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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  2013 Avenger - 2013 Dodge Avenger
  By lousal - August 20 - 2:40 pm

  I bought this vehicle mainly because of USAA reviews and price. I am extremely satisfied with it. My gas mileage is above the stated mileage. Last trip of about 130 miles I averaged 34 mpg. The acceleration is a little sluggish but that is what you have with a 4 cylinder engine. It is comfortable during long trips and very roomy. Both myself and my wife are not small people and we do not have any problems with roominess. The only problem I have had is that the manual states 4.5 qts of oil including oil filter but when I changed the oil and added exactly 4.5 qts it only showed half way within crosshairs on dipstick. I called the service department and was told that is normal.

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  11 years and going strong - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By tara0724 - August 15 - 12:27 pm

  Im sad others have had bad experiences with this car because mine has almost 160k miles on it and it drives like the day I bought it. Ive had to do a few minor things, replace the radiator and the brackets that hold the rear shocks rusted through prematurely, but it really has been an awesome car for me. 11 years later I have had no issues at all with the engine or transmission. The only thing I hate about it is that the clip under the front bumper hangs so low that I parked too close to a parking block and broke that plastic piece in half. Operator error.

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  2002 Chrysler Intrepid ES (V6 3.5L) - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By cheldon - August 13 - 5:38 pm

  Bought car new in 2002. Now has 365,000km on a never serviced engine except regular oil changes and one set of platinum spark plugs. But, the engine fault light kept coming on. Noticed that it did so after a rain or during damp weather. Argued with the dealer who replaced all sensors, on-board computer, new wiring harness after telling me not to tell him how to do his job. Took Chrysler to court, won the suit, got all my money back that wasnt covered under the warranty and took car to independent mechanic who replaced the gasket between the gas tank and the car body and have had no problems since then. He said he had done so with many Dodge/Chryslers.

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  Fun American Muscle - 2013 Dodge Challenger
  By colby_butler - August 8 - 10:26 pm

  This car had the shifttronic auto :(, but still allowed full rev to each gear and downshifting. Did a 0-60 test, yielded 5.5 with some wheelspin, not bad. Seemingly very powerful. Throws you back when you gas in almost every gear. Passing on the highway is great dropped to third. Very fun car to drive. Fantastic stereo system and Sirius radio. Lots of trunk space. Back seats are actually quite comfortable for me at 6. Projector beam HID lights for night driving seem adequate. Leather is nice and not too plush for easier care then some competitive Euros like my personal VR6.

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  2009 Dodge Journey RT - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By stadman82 - August 8 - 12:14 am

  The biggest problem that I have had with this vehicle is the battery needing to be replaced. Very easy job. 15 minutes if you have tools. Everyone reading the bad reviews on this vehicle, remember is a couple hundred out of a thousands of vehicles. I understand the electrical problems. The starting problems with the key. Try replacing the battery in the remote.. Runs off a chip (needs power). Only complaint is brakes and tires. If your change brakes, spend the extra money and get quality like Brembo and a high quality set of pads. Will save hundreds in future. Tires no answer, suck it up. My family enjoys this vehicle and have owned it for 3 years 30,000+ miles.

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  Great Ride, Highly Recommended - 2013 Dodge Charger
  By rickdad - August 7 - 9:16 pm

  I have a 2013 SXT Plus AWD Charger V6 with 8 speed auto transmission with the bells and whistles. Great Ride! Pluses: 35 mpg on the highway due to Econo Mode where 2 cylinders shut down on road trips. Very stable in turns, it is a heavy car, just over 2 tons. Very nice and smooth acceleration, interior very comfortable. It has many amenities that much more expensive vehicles have. Love the styling. AWD works great. Minuses, really minor. The head room with the sun roof is barely enough for me at 62". Rear headroom is low. Trunk is roomy, but trunk entrance is not. Need funnel to add fuel additives or else spill occurs out wheel well (surprise!). Overall best car I ever drove!

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  Glad I leased it - 2011 Dodge Journey
  By checkfirst - August 4 - 12:23 pm

  Worst vehicle Ive operated. I am only happy I leased it and didnt have to keep it. Bad news was I broke my lease early because it was in the shop for major repairs too often, LEMON. New brakes and rotors after 9500 miles, really. Check engine light twice came on for camshaft issues, really. The last and final time before trading it in was it lost one of the cylinders...REALLY! Too many major problems for this SUV as well as the poor fit and finish of exterior panels. Cut my finger on the rear door edge plate. I had to sand it smooth so not to do it again. Traded after only 28 months and less than 23,000 miles. Very happy w/my new 2013 Toyota Rav4.

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  Amazing HEMI! - 2013 Dodge Charger
  By thedriver93 - August 4 - 7:53 am

  Traded my VW Jetta for this baby! All I had was 4 cylinders with a max of 170 HP, to upgrade to 370 was awesome! Almost 400 ft lbs torque is simply sensational. The Uconnect 8.4 inch screen was easy to use, Beats sound system is great, cooled and heated leather seats are comfortable, remote start is a favorite. Its a dream to drive, I dont get passed up all the time anymore, just put my foot down and Im instantly thrown back in my seat and Im gone! MPG is a bit low as Im averaging about 18-20 MPG but I do kind of have a lead foot but with this car, who wouldnt?! Definitely a keeper

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  Disappointed - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By proquestioner - August 3 - 1:03 am

  Owned the 4.7 V8 Magnum version of this vehicle for three years. During that time, we poured $8000 in repairs alone into it. We should have bailed ship at the first sign of trouble. Money pit. Rust issues and strange structural issues galore. Other than that, it was a great truck for hauling around nearly a ton of stuff and a daily commuter. Comfortable, simple clean design interior with nice Alpine stereo. 4x4 really came in handy during winter and extreme rains. V8 was responsive and sturdy. Took a massive loss with this vehicle though. Wouldnt recommend this particular year for the issues associated with it. Check owner forums to determine a good year to buy.

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  R/T Road & Track - 2013 Dodge Charger
  By skiertx - July 30 - 9:06 pm

  I bought my R/T with Road & Track package in Feb 2013. Options on the car are Nav and forged aluminum wheels. Color is Redline with red interior. I knew I was interested in the R/T with Road & Track. When I saw the Redline Red with red interior, I was partially hooked. Now I had to test drive. The test drive (one hour) sealed the deal!! After driving nearly 11,000 miles, this car is excellent, fun to drive, solid build. I get 21mpg to 21.5 on my commute to and from work and get 25mpg on the HWY. I get weekly compliments on the car, the color, the interior and the wheels. If the dealer would have had an SRT8 other than black....I think I would have bought it!!!