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 - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By kdrp - February 15 - 2:00 am

  A great compromise between fullsize and compact trucks. Can tow 6,600 pounds which is more than enough for most people. Gets fairly good gas mileage for a V-8 which is very powerful. I cant say enough about mine!

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  4 DR Hatchback - 1992 Dodge Shadow
  By mandy20 - February 14 - 2:00 am

  It is so much fun to drive. Very reliable and good mileage. About 21+ in the city. Excellent exterior quality and comfortable seats.

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  best family car - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By mariofloresg - February 14 - 2:00 am

  I believe this is the best family car you can find, It has a lot of space everywhere (trunk, back seats and front), is comfortable, and safe. In addition, it has greak looking (compared to other family cars), good power, and fun to drive.

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  My commuter car - 1997 Dodge Neon
  By mswing11 - February 11 - 2:00 am

  Its just plain fun to drive, even to work. For a small car, it fits a tall guy quite well. It has been very dependable. For a used car to need no repairs except a battery and front brake pads is awesome. An easy car to service.

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  Dodge Daytona - 1991 Dodge Daytona
  By JayM026 - February 11 - 2:00 am

  When i bought the car some sensors were not working and the car was in not so good shape, i spend no more than like i would say $200 on sensors and performance parts, and well the car runs great and is a fast sports care i would recommend this car to anyone it has its quriks like most cars, but i love it its reilable and starts up everyday!

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  Wish I had all wheel drive. - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Dave - February 10 - 10:16 pm

  This is a great car and lots of fun to drive. Gives a super smooth ride with really nice handeling qualities. Great acceleration as well. The only negatives are the Continental Touring tires the car came equipped with. Real junk, only got 14,000 miles out of them. The only compensation the dealer offered me was to get a 25% discount on the same tires! The only other negative is this car is terrible in the snow. Just a few weeks after I bought this car they came out with all wheel drive! If the dealer had told me this I would have waited a few weeks and bought the all wheel. All in all a really nice though.

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  Luxury Plus Muscle - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By MrG - February 10 - 6:13 pm

  This car has the smooth ride of a luxury sedan with the responsiveness of a sports car. Go for the R/T if you like to pull away from the pack.

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  Pretty good truck - 1998 Dodge Dakota
  By J. Hilderbran - February 10 - 2:00 am

  Overall the experience has been a positive one. This truck has a great feel to it & is a blast to drive. It has enough power when you need it. It looks sharp & the interior is well finished. It is very comfortable & the extended cab is roomy enough. It has had one mechanical problem. The sending unit in the gas tank is bad & the gas guage reads quarter full when you are actually out of gas. The original Goodyear tires sucked (but all Goodyear tires suck). The gas milage is pretty good. The only bad exterior problem is with the black front bumper. It started flaking & rusting at about 25,000 miles. The rest of the paint job has held up well.

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  This car handles GREAT! - 2001 Dodge Neon
  By neonguy - February 9 - 2:00 am

  This car runs excellent... I put about 100 miles a day on it and use a fraction of the tank of gas. In the snow, it handles great- it helps to put weight int he trunk in the neons, as they seem light in the trunk. Highly reccomend this car to anyone for a reliable, safe, and peppy little car.

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  Had so called "better" Sienna and Odyssey... - 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By matt florczyk - February 8 - 4:31 pm

  The most car for your $!!!, I had both Sienna and Odyssey, and the front seats are for very small people, another question: who needs a build in vacuum cleaner when most garages have a shop-vac just in front of the car. If one have to own something else then Chrysler product I still recommend Toyota Sienna without the leather interior. But if looking for fastest (0-60 in 7.2 seconds) and still the best in the minivan class Dodge AVP/SE Plus with option 29Q is the best value for your $ !!! I wonder if the Gentlemen writing bad story about Dodge front seats ever sit in one...???