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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  Great looking truck with many problems. - 1997 Dodge Dakota
  By jcaisse2007 - June 26 - 12:39 pm

  I purchased this truck at 106,500 miles and it now has a little over 126,000. At first I loved the smooth transition of the transmission switching gears, but at 123,675 the transmission started to slip and the 5.2 liter v8 started to knock, and for everyone that put this truck in the shop it wasnt worth it. I dont plan to spend anything on this truck unless it is gas or regular maintenance. These trucks are only worth 5,000 and if you put it in the shop you will spend a lot more than its worth.

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  I will not buy a fourth one!!! - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By marcus4e - June 26 - 10:00 am

  This is my 3rd Grand Caravan. It is the best design and ride of all minivans we have tried. However, Chrysler quality sucks. I am already having front end problems at 48K miles. Interior stuff is falling apart. I expect to have the same air conditioning and valve problems under 70K miles as I did on the first 2. Why buy a third one you ask? Because it is the only one with the best ride and best interior size for a minivan and with a large family of 6 I needed that. They have a great concept, but very poor execution after marketing it for 17 years.

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  The wifes car - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By RKister - June 26 - 10:00 am

  Excellent handling, good acceleration. Poor A/C-cool but not cold-needs bigger fan. Seats very comfortable. Second row difficult and heavy to remove and needs fore & aft adjustments. Third row seat best left in place or have help to move. Has been very reliable. Took on cross country trip and was very please with storage and room for the kids. Excellent road car. Short turn radius, easy to park. I like Fords and rented a Ford Van but preferred the Dodge over- all.

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  LOVING IT!!!!!!!!! - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By t-bird - June 26 - 10:00 am

  just purchased and the main selling point to me was the price. got everything I wanted except for the entertainment system (but will be buying that soon) and saved over $8K on a comparable Honda Odyssey. Inside is spacious and with 2 small children, it really helps. i would reccommend this car to anybody!!!!!!!

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  Best Truck - 1995 Dodge Dakota
  By travis - June 25 - 1:41 pm

  I bought this as a lot leftover in 1996. It has 193 thousand miles on it. Never broke down on me. Lots of power and torque. Exterior still shines. Well worth the money. The only thing it has ever had done was oil changes and the condenser replaced, nothing else. Most miles were around town. The only thing hat I don’t like about it is fuel consumption. Interior is built to last forever. This truck will never die

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  Good, solid, mid-sized truck - 1995 Dodge Dakota
  By Fantastic Truck - June 25 - 10:13 am

  V6, Auto, Purchased with 120k miles, now just past 200k. I have performed regular maintenance. Good solid truck that I have used to tow, commute, travel, and frequently pull my buddies trucks out of the snow banks/mud. Currently on loan to my sister who has discovered that she likes driving it far more than she ever expected. It is finally starting to show rust (darn it). Replaced since purchase: pitman arm, timing chain, water pump, alternator, heater blower, radio, windshield, brakes, shocks, exhaust, all fluids, plugs, wires, coil, and window motor.

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  I absolutely love my car! - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By Rosie - June 23 - 11:49 pm

  My Neon is the first car Ive ever had and I love it. Its as standard as it comes, no power windows or locks, no overdrive, and it had been a rental car as well. Ive had this car since 2001 and I have not had one problem with it. The obvious things like spark plugs or changing a bulb in a light but thats it. It gets me where I need to go, and it looks good in the process. I would recommend Neon to anyone, and Id buy another one if given the opportunity.

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  Good Truck - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By Elaine Boidi - June 23 - 9:39 am

  Truck has been very sound. No problems mechanically, just normal wear and tear. Other than the gas mileage I love it.

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  Its been good for a family of 5 - 1999 Dodge Caravan
  By joe - June 22 - 10:19 am

  I have owned this Grand Caravan for 7 years and bought it used in 2000 off of Hertz. Have had 1 major A/C repair in 7 years. Speed sensor has gone twice. Other than that just normal wear and tear maintenance. Pretty reliable, roomy and a nice ride. 25mpg highway from FL to NY. 18 around town.

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  4th minivan - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Hemi - June 22 - 10:00 am

  By far the best we have owned. Chrysler finaly hit the home run with the stow and go seating. We liked our Pontiac Montana but the intake manifold gaskets started leaking radiator fluid into the engine at 62,000 miles and so it was time to consider another van or very costly repairs and we returned to Dodge for the third time. S0, the SXT looks like we are in for some fun from everything from the seating to the power liftgate and the 3.8 engine. Go for it!