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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  dans ex grand caravan - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Daniel D - December 12 - 10:00 am

  Very comfortable on long trips. Handles great for a minivan. The powered doors have become indispensible.

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  Not just a family vehicle - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Tufguy183 - December 7 - 12:16 am

  Im a 23 year old and I cant be happier with my new 07 caliber. I love the tough design and the solid interior. Im single and Im finding so many uses for the large open space within the vehicle. I will definitely buy another Dodge in the future.

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  I love my Red Caliber - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By LoveMyCaliber - December 5 - 2:00 pm

  I fell in love with this car the minute I saw it in a commercial. I bought a red one, sunroof, 17 inch Allumin rims, heated seats , fog lights for about 18500 listed for 19220. I am geting around 26 mpg as the car tells you mpg a great feature. I got 33MPG all highway. I love the blue lighted dash and cup holders, night dimming rear view mirror. I am getting a lot of turning heads and many people asking what kind of a car is that. I have 1000 miles on it now with thank god no issues to report not even the Caliber ding that some are talking about. The MP3 port is awesome and A/C is very cold. Bottom line is the look is awesome and different than anything out there.

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  Its been a great car. - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Tom Steele - November 28 - 10:00 am

  My girlfriend bought this car used, one year-old. It has been a great car with only one minor problem (an electric window that wont go down in back). The ride is good and the handling is very surprising for a four door sedan. I am impressed with the car.

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  This is an Excellent Mini Van - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By R. Gardner - November 26 - 10:00 am

  This is our second Dodge Grand Caravan and the 2005 model is better than ever. The ride and handling is superb. Its a great family vehicle!

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  Fun to Drive - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By oheeare - November 24 - 8:20 pm

  Lots of bang for the buck and just plain headturning good looks. If this has the dependability of the Chrysler 300C, this is a full 10. My only complaint is that is lacks a bit of feel due to the ESP driving system. The Hemi 5.7 actually gets pretty decent mileage for the liter displacement due to the shutoff of 4 of the 8 cylinders during low output situations, but you can definitely smoke the tires easily with this powerplant.

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  Black R/T - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Clockmaker - November 24 - 4:00 am

  I am thrilled with this vehicle. I think it is the best new vehicle on the market for the money. This car should set the benchmark for intelligent versatility in its segment. I had very high hopes for what it would be and they were all met.

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  Awesome Vehicle!!! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By bigboy1234 - November 23 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle reminds me of when I was a child. My dad had a chop top wagon. That was the main reason I bought this. However, the 340hp HEMI had something to do with it also. I suggest you atleast test this vehicle before you purchase your next.

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  Bling Bling - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By btp - November 22 - 1:16 pm

  What can I say? I went to buy a Pacifica an came home with a Charger and thankGod I made that choice. The exterior design is like no other and the ride feels like a 50 grand plus car. People keep asking about it. I know for sure I am going to keep this one for a long time

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  SRT-4, Amazing Car for the price - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By SRT-4 Owner - November 21 - 2:20 pm

  I recently perchased a Caliber SRT-4 and after the 1st 300 milies I am still amazed that Dodge is selling this car so cheap. Engine/trans are as good or beter than drive systems in $40K+ cars. Inside there is a bit too much plastic. Some kind of wood dash kit would fix this, even if it was after market. The ride is firm and confident but not not to harsh at highway crusing speed. The steering wheel mounted radio controls are nice, (standard) the speedomiter takes getting used to, as it is somewhat small. Bottom line: $35K+ car perfomance engine/ drive train/suspention, $15K car interior for just over $20k. A best buy for some who wants a Zcar/M3 range track times for under 25K