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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  Nice SUV - 2007 Dodge Durango
  By Eric - May 9 - 12:57 am

  We have had our Durango for almost three years now. We bought it for the Hemi and its towing capacity. We have three kids and need the third row seat as well. Ball joints needed replacing at 45K miles, non- greasable. I would have expected a little more mileage.

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  All Around Performer - 1994 Dodge Caravan
  By Eric - May 8 - 10:35 pm

  Purchased from private party with 97K miles. Now has 233K miles and still running strong and body still solid. 3.3L engine has plenty of power to pull my 16 boat. Hauls kids, plywood and sofas with comfort and ease. Cant say enough great things about it. The new 2010 models arent as nice as this one. It will surely be missed when it comes time to part with it.

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  I founded really GOOD! - 2009 Dodge Nitro
  By NeoGirl - May 7 - 2:28 pm

  Well I got the Nitro in August 2009 and since then I have had no problems except for the side mirrors button. And the warranty coevred it. I am very pleased to have one!

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  Gorgeous ride - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Seattle Steve - May 6 - 10:20 pm

  The exterior is absolutely gorgeous from every angle. The interior has great space with plenty of room for cups, sunglasses, etc. The center console is also large. Seats are decent with good side bolstering. Although the controls are easy to use, I find the interior quite dull. With such a gorgeous exterior, its a shame more effort was not placed on the interior. Ride / handling is good, not great, but Im always able to have fun. This is a large car with a chiseled, rather than sculpted, shape. The trade-off for the beauty of the exterior is that the hood and front quarters are plainly visible from the drivers seat, and parking in tight spots is a pain.

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  Strong truck - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By Flyboy426 - May 6 - 3:51 pm

  Solid truck all around, small ebough to drive everywhere, but as strong as full sized trucks. High output V8 has loads ow towing power. Gas mileage is average for a V8

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  What i think about - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By DeftonesRulez - April 28 - 4:23 pm

  I got this car used last year for just under $5,000. I wanted a small automatic sports car that is fast and good gas mileage and this is the closest i could get to that description. its not fancy car but its good for taking long drives and not eating up gas. i always liked looking at the Dodge SRT-4 but since I dont know how to drive manual the Dodge Neon was just as awesome.

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  Magnum RT - - Almost perfect - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Rex - April 28 - 12:41 am

  Purchased Nov. 2004 -- the only car I have ever bought new off the lot. The car would be perfect if not for the slush-box tranny. Factory Contis were junk -- 13K miles. Replaced with Goodyear Assurance which are nearing their end at 40K mi. Have Michelin replacements. Issues: front-end clunk at steering extreme limits (I avoid cranking to the limits), alignment twice, popping noise in dash, unreliable rear window regulator, noisy power steering pump (even after replacement). I gather front-end issues are common. Overall, I have been pleased, but really wish there had been a manual tranny option.

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  It will do what a truck should - 1994 Dodge Dakota
  By hud - April 27 - 8:24 pm

  I bought my Dakota off a lease in 1996 with 24k and still drive it everyday (14 years, 130k). It is now pretty old but overall has held up fairly well. Many problems with drivetrain seals leaking and the ball joints only lasted to 80k. The biggest problem has been the paint, it started falling off in 2004 and now one side of the box is missing most of its paint. Also lost paint along the roof line. Turns out this was a defect from Dodge in the primer, but they would not warranty it. The poor paint will likely be the reason I sell it in the near future, it still has a lot of miles left, but it is no longer anything to look at. No MAJOR problems, besides paint in 14 yrs of ownership.

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  2010 Avenger SXT - 2010 Dodge Avenger
  By RMB - April 27 - 11:49 am

  I purchased 4 months ago and put about 5000 mi on my Avenger. I was looking for a combination of good gas mileage, style, and room for growing kids. So far Im very happy with smooth ride, decent options, and no mechanical issues. I drive mainly as commuter car and get 27 MPG (80/20 highway/city). I got 34 MPG highway on long trip! The 2.4 L doesnt have impressive power, but plenty for my needs. The seating is comfortable except it could use a little more leg room, as Im 63". Also, with the seat raised up, I cant see the top of the speedometer.

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  I never liked Dodge - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By Jaguar1024 - April 27 - 10:58 am

  Last year when deciding what to buy I drove several cars from BMWs to Mazdas. I saved Dodge for last mainly because I have always thought of them as cheap, ugly and unreliable. I loved the Chargers styling but what blew me away was the handling and the speed, granted I only got the 2.7 but its acceleration, handling and comfort blew away the Mazda 6 and Honda Civic and easily equaled the Taurus SHO (except in acceleration) and the BMW 3 series. I got mine for just a hair over $11,000.00 including tax title etc. and I have to say that it is one of the better cars I have ever owned. So far I have had no technical issues at all and it has been rock solid so far.