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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  Alot of bang for any buck - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Quick - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Well-rounded performance, period! Handling is very good. Brakes are excellent! Vicious power! Good-looking interior (except the door plastic). Zero defects. No squeaks or rattles on my car! Only the Mach 1, WRX(& STI), and EVO provide similar, but less "bang for the buck". Then you need to move into the $45,000 range to equal or surpass performance. The Mustang Cobra is around $38,000, but the stock handling and brakes are no better (maybe worse). Dodge does not advertise this car. Not many on the road where I live. Only "gear-heads" know about the car. Therefore, strangely exclusive.

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  Love my Magnum!!! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Todd Brown - December 31 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love this car,walked into the dealer turned the corner and stopped. Told my wife thats my car right there. Major head turner,EVERYONE stares,we live in Arizona and there are very few on the road. Questions from most people,what is that?,are they expensive?,Can I look inside?,I didnt know it came with six cylinder,etc. Perfect ride.

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  Magnum R/T - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Mike Zuro - December 31 - 10:00 am

  The R/T handles like my old Trans-Am. The ESP works great without the driver knowing it. The interior is very quiet and standard features available on the R/T are plenty.

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  Business traveler loves the grave digger - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Alan - December 30 - 9:53 pm

  I travel 50,000 miles a year. I have driven many different kinds of cars and find that the looks are great, ride is fun, everyone gives you the look and the kids want to race with you. 2.7l is small but accelerates well in traffic. I carry samples and displays and can fit just enough. Even my kids think that the car is cool. Sometimes nice to be the cool dad!

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  SRT-4 Review - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Vooduguru - December 30 - 3:00 am

  Ive had this car for a little over a year and I must say its a hoot. The only thing I would have changed from the factory is a 1 inch wider wheel. If you want stellar fuel economy, buy a Honda. Interior is on par with others in the class regardless of what other publications tell you. The seats are amazing, and your body has no idea the car is cornering hard other than the visual references that are coming through the windscreen. Dodge has definitely hit a home run with this compact beast. No one can compete stock for stock in the price range even for a few grand more. Youll enjoy this car even if you have an abusive history with your vehicles.

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  Drive and Grin - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Jack - December 28 - 2:36 am

  I recieved delivery on the 2005 RT Magnum in early January and have put a couple of thousand miles on the car. The GRIN comes when you step on the accelerater and the 345 horses come alive. What a pleasure being able to pass, enter X-ways, without effort. The suspension and ride qualities of the car make it truly a bankers sports car. The 18" sticky Continental tires and the ESP feature gives me confidence in handling high speed curves. Another GRIN feature is the number of people who comment on the looks of the car. Stop at a light and you will be looked at and probably get a thumbs-up and grin.

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  Coming from a 4runner - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Now we have a car! - December 25 - 4:03 am

  Averaging 19 mpg. Not bad for the fun Ive had in it. The power is great. Too much plastic in the build. Grill is plastic, fenders are plastic and the dash is made out of something that sinks under any weight at all. But these are asthetic issues. If it was made like a Lexus, it would be priced like a Lexus and I wouldnt be driving it. Compared to a 99 4runner, it drives like a dream. My wife drives a 98 4runner, and when we switch cars, I feel like Im trying to run in iron boots. The Magnum flies.

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  96 Dodge Caravan - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By B. Levine - December 23 - 2:00 am

  I have had 7 minivans since they came out. This one was the best one realiable,handles like a luxury car. Fun to drive. I would never drive anything else.

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  What a gas - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Mark - December 18 - 1:16 pm

  Just bought an SXT 2wd. I had to have the Orange one. It gets a lot of looks already. It is very comfortable and easy to get in and out of. I am a large person and this thing really fits. I was kind of surprised that it didnt have cruise on the base model. I dont use it a lot but would have been nice. The back does hold the biggest goalie bag they have, which was a requirement of the household. Remember this is a rear wheel drive vehicle, so it dosent drive like your FWD car your replacing. Fun, fun, fun to drive. It handles just as well as the Intrepid I replaced. Cant wait to get some more miles under the belt.

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  The blue bug - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Mizzez Franklin - December 17 - 3:37 pm

  My husband purchased this car for me in the fall of 2006. To my surprise. This car handled great for me as most of my miles were city miles. No complaints of traction, or stability. In the previous sentence you see I mentioned WERE city miles, as my daughter totaled my car on her moving day. I believe that if she hadnt, I would still be driving my car for another 60,000 miles. I loved this car and the only problems I had with it was the O 2 sensor. This started at the 70,000 mark. No big deal for me. I also had the 18 inch alloy wheels which I will miss. And to the complaint of the helicopter noise, the cars brochure mentioned this. No big deal to me, just raise the window slightly.