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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  Awesome Car - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By JOVANNA - December 20 - 2:14 pm

  This is the best car I have driven when it comes to speed and curves. Had a little trouble with the clutch after 36,000 miles. Got it repossesed, regret that and cant wait to get another one.

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  Satisfied Grand Caravan Owners - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By ATC - December 20 - 2:00 am

  Weve been very pleased with our Grand Caravan. Not a single complaint. Very easy choice for us to make at the time vs. the Honda Odyssey. Dodge had a better warranty, rebates and financing than Honda was offering and we got far more van for far less price than if we had purchased an Odyssey.

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  2006 Dodge Charger - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Richard - December 20 - 1:26 am

  The car is amazing it has A good preformance and I think that it should be upgraded to A new style like design A new muffler.Or something ?

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  Durango - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Clark Andrew - December 19 - 6:48 pm

  The Durango is one on the best SUVs I ever owned. I have never had a problem with this vehicle. I would have no problem buying another Dodge Durango in the future.

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  What a Versitile Vehicle - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By Lisa Greene - December 18 - 5:53 am

  I have the larger edition of this vehicle. I can say as a single Mom with family over 2800 miles one way to visit each summer, this car is a champ! Less than $150 in gas from OK to FL in the midst of summer w/ a family of 5. Hail to Dodge. Please, make more like this!

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  Horrible Blind Spots! Bad with Car Seats - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By cwgrlup726 - December 17 - 8:43 pm

  The A-frame on the Durango is horribly placed. It causes a huge blind spot for the driver. They say it is for better stability during a rollover accident, which you will definitely need because you cant see where youre driving! It is also an extremely tight fit for carseats. If it will be placed behind either of the front seats, you will need to pull that seat very far forward to make it fit (which doesnt make for an easy ride up front.) Not a problem unless you have 2 kids in carseats! My Durango depriciated $25,000 in 2 years! Never again will I buy one of these and I am making sure everyone I know hears about it.

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  I have a love-hate relationship with my Scat Pack - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By voice3 - December 17 - 8:45 am

  Ive owned my Scat Pack for approximately 6-months and have 3200 miles on it so far. Heres my pro/con assesment. Pros: Driving this car is incredible (I always look forward to driving it and the power is exceptional), I really like both the interior and exterior styling, ride comfort is very good (if you like a firm ride), highway gas milage is surprisingly good, tech features like blind spot detection and adaptive cruse control work very well, great overall family car. Cons: Build quality is poor (body panels are a bit off - the hood fit is particularly poor, white body paint doesnt match bumper color, a few interior rattles even with just 3000 miles), dealer service is the worse Ive experienced anywhere (Major World Dodge in NYC), side mirrors are too small and have blind spots no matter how they are adjusted (definitely get the tech package with blind spot detection), hard to see the front of the car over the scoop (Dodge does not offer front parking sensors). Despite the shortcomings of this car, I would not trade it for anything else in its price range because the driving experience is very very good and I like the styling. I just wish Dodge had better quality control both for its cars and dealership network...

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  Car - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By Chris - December 17 - 6:33 am

  I bought this car with 42,000 miles on it and I was the second owner. This car has been a pile of junk since day one. I have had all kinds of problems with it and only get about 19 mpg. It now has 104,000 miles on it and I have to get rid of it because it is making me go broke.

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  What An Automobile! - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Chief - December 16 - 8:43 pm

  This car is the most fun I have had behind the wheel since my first Corvette ( a 1973) and a Shelby Mustang in the 60s (1966 GT350H). The ride is silky smooth, the autostick is very close to a stick shift, and of course the Hemi is totally awesome. We both love this car and highly recommend it to moms and dads who need a sedan for their family, but who still "love to drive" a cool car!

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  Brendas - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By srt8* - December 15 - 7:12 pm

  I love my SRT8 and am still amazed at its driving capabilies and stopping power. This car is a must for a hot rod momma!