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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  ash - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By ashlee - February 2 - 2:00 am

  This car has been a great car, very fun to drive, very comfortable, good stereo, looks good overall. The only complaint i have is that when something goes wrong it cost a lot to fix because how they put the engine together.

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  Great Car - 2001 Dodge Neon
  By Mkfax - February 2 - 2:00 am

  This is the BEST economical car that I have ever owned! It looks sporty but at the same time the price is less than that of a real "sports" car. It has a lot of "guts" for a little car. I live in the mountains and it is great going up and down the hills.

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  Nice to drive for a van - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By kennedyma - February 1 - 1:03 pm

  Bought for 6K from a private party, who kept all their records. We have put 40K miles on it since and have had basically no problems. Goodyear Triple Treds were on it, and at 95K we put another set on. These are really good tires for this van. Everything still works fingers crossed

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  My Dream Car - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By kcp4921 - January 31 - 3:43 am

  This car has it all. Looks, performance, and comfort. I purchased it without test driving it. I just loved the look. Oh my God when I got in for the first time I was blown away. This car has the power of a muscle car, and the comfort of the Chrysler 300. Everyone takes notice on the highway. Great job Dodge.

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  Great Car! - 1994 Dodge Stealth
  By wheels - January 31 - 2:00 am

  If youre looking for a fun car, this is it! Easy to drive, lots of extras, and a great deal pricewise thanks to the SUV revolution. Its reasonable to find one for under $10K...pretty good for a car that was valued at around $40K when new just nine short years ago. An all around great sports car with styling that leaves Corvettes of that age wanting. Low, wide profile with big Z-rateds round off this future classic.

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  still satisfied - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By sacramentodave - January 31 - 2:00 am

  After driving 22,000 miles with it, I can say that I am still very satisfied with the Stratus 2-dr SE. I have had no problems other than a few new rattles with the plastic interior. It still runs great after all this time and have not regretted the purchase. The price paid was 13,995 and was definitely worth it, especially with the great warranty.

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  THis IS the Best Car Ever - 1995 Dodge Stealth
  By Hank/ Hank_Joe - January 30 - 2:00 am

  I Love this car, even before I bought it, all the girls come up to me and ask me what car it is, and i tell them its a Dodge Stealth!! And on the highway its realy fun, because you have so much power you can pass anyone (exept the cops.) This car is a realy fun car to drive! Its good looking, fast, and a chick-magnet!! Trust me )

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  Very Nice Ride, wish I had gotten the 8 - 1997 Dodge Dakota
  By Abu_The_One - January 30 - 2:00 am

  Great interior, rugged Exterior, Roomy, great for towing almost anything. The gas mileage is typical, and i wish i had gotten the 5.2, but the 3.9 seems to be serving me well.

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  A great truck! - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By ZCR - January 30 - 2:00 am

  Will do anything you ask of it.

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  Magnum SXT AWD - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By RVR - January 30 - 1:53 am

  I am very satisfied with the car. I will recommend the car to my family and friends.