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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  2007 Nitro - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Johncop - August 24 - 10:20 am

  I purchased the Nitro looking to get away from the pickup trucks I have recently owned. I am happy with my purchase and have been enjoying the drive. The ride is a bit uneven with the suspension not being very firm. It seems to take much of the bumps up front, but while running down the highway, its very smooth. Overall I really enjoy the vehicle.

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  Fun Fun Fun - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Wolf - August 23 - 3:41 am

  I also drive an 01 Mustang GT and I must say that driving this car is almost as much fun and maybe sometimes more so. I bought this car for a fun daily driver and that is what it is. It is fast for sure and easy to modify. There are many parts available to make this car a Corvette killer! For the price of this car, the performance can not be beat hands down!

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  Initial Impressions - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Robert Gallop - August 22 - 12:56 pm

  My initial review of the van we just took delivery of. I will update this as time goes on... First off, this is one substantial "mini"van. Its big, inside and out. Its quiet on the road, the 4.0L engine puts out plenty of grunt when coupled with the 6 speed auto transmission. The ability to manually shift the transmission might have some actual uses out there, but for me, its just there to make dad feel like hes driving something a bit more sporty. There are so many features available for this van its impossible to list in this space, however, we got every feature we could except the 9 speaker system and power fold rear seat.

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  Good, quality truck - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By TD - August 21 - 8:03 pm

  Although Ive only had my truck about 2 weeks, I am very pleased with it. Very comfortable and handles great. Extremely quiet for a V6. Good to have a CD player/AUX plug for MP3 and iPODS standard. Good gas mileage for a midsize (this is not a compact) pickup. Couldnt be happier riding around in the Texas heat!

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  J RICH - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By jakeb richards - August 21 - 10:00 am

  i love this car!

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  Not a bad car - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By stekicar - August 21 - 4:03 am

  I bought it used with 99,164 miles on it (3.0 liter engine). After 102,000 miles, oil started leaking (real reason: valve cover gasket). Serpentine belt ran off the steering servo. Put on a Goodyear belt, and now everything is OK. Water pump started leaking at 134,000 miles. Got totally mad and fixed everything by myself. I am affraid of transmision problems but nothing so far. Van runs like new now. Average 18/24 mpg.

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  Pleased so far - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By davey - August 21 - 12:22 am

  A nice truck, however the fuel mileage is not as rated. So far it is 14+ in the city. I will give it some time to loosen up. Great truck. I am glad I own it.

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  The Mitsubishi Camaro - 1997 Dodge Avenger
  By JPRacer - August 19 - 9:58 am

  In the three years I have driven it, the Avenger is an overall excellent car. Exterior styling is second only to the Viper. Handling exceeds the power for a stiff, yet solidly comfortable ride. Interior space is engineered to the max for functionality and comfort with basic, well-placed controls and ample trunk space. The 163HP V-6 is brisk, yet not overpowering and has had no real problems at all for 80,000+ miles. Performs at the fun-to-drive level and accessories are pleasing. Fuel mileage is decent, but could be better. Its a unique auto and turns heads wherever I go. Definitely a great car if taken care of properly. I will keep mine as long as I can.

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  The fun ride - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By michelle becklehimer - August 19 - 9:09 am

  I bought this van to go on vacations and for my son who is in sports. Its easy to handle and easy to park, and I will buy a another one just like it because it is so convenient for me to have all the room and the good gas mileage

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  Electrical - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By SLYGOOSE - August 19 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 99 Intrepid SE in Oct 99. With 60000 miles on it, all window switches and regulators have been replaced at least once, the main computer 4 times, electric fuel pump, speakers, brake computer module, radiator hoses. Very Poor Quality