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 baby boomer car! - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Anonymous - December 7 - 2:00 am

  I have owned many cars from the BMW 740li, Mercedes c, Lexus ls 460,and recently a 2010 Mustang v6. The mustang was fun to drive however, was very tight for a big guy. The Dodge is roomy, very fast, fun, looks great, and does not ride like a buckboard, very nice ride, not as smooth as a Lexus however very good. Overall I am very happy and would own another. I did the mopar package with the huge air scoop, very cool.

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  Excellent Truck - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By Eric - December 5 - 2:00 am

  Bought my Dakota new in Nov. 00, 10 yrs later and its still going strong. Absolutely the best truck Ive ever owned. Been cross country 4 times and its comfortable for the long trip. My only complaint is the mileage is lower then I wold like, but then again, I bought the big V8 for the power and reliability. Its been both, 114K miles, engines never been torn apart, religious maintanence, its been driven hard and still looks, runs, drives like new. Recently passed Colo. emissions at near perfect levels, with a superchips tuner active at the time.

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  I love love love my new journey - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By i Heather - November 30 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is absolutely amazing. It has an 3rd row of seats so I didnt have to buy a minivan. Plenty of space for all the extra kids I tote along everywhere. The drive and the ride is so smooth. All the extra storage spots are awesome. It is relaxing to drive this crossover. The gas mileage is average but great compared to what I was spending on gas in my Dodge Ram. The kids absolutely love everything in our Journey. So many windows, and not a blind spot anywhere. The 6 disc cd changer is great. There is nothing negative to say about this car. Did I mention that it is beautiful on the outside. What a sleek and sexy crossover!!

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  Where did you get your EPA stats? - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Eric - November 26 - 2:00 am

  The EPA sticker for the 2010 SE is 25 mpg for highway. Where did your 20 mpg come from? Is it an average of all driving? My SE routinely gives me 22 mpg overall and 26 mpg on the highway. It is a great car. Far more roomy than the Mustang, more comfortable than the Camaro. Price is much better than the well-overpriced Camaro and exterior styling is easily my favorite of all the pony cars. The quality is much better than I expected.

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  1 year review - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By BriD - November 25 - 2:00 am

  The challenger has been a fun vehicle for me since day 1. It is my first dodge and my daily driver and has performed flawlessly. It is definitely a conversation starter as I have had many people stop and talk about the car and ask questions about it. Never owned a muscle car before and this road cruiser has been a joy with no problems to report.

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  09 Challenger - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By 2009 Challenger - November 21 - 2:00 am

  I have had my car for 2 years now with 33,000 miles and no problems. I have been real happy with the car and Im happy with the fuel mileage. I dont know why some guys complain about the interior design, this is not a luxury car it is a muscle car.

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  Surprised! - 2010 Dodge Dakota
  By Elkdog - November 19 - 2:00 am

  It had been (12) years since I had owned a Dodge Dakota but I always liked them. The 2008 I purchased with the TRX package, 4.7 liter V-8, and crew cab is super nice. It rides nice, has great performance, and gets pretty good gas mileage. This truck is much nicer than any I have owned from Chevy, Ford, and even the previous Dodge Ram and (2) Dakotas. This truck blows them out of the water...what else can be said? I am surprised!

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  2010 Challenger SE - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Dave - November 19 - 2:00 am

  Driving this beast is fun. I bought her and drove her for the first time on a major highway. She ran great, very comfortable and handles like a charm. To own her is to love her! It was a great pleasure to sit behind the wheel and relax while driving around. Simply a great vehicle. I come from the 70s era and Dodge did a great job with the retro look. Two thumbs up! Lots of stares, thumbs up and waves from on lookers.

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  Dodge Challenger 2010 SE - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Dave - November 18 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 2010 Dodge Challenger SE. It comes with a 3.5 DOHC engine. I had purchase it and had to drive 60 miles to home. The trip was fabulous! It handled great, Air worked good, Radio sounds great, ABS stops the car on a dime. I must admit that I was not pushing the car. I have to do the break-in period and see what she is like. Many people complained about views. I can see all the areas I need to and if you change the right side mirror, move it so it is wide. No issues with performance and love the shifter. The dealer filled the tank with gas and when I arrived home, the gas is still full! She take command of the road and people were waving to me all the time. No complaints! Love her!

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  Yea Its got a HEMI - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By DeMo1978 - November 18 - 2:00 am

  I wanted a newer Charger RT since I first laid eyes on them. Almost bought one in 07 but couldnt afford it. When my Durango hit 170K I figured its time to go get a Charger. I bought a pearl black 07 RT with heated leather, moon roof, spoiler. I absolutely love everything about it. Its got plenty of space and power at 340 hp and it just looks mean plain and simple. It turns heads all the time. Dont waste your time on anything less than the RT 5.7. V8. The resale value is higher and the gas mileage isnt much different between the 3.5 and the 5.7. V8. They just put more time and effort into the RT. After market upgrades are plentiful and cheap plus the sound of the dual exhaust is cool.