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:
Showing 5001 through 5010 of 11,324.00-
sweet - 2001 Dodge Viper
By sweet - May 13 - 2:00 amI have one and it is very fun to have one
-
Great Van - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
By Jerry - May 12 - 9:30 pmI wouldnt own another American made van. It has served our family well, has taken some abuse and keeps right on going.
-
Practical, fun, & a burnout too ! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
By Betsy - May 12 - 3:16 pmI love this car because its so practical and fun and beautiful at the same time!
-
Best Bang For The Buck - 2005 Dodge Neon
By Frankie - May 12 - 2:06 amWell I got my SRT not too long ago and so far I love it. Its such a thrill to drive and I have had no problems at all with it. I would highly reccomend this car for anyone whos looking to go fast with little cash.
-
Best SUV in its class - 2002 Dodge Viper
By Phil Mc Crackin - May 12 - 2:00 amThis SUV outperforms all the rest. Handle the rockies like a Billy Goat. Clearance was unbelievable on off road course. Three days in Baja proves it can run with the Hummer. Under water performance was astonishing. Propeller never failed once. It was worth the 350 hP outboard as an option. Mud tires a must in Colorado winters.
-
Excellant service. - 1996 Dodge Dakota
By BDNebeker - May 12 - 2:00 amExcellant service , it has only 51,000 miles, It gets up to 19mls per gal.
-
2007 Dodge Nitro R/T - 2007 Dodge Nitro
By onetim1 - May 11 - 11:10 pmThe Nitro is a fun SUV to drive, I purchased mine with all the toys, u- connect, back seat video entertainment, loaded. Ride is great, not the bumpy ride I expected. Gets a lot of looks. Extemely satisfied.
-
awsome!! - 2002 Dodge Viper
By jew - May 11 - 2:00 amhorsepower is really great i love the car so much its brand new i cant wait to drive it more
-
A real looker - 2006 Dodge Charger
By cooperj - May 10 - 10:03 pmI purchased the Daytona model in orange. It certainly is a beautiful car. Comfort, performance, and styling are all strong assets of the r/t line. Gas mileage has been what is expected by way of vehicle sticker @ 18-19mpg.
-
Me and My Shadow - 1990 Dodge Shadow
By Mom - May 10 - 2:00 amI love my car. I am the only owner and the only problem I have had was the fuel pump went out. Shame they dont make them anymore.
-
Dodge Avenger 443 Reviews
-
Dodge Caliber 634 Reviews
-
Dodge Caravan 577 Reviews
-
Dodge Challenger 288 Reviews
-
Dodge Charger 743 Reviews
-
Dodge Dakota 1,069 Reviews
-
Dodge Dart 138 Reviews
-
Dodge Daytona 44 Reviews
-
Dodge Durango 1,400 Reviews
-
Dodge Dynasty 43 Reviews
-
Dodge Grand Caravan 1,244 Reviews
-
Dodge Intrepid 825 Reviews
-
Dodge Journey 498 Reviews
-
Dodge Magnum 598 Reviews
-
Dodge Neon 1,187 Reviews
-
Dodge Nitro 296 Reviews
-
Dodge Ram 1500 1 Reviews
-
Dodge Ram 2500 2 Reviews
-
Dodge Ram 3500 1 Reviews
-
Dodge Ram Van 14 Reviews
-
Dodge Ram Wagon 20 Reviews
-
Dodge Shadow 75 Reviews
-
Dodge Spirit 65 Reviews
-
Dodge Stealth 121 Reviews
-
Dodge Stratus 783 Reviews
-
Dodge Viper 215 Reviews