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:

• 

  Great Value - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By intrepid fan - May 4 - 2:00 am

  This is my third Intrepid since 1996. Bought a used 95 and then had a 97 as a company car before leasing the 00. This vehicle is a great value. It handles very well, looks stylish and is very comfortable. Best of all, this car easily seats five very comfortably. People are amazed at how much room there is in the back seat. The truck is huge also. Very solid, reliable, practical car.

• 

  Great - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By Brittany - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Oh I just love it.

• 

  THE LITTLE TROOPER - 1993 Dodge Shadow
  By BLOND085 - May 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Dodge Shadow ES with just over 100,000 miles on it. I was expecting the transmition to blow (since it is a dodge and on its original tranny) but at 135,000 miles shes still shifting smooth. It has a 3.0 V6 Mitsubishi motor under the hood and packs quite a bit of power. She is amazingly quick, even with no mods. A couple small problems have arose due to her age and mileage, such as a leaky trunk and a sticky door. Ive had to replace the motor mounts and the belt tightener.This car is absolutly great, its quick, reliable, and comfortable with surprising room.

• 

  just a lil bit of improvement - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By yungcancer_6to9 - May 1 - 2:00 am

  This car is a smooth ride, that can handle the curves very well. It also can hit 0 to 60 very fast. Its sleek interior is very appealing to the eye. It also has great gas mileage, and an excellent exterior.

• 

  Awesome Car! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By MikedawgSRT-4 - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Well after considering the Sti, Evo, Mini S, and even the accord v6 I chose to go with the Srt4. I am very happy with my decision. Not only was this car he cheapest, its pretty much the fastest from a roll. The seats are great and I have had nothing but fun with the car. Only gripe is all the ignorant people asking my why I bought a NEON?? Haha. When I step on it in 2nd gear they find out!

• 

  STILL SMILING - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By BIG DADDY P - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Nice solid vehicle, pleases the whole family. HEMI engine is out of this world I use to drive a 350 Nissan Z and with the HEMI power i dont miss it.

• 

  wonderful car - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By sterlingo - April 30 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car as an interum verhicle. I really enjoy the car. I have rented them in the past. In fact I rented the car for a coast drive in CA and really enjoyed it. Im 62" and fit in this car perfectly. The ride is great, very nice seats, cold ac and great backseat for traveling. My only concern is the resale value. I think this car declines in value quickly, but is very cheap used to begin with, so as long as you expect this, I think its a great value and car.

• 

  Dakota mid size is perfect fit - 1998 Dodge Dakota
  By Me in Midwest - April 28 - 2:00 am

  Looked at F150, looked at Ranger. Looked over the Ram 1500 (big), but found the Dakota to be the "right size." Comfortable interior, great utility, attractive to look at.

• 

  You will NOT be disappointed! - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By MWfromVA - April 27 - 10:00 am

  I just recently purchased my Durango. The ride quality and the build quality of this vehicle are just superb! For as large as this vehicle is, it handles like a small SUV! I chose the 5.7L Hemi and would definitely recommend spending the extra $895 for it, no matter what trim level you choose. Im actually getting better gas mileage in this Durango Hemi than I was with my 4.7L V8 in my old Dodge Dakota Quad Cab.

• 

  Love At first sight! - 2003 Dodge Viper
  By viperarmed - April 26 - 2:00 am

  I fell in love at first sight twice: First with my boyfriend then with my silver viper. As for the cost: I really dont understand what all the fuss is about. This is an american MUSCLE car. Continuously outperforms other European cars for a fraction of the price. You are getting a serious vehicle that can run with the best of them. If youre WORRIED about the price than this isnt the car for you.