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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  Dependable, car - 2000 Dodge Avenger
  By mpoulsen - May 5 - 11:19 pm

  I have had this care now for 6 years and have had a great experience. I have had no major mechanical expense, just routine maintainece.

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  European Accents & Ride - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By diggy1969 - May 5 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle has been the best Ive ever owned. I wanted a mercedes, but decided not to spend an unrediculous amount on a vehicle. I chose the Dodge Magnum SXT, because of its sleek styling and european accents. The safety features are the best Ive ever seen. I feel like I have total control

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  Great car - gonna miss it! - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By stratusgirl - May 5 - 8:47 am

  I loved my Dodge Stratus - the reason I say "loved" is because Im about to sell it to my brother. Im upgrading to an SUV with 4 wheel drive, but if I wasnt, I would keep my Stratus. I also owned a 98 Dodge Stratus before I was in an accident and totalled it out, but my first choice was again, another Stratus. They are great looking, smooth confortable rides, good fuel economy, great get up and go and overall fun to drive. I never once had any maintenance issues with either Stratus I owned. I only had regular oil changes and that was all I ever had to do - these are great cars!

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  Best Truck Ever - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By Nutt - May 5 - 1:54 am

  This is a great truck. Nothing but normal tune up stuff done. Never had a problem from .3 miles to 159,000 miles. Wouldnt trade it for the world.

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  Very underrated car - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Rick - May 3 - 8:56 pm

  I purchased this car for my college-bound daughter after much debate vs. a small Honda or Toyota. Could not be happier with the decision. This car is stylish, fun to drive, trouble-free, and we saved a lot of money on the purchase vs. competitive models. We had a 1998 Neon and this redesign is a completely different automobile.

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  2 yrs, 30k miles, still love my SRT-4 - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Scott - May 3 - 3:24 pm

  This car was bought as my daily driver after I moved to the UK. Stock it has great power and handling. After about a month though modified it slightly. Increased hp/tq. Now it is my daily driver and track car. I take it to the track atleast once a month & put down over 300 hp & 350 tq (13.0 sec at 110 mph in 1/4 mile) on stock turbo. Mods are fairly priced. So far this has been the best car I have ever owned. 2 yrs, track days once a month, over 300 whp and you know what the best part is, it runs with zero problems everyday. Reliability is outstanding. People joke about "its a Dodge" or "its a Neon" but in the end my Neon is more reliable than their own cars.

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  Very surprised new minivan owner - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By tweetybird - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Great ride & fun to drive. I thought that I would never own a minivan. But, having two kids I knew that I needed a minivan. After shopping for a while we bought it and I wish I would have gotten one a long time ago! Affordable.

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  Legacy Continues - 2007 Dodge Dakota
  By Scott Tarpley - May 1 - 8:03 pm

  I have been behind the wheel of Dodge Trucks, from the D50 all the way to the present truck I own, a 2007 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab SLT. I feel I have grown with the truck line. As my family has grown, so has the truck. I could not be more pleased with the evolution of this truck. The handling is superb with the heavy duty suspension. I had to get used to the electronic accelerator, but a small price to pay for technology. The interior room is awesome. Plenty of leg room and comfortable seats with real padding. I do miss the cloth interior my 01 Dakota had. The 3.7L engine is fine for my driving habit, but still has great acceleration for traffic and gets 22mpg highway. I love it.

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  Dodge Dakota the Best Mid Size Truck - 1998 Dodge Dakota
  By justin - April 30 - 1:00 pm

  I think it is the best mid size truck you can buy. I have hade no major problems with it. It does use a lot of gas, but with a few mods and laying off the gas, the mileage goes up.

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  Conservative/Sporty - 1999 Dodge Avenger
  By Brandon - April 30 - 8:33 am

  This is my second Avenger. First was a 96 and now the 99. Its fun to drive, lots of people comment on my car! Its a very sporty black with grey leather and a sunroof. I have nothing but good things to say about this car except two things. The turning around in this car is terrible! It takes you forever to make a simple U turn. Second is the keyless entry. Only the dome light flashes and not the exterior lights? Cant I get a little beep or something! Other than that, its a blast to drive and would buy another in a heart beat!