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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  Intrepids are great. - 2003 Dodge Intrepid
  By George222 - July 8 - 2:00 am

  Had my car for 3 years, no problems yet, but i know of some people that complain about problems in reliablility, but mines been perfect.

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  My First SUV Purchase - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By Lori0865 - July 7 - 2:00 am

  My Durango is an SLT, but it has the 17" alloy wheels/tires, the optional 3rd seat in the rear,a power drivers seat, upgraded cloth interior and the 5.9 liter engine. I manage to get 15mpg on the highway which is better than most vehicles in its class. It handles terrific in the snow, ice, and severe thunderstorm/terrential rains in addition to good driving conditions. Its cargo capacity is awsome for a Christmas shopping spree at Birch Run or hauling 25 40lb bags of lava rock for landscaping (the suspension never flinched)!!! It holds 6 adults and one child comfortably as well as 2 dogs, 2 adults and luggage for a cross country trip.

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  Dodge Nitro 2007 - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By aburke21 - July 6 - 3:43 am

  Awesome to drive. I get a lot of looks and compliments from people. By far my favorite SUV!

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  2003 sxt 4wd - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By goodyear 1 - July 6 - 2:00 am

  Love the truck wish it had a few more options. Best buy for the money.

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  PictureX - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By wheel72 - July 4 - 6:36 am

  Good vision from front seats. Easy to maintain, through out. Handling is fun and easy to manouver. Front wheels tend to slip easy on wet pavement, especially on move out from stop. I put special traction tires on front that helps sliping a lot. 3rd row seats are uncomfortable for long rides, tilt back excessive. Smooth shifting. storage space is good.

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  I love this car! - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By Lotsa Miles - July 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought the ES model with all the vailable options in May of 2000. I drive about 80 to 100 miles a day, so I wanted reliability and comfort, but I still wanted sporty styling and handling. The Interpid has been perfect for over 90,000 miles. I have had no mechanical problems, the interior materials have held up well and the car remains comfortable and fun to drive. It still looks like new and drives great!

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  Long Term Owner - 1991 Dodge Spirit
  By JohnQ - July 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in 1991 and have driven it for over 12 years. Repairs have been been minor and very few. Maintenance is easy to do myself and the parts are standard and not expensive. This is without a doubt the most reliable car I have ever owned, and has certainly been a good value. I keep thinking that I will trade it in when it dies but it just keeps on running great. I can still do 75 mph on the highway and it still gets 24 mpg driving around town.

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  very nice car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By earl - July 2 - 3:23 am

  i got this vehicle in oct.o7 i have own close to 30 cars all types and this car is very good it is 2.0 some say they are slow not this one i get about 32 miles to a gal.hwy 26 city this is a grate car and with only 12000 miles and 12 more payments iam hook /// iam keeping this car tell the wheels fall off Csmile) people should check this one out they will be surprise. almost forgot and for those who has one go to a kn air filter

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  awesome!!!! - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By cjfri - July 1 - 2:00 am

  I have loved dodge since i owned my avenger what a wonderful experiance i have had with my cars. I love the way they take care of me. Drove from colorado to iowa without a problem.

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  ralph - 2003 Dodge Intrepid
  By ralph jaros - June 30 - 2:00 am

  this car is great, roomy, good mileage city and highway, great handling, this car is so well liked i am planning to by my 3rd