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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  In love - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Dennysgirl09 - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I have always owned Mini-Vans and we had a Ford Explorer, Never again. I am so in love with this SUV. Yeah gas millage is low but its worth it to me because this is just such a cool and fun SUV to drive. Handles like a dream, rain or shine. I haul kids every where so dependability and room along with comfort are a most and I got all that and then some.

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  Love It! - 2010 Dodge Avenger
  By cj2188 - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I bought my brand new R/T Avenger a few weeks ago and I love it! I test drove so many vehicles before this one and nothing else compared to it overall (Mustang, Camry, Altima, Impala, G6 etc.) i also used to have a 300 Touring which i didnt like anywhere as much as I do this car. It drives great, has good inside space, great sound system and touch Screen with all the features that i havent seen in any other cars and it gets great gas mileage. Of course performance-wise your not gonna match a V6 or V8 but if you wanted something fast you wouldnt be considering a 4- cylinder in the first place.

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  Luv my Maggie - 2007 Dodge Magnum
  By Ray - October 26 - 2:00 am

  Love the way it drives, very fun vehicle. Comfortable like none Ive ever had.

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  2009 Challenger - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By Kara - October 26 - 2:00 am

  What can I say? I am a 31 year old female care enthusiast. I have had over 30 cars, which include 5 vettes, and 13 camaros and trans ams and a Mustang GT. I fell in love with the styling of the challenger. The ride is excellent. I bought an SE because yes I am going to be buying a 2012 camaro z28. I have been waiting a long time on that car. Anyways I love the challenger. Favorite car I have owned this far. You do not see near as many of them as you do the camaro and mustang. Good build quality, pretty good gas mileage, and a beautiful car. Very happy with it. No issues, quiet ride. Better build than I expected. Highly recommended.

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  AWD heaven - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By scogg - October 26 - 2:00 am

  Who knew you could get Mercedes AWD underpinnings with a HEMI? Worried about traction in snow/rain given power and AWD takes that worry away. Interior is roomy, got used to the visibility, and rear view mirror in my old Acura now feels too close! Dont understand not having mirror with microphone for bluetooth capability as part of nav package, mine doesnt and is an exam $550 for the mirror.

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  Great SUV - 2010 Dodge Nitro
  By rjinsac - October 21 - 2:00 am

  Ive have my car 10 months, with zero problems. love its handling and its so fun to drive, no blind spots which I love, so easy to change lanes.

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  Fun to drive - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Terry - October 21 - 2:00 am

  I have had my Challenger R/T (6 speed) for 4 months now and love it. I enjoy the smooth ride, the power and the look of this car. The only drawback I can note is the skip shift, but this can be overcome by waiting a second for the slow car to get some distance and laying into the gas pedal. I rev at 1600 RPM doing 70 on the highway in 6th gear and love the sound of the Hemi when I hit the throttle. Great car.

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  Seat cover stains - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By PHIL COMER - October 20 - 2:00 am

  From the day I drove my new car off the lot I have had problems with water stains on the seat cover material. I have been trying to get the company to do something about it for over a year now. They are supposed to let me know by 10/21/2010. This is clearly a defect in the material. Even condensation from a cold soda can will leave a stain.

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  Great car! - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By Jaime - October 17 - 2:00 am

  I have had my car for just over a year and it has AMAZING gas mileage! Even in the city i was getting anywhere from 25-28 MPG. Even got 30 MPG in the mountains! Going from a vehicle with 18 MPG freeway to this is SO nice. The back is roomy and fits a ton! Its a quiet ride and smooth and has some giddy up and go to it for a small engine.

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  Loving it so far - 2010 Dodge Avenger
  By trish - October 17 - 2:00 am

  I was getting tired of driving my truck for commuting so I wanted a nice family car. They kept showing me the Altima and I hated that, then the charger, but I felt it was too big. Then I saw the avenger. I loved it. Have had it a while now and I have no complaints. Totally made the right choice. Not sure why it got such bad reviews, especially when compared to an altima, had one, those things poor.Overall very pleased