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:

• 

  1987 daytona shelby z - 1990 Dodge Daytona
  By turbododge2 - February 22 - 7:13 pm

  My 1987 shelby z is 24 years old. i bought it brand new in sept. 87. it has 76.000 hard driven miles on it and has never let me down. by hard i mean i raced it at englishtown nj for four years and alot of racing in north jersey. and the drive train is all original except the clutch. this car is way fun to drive and VERY FAST with a few simple mods. the 2.2 intercooled turbo is a great bullitt proof motor and way underrated by ford and gm guys. if you are lucky enough to find an 87 in decent shape buy it! the 87 motor has the 2 piece intake manifold. the 88 and up have the one piece cast manifold.

• 

  Way ahead of whatever is in 2nd place - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By 1992viper - February 17 - 5:17 pm

  Had an 04 Porsche Cayenne Turbo and just loved it! Thought wed like a Mercedes - bought an 08 E350 4-Matic. Super car but missed the SUV. Wanted 3 row seats for grandkids, reasonable economy, comfort, conveinence, versatility, etc. Looked at everything out there within reason. Thought the Jouney is the best bang for the buck. The Mazda CX-9 was nice but too big for the wife. This Journey does not disappoint - super quiet, very comfortable, and easy to enter and exit. Would like memory seats/mirrors and a heated steering wheel that we had before but.....all else is excellent. Black R/T AWD, NAV, back-up camera, DVD Player, everything. Best move we made in 46 years of marriage!

• 

  My Baby - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By 172mph - February 16 - 12:20 am

  First off I love this car to death. Unfortunately it has left me with a hunger for something even faster...Why?...Why NOT?!! They are very fast, too fast to let the wife drive it in fact. They are VERY customizable...take a look at the Diablo Tuner, CIA and GetRag rearends...cheap upgrades and you can take SRT8s especially after a custom tune. I have a fair amount done to mine and I dont know why people are complaining about the MPG. I figure Im turning nearly 400HP at the crank now and can STILL get 25-26MPG out of her with the MDS still active (you can shut it off with the Diablo if you want). No problems with it at all...None, its kinda strange not to have problems.

• 

  Great Purchase!! - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By sonyam2 - February 12 - 7:16 pm

  I recently purchased a 2008 Dodge Avenger SXT two weeks ago white/gray pinstripe with tan cloth interior, heated seats. I am so glad I did not refer to the reviews I read when buying. I am having the most fun out of my car. I agree about the blind spots, but those little mirrors do the trick. I have the sporty SXT with sunroof, spoiler on the rear, and all the chrome trimmings. I love the way the car handles. I traded in my Saturn VUE and I really got a GREAT deal on my Dodge. I previously owned 2 Saturns and decided to go with a car and something sporty. Dodge did again, I love my baby charger!!!! As some have wrote on here, you have to go with your gut sometimes, and I did just that!!

• 

  i love my venge (avenger) - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By claudee2414 - February 11 - 11:23 am

  i purchased my avenger with 72,000 on it, i have had it for 5 years and now it has 240,000 milege. replaced the tranny and it lasted 3 years and now i have to rebuild it again. other than the transmission problems the engine is just starting to break in. replaced altenator, and radiator and brakes. this car handles like an indy car, its so sleak and beautiful. and i have the only one in the town that i live in!! i am in love with my venge, get one you will be too :)

• 

  Ill buy another in a heartbeat - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By dancer10 - February 7 - 9:50 am

  I love my 2009 Journey. In 40,000, Ive had no problems. Replaced the brakes at @ 32K, a little earlier than Id expect, but not bad. The service at our local dealership is tremendous. Perfect family vehicle - roomy, very comfortable, interior is easy to clean LOTS of storage. My only complaint - the light colored seats, so I put a blanket under the kids car seats to catch the inevitable mess. When its time to retire this one, Ill definitely buy another.

• 

  278,000 miles and still going strong - 1998 Dodge Neon
  By huskers57 - January 31 - 12:30 pm

  I bought my Neon new in 1998 and have had only one major issue and that was with the defective head gasket. Other than general maintenance, it has been a great car. I just put a set of 75000 mile tires on it and I talked to my mechanic and he said it should hit 400,000 with no trouble. Have always used Catrol Syntec and I get about 30-35 in town and around 40 on the highway. I have had a few trips (recently) where I hit 45-48 mpg. Other minor issues include the leak around the drivers side tail light and my sunroof motor went out. Could not have spent $17,600 any better way.

• 

  Great Vehicle So Far - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By meathead1986 - January 25 - 10:41 am

  Bought the Vehicle with about 120,000 on it and have had it for almost a year now. Fuel consumption is on the low side for an SUV but bearable in the fact that I havent yet gotten stuck in the ND snow that tends to pile up around here. Having a 3rd row helps ALOT with 3 kids and the ride quality is the best ive experience so far in a REAL SUV. It is a little noisy when youre standing outside with it running but inside you can talk normally without yelling while youre cruising down the highway at 75 and Ive only done regular maintenance on mine and its had nothing go wrong to date. only complaint is that with the 3rd row up there isnt much room left for cargo in the back...

• 

  MOPAR OR NO CAR! - 2011 Dodge Avenger
  By malibubandit81 - January 24 - 11:03 pm

  I wanted a 2010 AWD 3.5 Charger but couldnt find one...I considered waiting for the 11 Chargers but they arent making an AWD model with the Pentastar V6 and I cant afford the Hemi price. Then 2 idenitically optioned 11 Avenger Lux models show up at my favorite Mopar dealership. Didnt even know Dodge was building them yet! I test drove one and quickly fell in love with the new Pentastar V6. Next thing I know, ive had the car for exactly a week now and I couldnt be any happier! Redesigned body looks great, drives like a million bucks, interior is wicked comfortable, I recommend the new V6 Avenger to EVERYONE!

• 

  The Best Full Size Automobile in America - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By 1atomic - January 22 - 8:05 pm

  Im the very happy owner of a powerful new V8 Charger. The V6 test driven was perfect, but we opted for a Hemi powered R/T to gain AWD. The quality is by far the best in North America. We tested many new 11 autos & narrowed our choice between a Charger & 11 Durango. The materials are of high quality, the ride-handling combinations perfectly balanced. We are an Acura & Honda family but added this Dodge to show the country & Chrysler our support. The Chargers on par w/ our 10 Accord Crosstour, yet a totally different car. Both excel in their respective categories. A compliment to Chrysler Co. If enormous power & AWD are not needed, the new V6 should please everyone. Test drive both 1st.