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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  Best Car I ever bought - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By Todd Farally - June 21 - 2:00 am

  I love my 2002 Stratus R/T, it is hands down the best car I ever bought. I drive around town and everyones head turns to look at it. Outside and in, its style is flawless. It handles great, corners like a dream and can stop on a dime. If you purchase this vehicle, I highly recommend you get it with the autostick feature. Autostick really helps in highway driving, plus its a lot of fun on windy country roads. The sound system is top-notch for a stock system. Well I hope what Ive said helps people out who are looking for a great car at a affordable price. I can honestly say that you wont be let down by this automobile, I havent been!

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  Improved Minivan - 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By rlester1 - June 20 - 11:15 pm

  This is my fifth minivan. These are not the minivans of old. I bought the AVP with some upgrades. Just got back off long trip, got 20 mpg in the city, and 29.5 mpg highway, with 24.7 with a mix situation. Love it. Used the stow and go seats variable positions for a different need everyday. I love the handling. I love the cab forward design, easy to see the road and park. The ride can be a little bouncy, but not bothersome. I have the base seats but they are very comfortable. I had a long drive at night and can see the road much easier than in a sedan. The best value in a vehicle period. My only complaint is that the transmission wants to shift out and then back down in the hills.

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  All around great car - 1998 Dodge Avenger
  By Avenger21 - June 20 - 2:00 am

  Well first of all its a affordable version of the viper :). It has a low stance with a front grill similar to that of the viper. It rides like a dream and has few flaws. I havent had any major problems, just the normal routine repairs. I love every aspect of this car, but maybe could use a bigger engine :)

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  Love my Miss-RT - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By midge - June 19 - 2:00 am

  Bought my car a little over 6 months ago and have no major issues. Great "pick up and go." The Infinity stereo system is awesome. Have the same issue as a previous post though the CD player does skip some, but only if Ive left a cd in it over night then started playing it the next day. Simply ejecting the disk and putting it back in fixes this problem. The biggest irritant is the odometer is off by about 3 to 5 percent. It is gaining miles faster then I have traveled which is shortening my warranty and lowering my trade-in value. But I normally keep a car until it has very little value left anyway, so this is not too big an issue.

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  Mamas Hot Rod - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Jennifer Williams - June 18 - 6:26 am

  I have been eyeing this car since its debut last year and fell in love on my first test drive. I test drove over 20 different cars and kept coming back to the Charger. I travel extensively and drive several differnt rental vehicles- I am always excited to get back into my car at the airport and get to drive it. Nothing on the road compares to this expereince. The power, the looks and the room to put my three children in the backseat. Two big "boys" each over 6 tall and a carseat fit just fine. I have the Road and Track R/T that has the 10 extra horse power, dual power buckets and upgrade exhaust system that the Daytona R/T features.

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  Visibility - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By slogal - June 17 - 10:20 pm

  We enjoy the car, but wouldnt recommend it to anyone in the 50+ age range due to visibility. Lane changes are heart-stopping in fast-moving traffic. We added back-up sensors to help with parking. On the positive, our 20ish children have no problem driving it.

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  Dodge Grand Caravan is the best - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Im4rays - June 17 - 10:00 am

  Smooth ride and maximum comfort. I feel like Im in a luxury car.

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  2001 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By rick burkeen - June 17 - 2:00 am

  If your looking for the get up and go try the larger of the 2 v-8 engines. The 4.7l just doesnt get up and go. By the way this is my second Dakota I loved the old 318cu. engine.

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  Awesome! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Clifton Smith - June 15 - 1:06 pm

  I love my Charger SRT-8. It has the attention-grabbing styling and performance I love in a car. The power from the 6.1l Hemi is amazing. Its a roomy sedan with a smooth ride yet it can turn into a mean street machine in an instant. The best car I have ever owned so far!

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  Surprised by high quality & performance - 1994 Dodge Dakota
  By djd1212 - June 15 - 2:00 am

  I bought this truck new in late 1993. It still just keeps going and going. Very few problems, quality higher than expected. Very good ride, more power than I need. Engine & transmission are still very smooth. I guess Ill have it another 10 years.