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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  My R/T Plus is a 2016 A8, not a 6M--and it rocks! - 2016 Dodge Challenger
  By John - June 24 - 7:57 pm

  I cant pick the exact model that I have, but I have a 2016 R/T Plus with the 8-speed automatic transmission. Now. . .on to the review. Dodge knocked one out of the park with this car! Is it perfect? No. Is it a comfortable, easy to enjoy, good daily driver--and a kick in the pants when you stomp the pedal? Hell, yes! I rented a 6-cylinder version of this car when mine was in the shop. I had the six for a week and was surprised by how often I was pleased with the car so, when I got my car back, I traded it in and picked up a Challenger with a little more pep, a 2016 R/T Plus (which has the 5.7L (350 cid) motor). What surprised me most (after the yee-haw! acceleration) was how thoughtfully laid out and tastefully appointed the interior was. The center console is decidedly non-egalitarian--its slanted towards the driver (as it should be, this is a drivers car, not a minivan), the cup holders have soft lighting around the rims to help you see them at night, the information center is a snap to learn how to use, and the Driver Information Display cluster (between the tach and the speedometer) is similarly easy to use. And when youre resting your hand on the gear shift lever, the center console controls are literally at your fingertips--brilliant! The torque (which most of us drive) and the horsepower (which some of us drive) are both a seriously legitimate kick in the pants. And I have the SMALLEST and least powerful V-8. Zero to 60 in less than six seconds, zero to 100 in about 12, and zero to goofy grin in nothing flat. The steering is surprisingly responsive and the car feels more nimble than it looks, which is good--because the car is big. Really big. And the hood feels a mile long. I could go on and on about this car but, for someone like me, who learned how to drive on land yachts and grew up driving V-8s, this car is a delicious throwback. Its not without its faults (the gas mileage is just plain bad and the rear pillars make changing lanes an adventure) and its not for everyone, certainly, but if youve ever had even a secret liking for muscle cars, you owe it to yourself to check out the Challenger. Especially if youre a middle-aged driver who also wants some creature comforts like heated seats, honest to goodness back seats, a usable trunk, and a comfy ride. Im actually a little embarrassed by how much I wound up loving this car--but, boy, do I! Well done, Dodge-FCA! Well done!

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  happy with it - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By johnny - June 24 - 10:00 am

  Excellent truck with noticeable advantages to larger trucks. Easy to get into and use bed - lower to ground. Only drawback is 15 mpg average.

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  Rent to Buy - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Vegasrenie - June 24 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the pleasure of driving a Grand Caravan Sport for the past week and have fallen in love with it. I have been minivan-shopping for quite some time and needed a big vehicle for the week. I returned the Chevy Astro van because it handled like a brick. The Dodge has been perfect ... as fun to drive as a small car, easy to park, good gas mileage, great fit/finish, wonderful stereo, etc., etc. I was truly surprised and pleased at the quality. This may surplant either the Toyota or Mazda I had been planning to buy. My kids are grown and gone, but I need a grandmas station wagon. This may be it.

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  I love this SUV - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Sharon KS - June 23 - 4:33 am

  I love this SUV, It has a great ride, plenty of room for my 3 kids and their friends, as well as all their stuff. I have the SLT Plus model, so I have some nice extras like heated leather seats and sharp accent coloring. I was never an SUV fan before, but I am now. This car handles like a dream.

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  GREAT SUV!!! - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By ajrico - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive, and the 4WD works wonders. Gas mileage is actually good on the highway (for an SUV with a V8 engine). Extremely powerful and wide vehicle.

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  explorer killer - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By woz - June 21 - 10:50 pm

  i love to drive again

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  OKIE CHARGER - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By RobertKeeley - June 21 - 4:10 am

  This is a wonderful car, very proud to own and drive. Always exciting and never labored feeling. Very quick and fast, yet so polite you wished it pushed you back in the seat more (I NEED an SRT8). Only one problem, a strut or other suspension nut was loose after a few days of driving and made a horrible rattle. The tightened and all has been well, but a little grey cloud. I can easily get 20.4 mpg which I think is good for this 8 cyl. Gets attention. Have barely begun to explore the large owners manual to setup things more to my taste. Sound system is loud and still CLEAN. Transmission is great. After Chevy, Ford, Honda, Im still amazed I trully enjoy this car as much as I do.

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  Stealth - 1991 Dodge Stealth
  By joshuas311 - June 20 - 2:00 am

  Fas, cheap and reliable

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  Amazing!!!! - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By DakAtak - June 20 - 2:00 am

  Wonderful to drive....amazing 0-60 times for a 4X4. And amazing off road capability!! Plus I am getting 18 mpg in the city and around 25 on the highway!!

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  So far, an excellent truck - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By RDT - June 20 - 2:00 am

  Have had the truck 2 years before it had to go to the shop with a minor problem with pollution control. No other repairs since purchased. Excellent power with the V8 even when towing. Good handling in the snow with 4WD. Excellent wear on the tires. Just about time for new front brakes but that is because of a lot of towing trailers without electric brakes. Would definitely buy another.