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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  awesome power - 2000 Dodge Viper
  By tricki - July 25 - 2:00 am

  great machine with loads of power and best handling ride i have ever driven. You have to drive it to believe it.

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  very happy...havent yet had problems - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By singlevanmom - July 25 - 2:00 am

  I guess time will tell if Ill have problems, but so far I love the van. Its not too large, and is a little roomier than the small suvs which I looked at. The vehicle seems quiet, comfortable and drives well. I had several added options to my model so it makes it more like the sport model. I think it was the best vehicle Ive owned so far including my honda civic

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  2000 Dodge Dakota Sport Plus Reg Cab - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By Nick Mercado - July 25 - 2:00 am

  4.7 is great, awesome power, great comfort and features, infinity audio system is nice, and it rides nice for a truck, handles good, and quality has been good so far.

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  Great Suv - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Jerry2 - July 25 - 2:00 am

  Great SUV no problems.77.000 miles still going strong,We have a 1998 Durango and it has been a great Suv.

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  dodge - 2003 Dodge Viper
  By masterdawgC - July 24 - 2:00 am

  its a great car and its very fast and is fun to ride

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  Great Urban utility when you have kids - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By billnbobbie - July 24 - 2:00 am

  Great for going to Home depot with the family(if you Credit card can stand it...) Have installed a hard toneau cover to make it a Durango with more cargo room.

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  Beastly family car even on a budget! - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By Paul - July 23 - 5:31 pm

  First off, Im a 25 year living in Michigan. We get snow and rain most of the year so I chose the AWD. Although this model is only a V6, it is quite powerful. The AWD Charger is actually a RWD vehicle that goes into AWD when the vehicle slips or when the temp falls below a certain degree. At the slightest push of the pedal, the vehicle gets up and goes! This makes it very fun to take off on green lights. Ive personally tested the vehicle to reach speeds of 125 before struggling to continue. I did this on a closed course and do not recommend doing this on any open roads as the vehicle does shake at these speeds. The vehicle interior is very basic for a sporty car but to be honest it fills all your needs. Plenty of room, many compartments, great location for USB/Aux, audio and temp controls readily accessible. I had no complains driving this vehicle other than the all season tires that came from the factory.

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  2001 Dakota Sport 4x4 a Great Truck - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Jons Truck - July 23 - 2:00 am

  My 2001 Dakota Sport 4x4 with Off-Road package has been awesome to date. I ordered the truck to my specs, and the first one arrived with paint damage from shipping. The dealership ordered me a new one. The second one arrived with no problems. Comfort, power, and quality of this truck are second to none. I have had absolutely no problems with this vehicle. Unfortunately, the fuel economy is low (14 mpg) but expected with this type of vehicle, especially the off-road package. I highly recommend the Dakota Sport 4x4!

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  My Durango - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By tut00 - July 23 - 2:00 am

  Very nice truck. Like it alot.

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  93, The Best Year - 1993 Dodge Stealth
  By you dont need toknow - July 22 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car for its affordable price. Everyone on the street always stares when your drivingand many people do not know the car and inquire if the car is brand new. The stealth exterior seems to be dateless.Now that many stealths have high mileage, are rusty, or are wrecked stealths that are near perfect condition with low mileage are collectors items and will fetch high prices. The car is comfortable in the front, the back seats are meant for smaller people.