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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  Got to love it - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Vobis132 - July 4 - 2:00 am

  It has a smooth ride and excellent performance (weve only had it a few weeks and have already put several hundred miles on it). It gets better mileage than you would expect for a vehicle this size. Finding what you need to find under the hood is easy with the convenient yellow labeling of owner manageable items, such as oil dipstick, air filter, etc. The built in 6 disk DVD changer and flip down TV are great with the kids, and the push button remote key that opens the sliding side doors and the rear gate is awesome. This van has everything you could ask for and more.

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  Only if you need Stow n Go - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By 08LasVenturas - July 2 - 11:06 pm

  If you are looking for a minivan or SUV around the same price as a used Grand Caravan, Id look elsewhere unless you need the Stow n Go, which is a good feature. The only problems Ive had with it is that the seats are heavy & you have to move up the front seats to fold the 2nd row. The van is comfortable inside and has plenty of cup holders and room. The ride is sub par, but its easy to drive and handles well for a van of its size. The 3rd row flips into a tailgate which is a cool feature. There are also individual map lights for each seat. But the speakers in the 3rd row are huge and anyone sitting back there will surely go deaf.

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  Dont have it? Get it! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By George Zimmerman - July 2 - 3:54 pm

  Have owned many MOPAR products and loved them all, but the Charger R/T is without a shadow of a doubt the best of all bar-none. This Inferno Red beauty has the style, comfort, power and performance unrivaled by any other so-called competitive model of another brand. To those critics who say the Charger should have been a 2-door I have one thing to say: These extra 2 doors you complain about have not done a thing to hurt any functional feature or styling of this car in any way, especially not the performance and power. After 13 months and almost 15,000 miles, I have no complaints. The car delivers the rated 17/25 mpg (Providing your right foot doesnt take control) Excellent!

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  This is ahead of its time - 1993 Dodge Stealth
  By Danny~G - July 2 - 1:37 am

  I’ve always admired the car. When I was a kid it was my dream to own one. The car has power not kidding. Heads turn every were you go. People still ask all the time "IS IT NEW" I just gave it a custom paint job. The car has 123,000 and runs like a million bucks.

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  Great Fun - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Dan - July 1 - 9:48 pm

  This car gets looks wherever you go. Its powerful and sounds and looks like its got attitude. One of the funnest cars I have ever driven. Gas mileage is OK

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  Durango - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By Jay - July 1 - 4:25 pm

  This vehicle has performed outstanding service as a daily driver to/from work, a family hauler for me, wife and four children, and long distance road cruiser. We take use the Durango on three to five road trips per year of 500-900 miles one way. When pulling a 12 foot U-Haul trailer full of luggage, bikes, water sports gear over the Appalachians to Virginia the 5.9L V8 barely notices the load. The car is comfortable on highway even when loaded with 6 people. The safety and confidence associated with the full time 4WD with its full time four wheel torque split has proven itself in midwest thunder downpours, Appalachain rain/fog/sleet, and Wisconsin snow.

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  Dont buy the V6! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By RKK - July 1 - 9:46 am

  Sluggish with the V6. 2nd gear is too tall. No torque below 3,000 rpm. Desperately needs a 5-spd auto, not 4! The steering is too much on-center. If theres a groove in the road, the Magnum will find it.

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  Kickin Car for the Price - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By codeninja - June 30 - 11:25 am

  Very stylish, incredible performance. Little bit of vibration, but thats due to the incredible rumble from the exhaust. And you can increase the performance of this vehicle with a stage 3 kit and still be under warranty! How awesome is that?

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  Disappointed - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By BaylieKat - June 30 - 2:03 am

  Ive had this car for 8 months now and have been disappointed. I got it as a replacement for an aging 91 Maxima and I hate admitting that the 16 year old car had a smoother quieter more fuel efficient engine along with a quieter interior. I am very displeased with the fuel mileage for this car in the city. If youre lucky you might get 17 mpg. That number jumps to near 30 on the highway. I think Dodge really missed the transmission gear ratios here. The Stratus isnt a bad car, it just lacks a lot of refinement. I expected to have a much better car after losing the maxima. Instead, I end up with on that is merely adequate transportation.

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  Rust badly! - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By oh_mom - June 30 - 1:40 am

  Bought used in 2009 and started to rust badly around the wheel wells about a year later. It was still under warranty, so they repaired it, but it came back in the same place. They repaired it again and it came back yet again in the exact spot they "repaired." It is now out of warranty and the dealership wont return our calls. We contacted Chrysler and for the past 2 weeks, they have been "looking into it." The only other issue we have is that driver side passenger door sticks/jams upon opening. Overall, it seems to be mechanically solid. However, the rust issue is serious enough that we are looking at getting rid of it. And we will NEVER purchase a Chrysler product again.