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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  Durango 2016 - 2016 Dodge Durango
  By RQ - November 10 - 10:04 pm

  Walked away with an amazing deal on a great vehicle.

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  i love my black 2004 neon sxt - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By neon lover - November 10 - 10:00 am

  As you can see I love my neon. I have high aspirations of fixing it up with new side skirts and front and rear bumber. I already have a 7 color lcd underbody kit and I had a spoiler sunroof installed also. The one reason why I got the neon is that it is one of the most customizable cars on any lot. You can make your neon be whatever, look like whatever, and do whatever you want it to. Oh yea and did I tell you how much I love my neon! :)

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  Who the hell needs an SUV - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Todd Werth - November 10 - 10:00 am

  This thing is just a cool car , go with the larger wheel and tire package and get the 5.7L Hemi at whatever cost, you wont be regret it. The Hemi runs as a 4-cylinder on the highway. And it handles excellent, smaller turn radius than you think. The V6s are pretty stout too.

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  Smooth Riding - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By James Lockwood - November 10 - 10:00 am

  Easy to handle,quiet ride, visual ability excellent. Roomy inside makes shopping a breeze with high hatchback door up high. Very comfortable seating, for 5 people with large leg room in back seat. Adjustable peddle and seats make it easy for myself at 6ft. to drive and for my 53 wife to easily change quickly as she drives 90% of the time. Smooth at turns and brakes are excellent. See what winter will bring.

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  SRT-4 Fun to Drive - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Jess - November 10 - 9:15 am

  Im not a Neon fan, but I love turbo motors and Dodge built this one right! With minor mods, I was able to boost the SRT from 228HP and 253ft/tq at the wheels to 246HP and 276 ft/tb at the wheels. This car is by far the best bang for the buck sports sedan out there!

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  Great Homeowners Truck - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By RICK - November 9 - 1:02 pm

  This is a great truck for the family who has a home to maintain. With 70k miles, Ive replaced tires, front hubs and brakes, battery, and gas cap. Reliable and economical (19-22 avg. MPG). I have a bed liner and cover which have served well. The jump seats are great for young people or short trips as well as letting you lock up purchases. With the V-6 Ive never had a power problem with heavy loads. Seats are comfortable for "long trips".

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  Great truck for my wife. - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Brett - November 8 - 10:17 pm

  We do a lot of long distance trips and this has been one of the best, if not the best, vehicles we have purchased. We feel safe and comfortable but not overpowering as some of the large trucks appear. Visibility is great, handling is above average, and we have the power to do anything we would ever need a truck for, like pulling a trailer or boat. I like to do my own minor service and to see how well this truck is constructed underneath is impressive. A very well built truck that is very easy for me to work on. The interior room is the best of all competitors. What a truck! Thank you Dodge.

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  Very Pleased - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By My Mag - November 8 - 7:43 pm

  I bought my Magnum last November. I love the car. I am having problems with water leaking in my doors and falls on the rocker panels. This freezes my doors shut in the winter. So far there doesnt seem to be a solution for this problem. All in all, the car is great. I love driving it. Handles well, looks excellent and is very comfortable to drive and to sit in. Has some blind spots but after driving it for awhile you get use to it. The windshield fogs on the inside quite easily and is hard to unfog for some reason, maybe because the windows are so small. I feel Ive made the right choice buying the magnum.

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  I love my wagon! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By enydvalentin - November 8 - 3:50 pm

  I am a working mother of two girls and I wanted a car bigger than a sedan- not a SUV, and definitevely not a mini van because I hate looking like a "soccer mom" in them (though that will never apply to me anyway!). The Magnum was the perfect choice. It is big, brute and sturdy looking but it drives very well, very smoothly. The perfect car for a once-tomboy now professional mom. It also catches peoples eyes - twice Ive had two men telling me their love my car. So do I!

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  The Stealth is an Awesome Car! - 1993 Dodge Stealth
  By Billy - November 8 - 11:05 am

  The car drives like a dream. Everybody who gets in it all say that it rides like a Cadillac. The driving is extremely fun, very comfortable, and everywhere I go people turn their heads. The car has been great and reliable, and the performance is really good. Its DOHC 24 valves does its job. This is the best year of all the Stealths since it is the last year of that body style also.