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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  mikes review - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By MikeT - June 8 - 2:00 am

  Great ride for a little car. Gas milage consistently 33-35mpg. Seats very comfortable, even on long rides home (300 miles). Sound system good.

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  Dodge Intrepid Safe and rugged - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By T Speicher - June 8 - 2:00 am

  Crash integrity is excellent. Front end crash at 50mph resulted in very little damage to vehicle. A second crash of a direct side impact crumpled the front end and engine compartment made the car unrepairable. The only injuries received was a brused knee and sprained ankle on my wife. This was a 1996 Intrepid I know own a 1999 and a brand new 2002.

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  That thing got a Hemi? - 2017 Dodge Durango
  By Jim - June 7 - 1:26 pm

  The 2011-2017 Dodge Durango was designed by Daimler-Chrysler and is built on the same chassis as the current Mercedes M-Class sport utility vehicle. Being heavily German by design it rides and handles well but doesnt have the Swiss-Army like interior of a Honda or Chrysler mini-van. The seats are very comfy but the way they fold and stow is just average (we have second row captains chairs). The front seats are heated and cooled. The Uconnect infotainment system is very intuitive and works better than any infotainment system Ive ever seen, having a combination of touch screen, knobs, buttons and voice activation. The system also allows i-phone users to access Siri. The Beats speakers are adequate but not astounding. The RT sits lower than standard Durangos, the suspension is a little firmer and the brakes bigger making this 5000 lb+ vehicle handle extremely well for its size. Its weight makes for a great ride on the road and the vehicle is bank-vault tight with no squeaks, rattles or excessive wind noise. The hemi is just plain cool-its been a long time since Ive owned a V-8 and the sound and performance are worth the so so gas mileage. Around town mileage stinks, averaging about 15 mpg if I dont lead foot it but on the highway Ive gotten 22mpg thanks to the imperceptible selective cylinder management. The 8 speed ZF trans. is spectacular. The rear shocks are self-leveling and included with the tow package I got (its rated to tow up to 7200 lbs.). Havent towed with it yet but plan to. I feel as though I purchased a Mercedes M-Class for Dodge money. In my opinion this SUV is an exceptional value.

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  Solution to the Minivan! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By aimee - June 7 - 9:40 am

  When I first bought my car I loved it. Every day I grow to love it even more. The versatility of this vehicle is awesome. I love the fact that there is so much plastic in the car, it allows me to clean up after the kids. This is the solution to the minivan, for young hip moms.

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  My fifth Dodge/Chrysler minivan - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Autoplay2 - June 7 - 1:56 am

  Bought this van before the Clunker Program, but got a great deal anyways. Wanted a 4.0, but could not find one in the color wife wanted. The 3.8L does fine, its what I had in my other 4 minivans (2 97s, 98, 2000). Finally getting used to the no key and in-dash shifter. The van has plenty of power, the 3.8 is more than sufficient with the 6 speed. Thought Id get a little better gas mileage with the 4.0L, but getting 16 with the 3.8L (1100 miles)in mixed driving, but city has lots of stop and go. Were in Texas, so the A/C has never been off yet, maybe in Dec well see the MPG go up some. First time Ive had to actually read the manual to find out how a lot of the features work!

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  Great car - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By robert tousignant - June 4 - 5:00 am

  I have owned this vehicle for about 6 months and I love it. Thank you Chrysler, you hit another homer. This is the fourth chrysler product in a row and I am not dissapointed yet.

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  Awesome - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By kiphart - June 4 - 2:00 am

  I am a Former Ford Truck guy to staart with. This truck does everthing my full size Ford did, with more style and versatility. It performs more like a car in the ride but works like a full size truck. This dakota is just Awesome.

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  My Neon R/T - 2001 Dodge Neon
  By ListerofSmeg - June 3 - 2:00 am

  I just drove my to Central California and back (to Seattle). It handled beautifully. The R/T kept its speed of 70 mph up a 5% grad hill over a span of about four miles! It took all the turns and bumps with very little effort. I only had to fill the gas tank 6 times on a 2600 mile round trip (thats about 433 miles per 12.5 gallon tank)! Overall, I absolutely love driving this car and so do all of my friends.

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  Great truck - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By Jim123 - June 2 - 2:00 am

  This is my third Dakota. I thought I would try a Pathfinder and decided the V6 would not tow my small trailer. I went back to the Dakota Quad with the 4.7 and what a pleasure it is to drive. No problems with hills and I think the gas mileage is just as good as the Nissan V6. No problems so far and it looks great.

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  consumer - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By lux - May 31 - 10:00 am

  ots a very fun car for its price