huge! I like the sleek design and the way it drives is so smooth. It has plenty of power and will get up and go. I have had trouble with it not switching out of gear and it was some little wire that had to be replaced. I also had both fans to lock up and they had to be replaced $550). Other than those two things, I havent had any trouble from my car. I have truly enjoyed the large trunk. We got the car so that we could fit my mother in laws wheelchair in it.

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  Stratus coupe is fun to drive - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By MikeinPgh - July 30 - 2:00 am

  The Stratus coupe looks great and is fun to drive. I have gotten several compliments on the car from strangers. Power from the V6 engine is great for getting on the freeway and going up hills.

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  Lots of Fun - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By sr40 - July 30 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I were looking for a good used SUV or a new SUVin a price range that we could afford. We compared the used Durango to several new vehicles and found that for the money, we getting much more vehicle for the price. Over all though, we are very pleased with our new addition and look forward to purchasing a new Durango within the next year or so.

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  nice car - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By Alex Pallais1 - July 29 - 2:00 am

  very powerful engine of 250hp

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  Perfect fit - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By mstbc5 - July 28 - 10:56 am

  This is our first Dodge Caravan, previously owned three Chrysler T&C. Local dealer only sells Dodge. We wanted the stow-n-go seats which suits our constant hauling items to our kids who live out of state, all three in three different states. After unloading we simply fold up seats to haul parents and child seats. We are very happy with the new exterior styling and interior creature comforts - heated seats, adjustable pedals, rear camera, second windows that open! Very comfortable for highway driving.

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  Fun, Fun Fun - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By Brenjliu - July 28 - 2:00 am

  This car is fun and powerful. The price was right as well. I love the quiet smooth ride. The controls are easy to reach and the power windows have a safety feature so you cant accidentally close t