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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  Best choice for our family - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By seveninavan - January 12 - 7:03 pm

  Overall, we have had a fantastic experience with our Journey. One minor trim problem that was corrected quickly. Love the seating configuration for our five children. Easy access to back row. Comfortable ride. Plenty of power. Traded in my Grand Caravan for this. With luggage rack and lots of neat storage, we love it! The seats fold down easily for hauling all kinds of stuff. Be careful of 90° opening rear doors...tend to bang other cars in garage or parking lot. Love the Sirius radio and climate control! So much better than our Honda Odyssey (yes, I know...but we NEEDED one 8- passenger vehicle and the domestic options are so limited). LOVE this car! And out the door for $19000.

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  dodge - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By ericbehrend - January 11 - 11:50 pm

  just got the car...love it

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  Solid and useful - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Redvan - January 10 - 8:53 pm

  Just drove it for one year. Drove it in high heat. Good A/C. It can haul a lot of material with ease. It is a heavy duty vehicle. I always see the Toyota Sienna riding very low in back with a few back seat passengers. I do not think Honda people ever do work with their vans. I just do not see the point of a van if you cant haul stuff. The gas mileage is fair. 19/20 all around 23 on the freeway with A/C and going 70 plus. Good car so far

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  Loved it and miss it alot! - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By bmccune - January 7 - 8:56 am

  This was my first car and I paid $200 for it in 2009. During the time I owned this vehicle the only things that I had to replace were the fuel pump and the water pump. It had just about 200k miles on it and I trusted it to take me anywhere. It never died on me and always started right up. Went to trade it in at a dealership and the guy told me he wouldnt do it because the tranny was gonna go out of it because they are known for it. He got mad when I laughed in his face. The tranny had never been replaced and never gave me any issues at all. Would love to own another one. I had a 1999 Plymouth grand voyager and that thing was very solid aswell. Took a bad beating from the previous owner.

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  I love my Durango - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Sondra - January 7 - 8:03 am

  This is my 2nd Durango. For some reason, this one far outperforms my previous one. It is comfortable, reliable, quiet, fast. Even the mpg is not too bad - 16-18 city. There is not one thing I dislike about this vehicle except that I did not order steering wheel radio controls. Best vehicle I have owned.

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  You test drive it, you buying it! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By J.J - January 6 - 4:50 am

  Well, its this simple..if you test drive, YOU BUY.....I knew I was buying the vehicle the moment I test drove it.....The HEMI v8 RT definitely got some power to it. Its only a matter of time before I get a ticket because this car gets up and before you know it, youre doing 55 in a 35 zone. The Mustang is a cool car but it doesnt have the room inside the Charger has. When I got inside the car, I had no ideal it had that much room both for the driver and the passenger Its very comfortable. It also turns corners well and on a dime. When I buy a car, I want the best for my money. So I look for exterior as well as interior. The RT has BOTH!!

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  NEON SXT Sun and Fun 5spd - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By willchadfuller - January 5 - 2:00 am

  The suspention is inbetween sporty and smooth. The engine has good power with the 5spd manual and it shifts fairly smooth. I get approx. 30.5 mpg. Interior room is good and the seats are much more comfortable than import models. The cloth the seats are made of is kind of cheap. Most cars i test drove in this price range had the same type of seat cloth or even worse of a material. This car is very fun to drive. The only negative things i have to say after owning the car for 1 month is there is a slight rattle coming from the rear deck when I play the stereo loud, the transmission is kind of loud and the road noise is kind of irritating.

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  Very Happy SRT-4 Owner. - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Kojak - January 5 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle has a great powertrain, very comfortable interior and a very sporty look. The sound system is very impressive for a stock system. You can feel the bass. The rear wing hardly takes any of the view, contrary to other reports. Buckets are supportive. Polished dress up kit looks sharp. I would recommend anyone interested in this car to take a test drive. You will fall in love. I know i did.

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  Perfect for us - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Blake from Houston - January 5 - 2:00 am

  Durango Limited Hemi is perfect blend of luxury and toughness. My wife and I drove everything in this class and the mid-size class. This was perfect size for us...not too big and not too small. We were replacing a 5-series BMW, so I was planning on a more painful transition. But we have about 6,500 miles on it now, and I have no regrets. In my opinion the Durango is better than the Expedition (nice interior but underpowered) or the Tahoe (nice power but dull interior), and the European and Japanese offerings just didnt cut it.

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  5 star car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By grayseabring - January 3 - 3:43 pm

  A bit choppy for ride and a bit top heavy. Slow uptake but fun to drive. Lots of interest and questions from prospective buyers. I tell them all I would buy another.