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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  Wow!! What a car! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By alexia-1228 - July 29 - 9:10 am

  I have owned this car for about 4 months now and my family loves it. Its very sporty looking, rides smooth, and is VERY quiet. There is TONS of storage, and the seats are SO easy to fold down or move if needed. The 90 degree open doors are great for getting in and out. The gas mileage is very good. This is SO MUCH better that a mini van! I have tons of people wanting to look in it and just wanting to "check" it out!

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  ScatPack provides loads of fun - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By Tom J - July 28 - 6:51 pm

  This car does many things great, with always a few areas of improvement. 1) Great engine, fantastic sound, well mated to the 8spd transmission so always has plenty of power. And the sound of this thing is just awesome....coworkers have told me they wait in the parking lot just to hear it start up. It sounds powerful, and can back it up. I drove up Towne pass in Death Valley (9%) in top gear (8th) at 80mph at only a 1/4 pedal. 2) Very good mileage considering what it is. I can get 27-28mpg at 75mph as long as its not too hilly and can stay in 4cyl mode. In suburbia, more like 18mpg. 3) Fun electronics. The instrument cluster has a hi-res screen in which you can display many things (even a horsepower gauge!) and it all works well. The navigation works fairly good, although Google Maps is still better. Backup camera is very clean on the 8.4 inch screen. 4) Seats are very comfortable. 5) Brakes are nice and linear, with a good pedal feel. And there are always some room to improve. Note that none of these areas are that bad, but they could be better: 1) I wish for a bit more visibility out of the car. The high beltline and shorter windows makes the car look great, but Id like to see more. 2) The tranny downshifts when you come to a stop, and at times its a tad rough. Not bad, but could be improved. 3) The styling of the ScatPack includes a hood bulge which hurts front visibility of knowing exactly where the nose of the car is for parking. Add in the fact that the car had a low nose, and is big, makes it easy to hit curbs. I wish they had either a front camera or extended the parking sensors to the front. 4) The Beats audio system upgrade is very bleah. Its not bad, but certainly not work the money. 5) The car is big. That is what it is, but I wish it was 10 inches shorter. 6) Interior materials are good, not great. But with a scatpack, you paid for the motor and had to make up the cost somewhere. Overall, a very very fun car. Its hard not to keep driving around with the windows down listening to the motor rev.... Update: Almost a year into it now (10k miles), and everything I wrote is still true. Avg 21mpg overall with 4.6 0-60 and 12.9 @ 109.3 in 1/4mi.

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  The New Durango - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Scott Ryan - July 28 - 3:43 pm

  Very impressive handling, combined with smooth acceleration, decent gas mileage, and a bold new style makes this SUV stand out from the rest. A nice and roomy interior makes this vehicle great for families or for individuals who simply need the room. Plenty of additional options lets you customize your Durango from the ground up.

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  Best car I ever bought - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By vjklander - July 28 - 2:46 pm

  My wife and I looked around for a new car and came down to the Chrysler A300, Dodge Charger, and the Dodge Magnum. When we saw the all-black Magnum we just loved the styling and found the rear cargo space desirable since we often need to take her parents to doctors appointments and the wheelchair fits easily.

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  Great Value - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Greg Richter - July 27 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Durango, after putting 75,000 on my 2000 traded it for a 2003. Great performance no problems. Ourisman Dodge and outstanding dearlership for both sales and service. First time I have ever traded a car in for the same one.

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  Very good truck - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By M. Woehrle - July 26 - 4:57 pm

  This truck has given me 85,000 miles of worry free driving so far. I have had no major problems. The only repair other than normal maintenance has been a power window motor. Interior is comfortable, even on long drives. Styling is excellent. Ride and fuel mileage are pretty reasonable for a 4wd truck with a V8. I average 13-15 around town, and about 19 on the highway.

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  Awesome ride - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Donna - July 26 - 7:59 am

  It is a great car and really fun to drive. Powerful and fast. Thank God for cruise control. I am really pleased and excited to drive my Charger. What a big change from driving the Camaro, no longer have to fall in or crawl out. Love it!

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  Awesome! - 1991 Dodge Stealth
  By TC - July 25 - 6:44 am

  Ive had my 1991 non-turbo R/T for about 3 years. It is the best car I have ever driven! It is great in the corners, comfortable for long trips, and has decent performance (wish I had a TT though!!). I have been rear ended twice in this car, once very seriously (other guy totaled, I have permanent back injuries), and all it needed was minor repairs - it is built like a tank! I have had minor maintenance done, timing belt, water pump, heater hoses, all things that should be done on routine maintenance anyways. The guy before me wore down the clutch a lot so I needed a new one of those too. Anyways, I absolutely love this car, and hate to have to give it up for something more practical.

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  Great Truck! - 1995 Dodge Dakota
  By moparjim - July 24 - 10:06 pm

  Bought used off eBay great price, sight unseen. When picked-up instrument cluster was dead - no speedo, but had cruise. Drove that way from MA to PA & commuted from PHL to BFO for month. Cluster replaced from junkyard - $35. Tot. miles unknown. Ive added 50K+. Orig. from NH. Radiator disintegrated last summer. Brakelines rusted out. V-6 w/5spd = outstanding. Uses daily commute, home improvement projects, towing cars and trailers, etc. Heavy, rough use. Great ride. Rear wheelwells, bottom of doors rusting through. AC compressor replaced from eBay. Headliner has now fallen down. Get 19 mpg commuting, 21 mpg w/ popup on highway, 23 mpg w/o trailer w/ tonneau on highway.

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  Dodge all the way - 1995 Dodge Dakota
  By Lovin_chevy84 - July 24 - 9:13 pm

  I bought this truck used with 150k miles on almost 2 years ago, I am way over 2k now and the only things that I had to replace is the fuel filter and the water pump, plus maintenance. This truck is my baby! I almost didnt get it, but boy, Im glad I did. I have taken this girl all over the south from Tenn, to N.C to FL to Tx and shes never left me stranded, walking or mad. Best truck Ive ever had and Ive had plenty!