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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  I love my minivan - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Stephiekygirl - August 7 - 12:53 pm

  I thought that I was just buying a van because we were having another baby and needed one. We have 5 kids and cant fit them all in a car or SUV. Little did I know that I would love this van. I cannot imagine driving anything else. There is room for everyone and room for groceries or book bags and anything else we need.

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  My Dakota - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By Sierra - August 7 - 6:34 am

  I have owned my truck for 5 years. It is comfortable and fun to drive. It looks nice and the paint job is very good.

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  An Excellent Buy - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Clarence - August 7 - 3:00 am

  I love riding this vehicle. I got it fully loaded and the family loves it. This is by far the best Sedan that Ive owned. The Hemi definitely gets you where you need to go...and in a hurry if need be.

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  Think Twice at Least - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By shooterschmidty - August 6 - 11:02 pm

  I was atracted to the Dakota due to the low price but now wish I had spent a little more up front and bought a Frontier or Tacoma. It rides well around town and on the highway, but offroad it is very disapointing. The ground clearance stinks, and the approach angle is even worse. It needs at least another 2-3 of suspension to be worthwhile offroad. Oh, and front tow hooks and skid shields arent even standard on the 4X4.

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  Bad, just bad... - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By dodgeomatic - August 6 - 3:20 pm

  Horror! Since we bought this van its been nothing but problems. My biggest complaint is the passenger sliding door. Its had a module replaced twice and it still functions like junk. It doesnt close when you need it to; and doesnt stay open when you need it to. Just last week we fully opened that damn door and my two year old was trying to get in when it started closing on him. We tried to stop the door by applying slight pressure on it while pulling my boy out. There was no stopping that door. Im pretty pissed about this. This was our first and last Dodge ever.

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  Try One you might like it! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By B Nyce - August 6 - 2:00 pm

  I purchased my 2007 AWD R/T used with 11,000 miles. I enjoy the slap shift tranny and its great in bad weather. Simply downshift instead of breaking and it stays straight and stops well. Interior is very compfortable for four adults. Reclining rear seats a plus. Cant hook up my Ipod - bummer! Add the shock tower support for a more solid feel - it works great and reduces cowl shake on bumps plus improves cornering. Over all I am enjoying the call a lot. Average mileage for city is 22 mpg on the highway over 27. Not bad for all wheel drive. If I shift manually it is great fun to drive as well. I recommend the 2.4L engine for improved performance. Enjoy your Caliber.

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  Not Bad - 1996 Dodge Neon
  By Malisha - August 5 - 7:37 pm

  My dad purchased this car for me, as my second car. It was extremely nice at first, and I loved it. This car does lack extreme horsepower. It takes me about 20-25 seconds to reach 60! Slowest car I have ever driven. The transmission is starting to act up, and the struts are starting to go. Air conditioning was charged when my dad purchased it, and then it was warm agian the summer after. Didnt even last 1 year! But the car has never let me down. Always starts, even when its cold outside. The paint chips like no other. And the windows leak entremely bad. When I drive on the expressway, all I hear is wind, and thats with the windows up.

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  So far, so good - 1994 Dodge Intrepid
  By DM - August 5 - 7:21 pm

  Bought this car off a mechanics lot with 96,000 mi. for $1,900. After owning it for two weeks, the "anti-theft system" (which in this case causes the steering wheel to lock up unless the [proper] key is inserted into the ignition) went ahead and locked up the steering wheel even though I was indeed trying to start the car with its own key. Had to take the car back to the mechanic, who removed the "anti-theft system" for about $300. My faith being shaken, I began to prepare for the worst, but (so far) the car has given me no problems since. I find acceleration with the 3.3 to be sluggish, although the car does handle well for its size.

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  03 Dakota - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By tommy - August 5 - 11:57 am

  We purchased our 03 Dakota Reg. Cab SXT RWD for $13K. It was a nice "beater" car for my dad for work. But we have clocked on average of 12-15 mpg city and probably 19 highway. We had to replace the tires at 20k and then again and 45k. We were in a minor car accident with it where we tapped the back of another car on a freeway ramp, and it caused $400 damage. The plastic hood-release lever, broke off and had to get it replaced. The A/C conked out when he had 100-degree plus weather, which we took the repair shop and he found out that not only the cooling pump was shot but there was a cylinder- 6 miss-fire which couldve been dangerous if it died on the highway.

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  So far so good - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Jay - August 5 - 1:02 am

  Make sure you buy the stick shift in this model. The automatic is really slow. Driving this model with the stick has been great. It more than keeps up with similar vehiles in this class. Havent had one single problem with the engine. Gas mileage is great, getting over 32mpg