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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  scat pack shaker 6m - 2016 Dodge Challenger
  By scott t - November 1 - 2:53 pm

  the sound power ride handleing braking infotainment system everything about this car is awsome if you are thinking about getting this car just get it my wife bought sxt plus with 6 cylinder and most of the options you could get with it with the 8a auto transmission it can smoke them tires transmission shifts smoothly and aggresivly when you get on it i liked it so much i bought a scat pack shaker with a 6m tranny this car is a beast touch the gas and you go touch the brake and you stop it is hard to drive this car slow it just wants to go the sxt gets great gas milage for such a big car the scat pack shaker is getting average 12.5 mpg still on first tank of gas but i did not buy the sp shaker for everyday use the sxt my wife uses as a daily there is a challenger modle for all tastes take one for a test drive and you will see

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  Better than a full size - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By kdrp - November 1 - 10:00 am

  This is a heck of a truck. it can pull over 6000 pounds, accelerate faster than most cars, and has room for the whole family.

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  We love minivans. - 2007 Dodge Caravan
  By Ron Wagner - October 31 - 12:04 am

  Minivans are the way to go for all my gear and traveling with or without family. The stow away feature is a must, but lowers the van too much for bad dirt roads. What you get for the money is far beyond what a car or SUV can deliver. If they would only come up with better gas mileage. I think that a continuously variable transmission would help a lot. Also a computer assisted economy mode, and maybe a smaller engine.

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  Fun and Fast 4.0 R/T Edition - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By Craig - October 30 - 4:54 pm

  Ive only got 3200 miles on the clock, but the 4.0 V-6 is starting to get broken in, and really quick. I love the all-black exterior with black leather seats. Handling seems a little top-heavy with a fairly quick tendency toward oversteer. Not bad, just not a sports car!

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  So Far So Good - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By Siamese45 - October 30 - 4:43 pm

  I have been a Dodge truck person since 1993 and when I saw the Charger, I was intrigued enough to drive one. I picked it up last night and while it may take me 6 months to learn the MyGig entertainment system, I love the way it handles, the acceleration is amazing, it is very comfortable and quite stylish. It will take me a while to get used to being back in a car, but I cant think of a better car to choose as my first in many years than the 2008 Dodge Charger R/T.

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  Excellent Driver - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By gesshooo - October 30 - 8:03 am

  This was the first new car that Ive purchased in more than 15 years. In every aspect, this car has exceeded any and all of my expectations. Gas mileage is great. 22mpg city/31mpg highway. The interior is very comfortable, and the power is more than adequate, especially for a 4 cylinder. Trunk space is huge and storage is fantastic with the rear seats down. What was really impressive is the audio system. I have a new Corvette with a "Bose" system that doesnt compare to the sound in my Dodge. Everything on this car is original except for the front brakes and 4 tires. Reliability is a 10! Wish they still made a coupe, I would but another one immediately.

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  NOISE - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Brandon - October 29 - 11:30 pm

  I also have the whistling noise problem. The dealership has changed the windshield, tried to realign my door. Still a problem. Also twice i turned the van on and only the van came on, the radio and A/C did not. (very weird). The van has a weird look but rides nice(except noise), ok on gas.Its comfortable on long rides.Good get up and go.

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  Great car - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By harrison - October 29 - 6:14 pm

  I bought this car with 34,000 miles it now has 184,000 and still running fine. I have never had any major repairs. My car gets 32 mpg on the highway. Wish they still made Intrepids, I would buy another one.

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  Best American vehicle I ever had - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By dzerres - October 29 - 10:06 am

  This truck has had no mechanical issues for the 7 years Ive owned it (it was recalled for ball joints which they replaced but were not worn). My only regret is not having bought the 4 door version and not bothered with the camper shell.

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  2nd one and still like them - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By Durango Family - October 28 - 10:27 pm

  This is our seond Durango as our first was a 2000 with 120,000 miles on it before it protected our twin 2 yr olds, mother in law, and wife when a rav4 stopped dead in front of us. The rav 4 did not do as well. We have had none of the problems typically heard of and it has been very reliable. 4.7L MPG is not what it should be but 18MPG. 3rd seat, leather and rear air are really cool for this size truck. Can not beat it in snow!!