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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  2004 dodge srt-4 - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By jim383 - July 10 - 10:00 am

  this car turns heads and is more roomier than it looks and im 6 ft 1 in tall.i got the optional seat with the side airbagsbecause the viper type seats didnt fit my frameand there more comfortable anyway.I have owned all chrysler hipo cars.63 ply 426 maxi wedge, 68 rr, 70 440 6 pak challenger 73 340 duster, and i fit this car better than some of them.

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  AWESOME RIDE!!!!! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By loosenut - July 10 - 10:00 am

  FUN, FAST, easy on the family, and has more than enough room for my family of four. great on both gas mileage and fun. doesnt matter if you are young or old this car is sooo much fun to drive. I love driving this car, my family test drove one for two days we felt it had more than ample room for all of us and our things. great fuel economy with performance of a v8 engine. this car wil be with us for quite some time.

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  Needs improvements - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Anita - July 9 - 8:13 pm

  My husband and I wanted a Durango for years so we decided to purchase one a 1 1/2 yr ago. We did not have any major problems with this vehicle until around 25,500 miles on it. Now we are experiencing stalling periodically, a loud noise in the front left tire/engine under the vehicle area, and a loose felling in the steering. The rack and pinion has been replaced twice and it has been in the shop around 15 days in a 4 week period. I cant imagine that a certified mechanic can not hear the noise in the front and not being able to fix the problem. Not including the fact that the vehicle stalls when you least expect it. Very scary.

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  Nice features, but engine and tranny bad - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Brian - July 8 - 7:46 pm

  The visible parts of the car are great. The body is good, the interior fit and finish is good, the "Stow n Go" is great, the engine is plenty powerful. I like the car for its features. Mechanically, I am extremely disappointed. There is a constant rubbing sound coming out of the front- left upper strut mount over even little bumps, the engine uses about 3.5 quarts of oil between oil changes (3000 miles), the transmission clunks (and the car jumps) when down-shifting when you take your foot off the gas. I have reported these issues numerous times, but the "factory rep" keeps telling me that they are within design specs and wont fix it. Give me a break! No more Dodges for me!

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  Towing Machine - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By Jeff - July 8 - 7:30 am

  It does have some rattles and pops but with 105,000 miles, not too bad. Great towing SUV. Pulls our camper with no problems with the 5.9, 360 engine. Have had to replace some motor components but nothing real costly.

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  Great Car for the money - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By Love It! - July 6 - 9:41 pm

  Just bought the car used and am thrilled with it so far. This car had everything but the kitchen sink! Dodge really knows what the customer wants. Other vehicle brands from 2000 just dont cut it when compared to Dodge!

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  First Minivan - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By TBarwick - July 5 - 11:36 pm

  Never thought Id see the day, me, owning a Minivan of all things! Actually enjoying it - the space, nice ride, and mpg. Dealer has been great. I just need more horse power (used to V8!) but then Id be complaining about mpg right?

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  Dodge Strong! - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By Bill D. - July 5 - 7:12 pm

  This is the 2nd SUV that I have owned. The Durango is a very well-built, durable vehicle. I see myself owning this vehicle for at least 8-10 years. The only complaint that I have is that it seems like there is a very minute exhaust leak sound coming from that general vacinity. I took it to the dealership, but after they replaced the exhaust manifold, it seems like I can still hear it. The sound is very slight. If youre not listening for it, you really cant hear it.

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  Best car yet for me - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By jmiles82 - July 4 - 10:44 pm

  I have had many new vehicles in the past including 1987 Buick Grand National, 1995 Impala SS, 1996 Mercedes Benz E300D, 1998 Mercedes C280 Sport, 2005 Subaru WRX STi. The SRT8 Charger I can honestly say delivers the best driving experience to date. The highway ride is outstanding, the brakes are beyond reproach and Dodge has the balls to not govern the top speed on this rocketship. (Unlike almost every other manufacturer). The fit/finish is very good and although it is a fairly heavy car the 425HP SRT8 engine makes every trip enjoyable. I highly recommend this vehicle.

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  One of the best Ive ever owned! - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By macgeekvt - July 4 - 10:14 pm

  Ive owned several Dakotas from the two previous generations and have had mixed results. The redesigned Dakota showed significant refinement in build quality, ride, handling, reliability, performance, style and just about everywhere else. I couldnt be happier with my 2005 Dakota! My only complaint is that it can be a little gas thirsty.