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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  Nitroliscious - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Danny - September 6 - 10:06 pm

  I have a little Benz SLK55 AMG and I wanted something to haul stuff around and for use in snow and bad weather. The Nitro looks awesome and has some nice features. I originally wanted an R/T but then I figured that since this was really just my "bad weather" car, why spend the extra money? I didnt need leather or chrome wheels. The 4.0 with an extra 50 horsepower would have been nice, but I will make some mods to the 3.7 to jack it up by a few HP and it will be fine for what I need it to do. Also, rear seat leg room is much better than in other small SUVs.

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  es eval - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By saekat - September 3 - 10:00 am

  So Far so good. Mie is a 2001 but same thing as no changes were made. My wife "loves it." We have all the option xept DVD/video. It came with 7/100K warranty on powertrain and tranny,3/36 for all else.

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  What a difference a few years makes! - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Badgermama - September 3 - 2:00 am

  The 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan is a huge improvement over the older minivans. The ride is extremely smooth, you can barely feel any road bumps; there is very little engine noise, and the gas mileage is excellent (were getting 26 highway/18 city). We love the look and styling of the newer vans (ours is dark garnet red) and the alloys really help to make a sharp statement. This is our first van with quad seats and our 2 boys love them--no fighting for their own seats anymore. We would highly recommend this van for anyone, especially a family who has had the older minivans in the past. You wont believe what an improvement they are.

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  Yes, it has a Hemi! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Jodie - September 3 - 1:46 am

  This is the best car on earth! I love my Charger RT, with the sun roof open the sattelite radio blaring on the radio, cruisin down the road it doesnt get any better. EVERYONE looks at it!My friend says it looks like the Batmobile. The back seat and trunk are huge! Its great for a family. I got out of the mini van an into a dream car! The power is so great. It handles so easy. I make excuses just to go drive it! Thanks Dodge!!!

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  Buy this minivan - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By curtisc - August 30 - 2:00 am

  An exciting new minivan with great features for the entire family.

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  LOVE IT!!! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By anastasialee - August 30 - 2:00 am

  I must admit that i have never liked the Dodge neons before, we went to the dealership looking to upgrade my husbands hyundai tiberon and left with my new neon. This car is zippy, stylish and fun to drive, the interior is quite spacious much roomier then my last corolla. I love the 6 disk CD changer and the rear spooler. This car definatley gives you bang for your buck and i would recommend giving it a test drive.

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  Best design & performance - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By ersanti - August 30 - 2:00 am

  Very smooth driving and the interior & exterior are perfectly designed.

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  2014 30th Anniversary Edition - 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By acadiafan - August 28 - 10:54 pm

  I Traded a 2012 GMC Acadia. I drove a Chrysler Town & Country rental while having hail damage repaired on my Acadia. I was highly impressed as were my kids. I decided it was time for comfort rather than over priced SUV. My husband 62" fits comfortably. I compared the Grand Caravan to Chrysler T&C, Honda Odessey, Nissan Quest. Ultimately it was the stow and go as well the fact the grand caravan feels like Im riding higher off the ground than Odessey. You get more bang for your buck with the Grand a Caravan. I bought it brand new 3 months ago with 14 miles on it. Now after a trip across the country with 6 people, I have over 9,000 miles

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  Slamming R/T - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By skippyB - August 28 - 10:00 am

  Great car and blast to drive and didnt cost a mint!

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  The Perfect Size - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By Mark O - August 28 - 10:00 am

  I wanted a large SUV but my garage door was too small. The Durango was perfect. TONS of room, but not a river barge like a Suburban, Expedition, ETC. Big 5.9liter engine, reliable, nice leather....get the BIG mirrors, they look better and you can see everything when backing up or passing. 40K miles and no problems (except a burt out fog light)