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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  A pretty fair car - 1999 Dodge Neon
  By Miramichier - June 29 - 4:55 am

  I bought my 1999 Neon with the idea of saving money on gas and maintance,which I must say I was right in that respect, for gas mileage and easy maintance this (so far) had been a great little car, but(and there always is a but) on a drive over 25 miles the seats are really uncomfortable. They feel like you are sitting on two pieces of plywood. My car has a/c and that really doesn`t have the capacity to really cool the interior of the car on a really hot day (and yes I did have the service ppl at my local a/c shop look at it and they say it`s as good as it can be.)

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  Better than I expected - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By FrankAssist - June 28 - 5:23 pm

  This is a fun car to drive. The SRT-8 is pure pleasure. My cousin (next door to me) bought the Mustang Saleen and its nice (same price) but the interior is nowhere near as nice as the Chargers. Everything on the Charger seems well thought out. You can even dim the nav system screen! The interior is better than Ive seen on any priced car. It looks good and feels good. Plenty of room in the back seats and it feels safe when driving. You cant help notice the large lump in the hood while behind the wheel and then smile knowing how the drive will be. The power is there when you need it. This is the best car I have ever owned and Ive been driving performance cars for 20 years.

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  My Magnum I - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By gregcarithers - June 28 - 2:50 pm

  I chose the 2.7L Magnum. Black on Black. For such a large car, I couldnt find another that would beat the gas miliage. I am getting an average of 30 miles to the gallon on the highway and a tank of gas will last me almost 2 weeks going to and from work. I use my car for customers and they love it. It has all the room I need for their bags and carryons as well as comfort for the trip. While I have heard some things about the 2.7L not be enough for this large car, for me its plenty. It has the power when I need it and then drops to the cruise mode when Im in fast lane. I can drive this car and 115 and it feels the same as driving at 55mph. And yes it will reach 115 with not problems!

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  Ton of fun, but not reliable - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Geoff Rummel - June 28 - 7:04 am

  Magnum RT AWD is a load of fun to drive. Installed an AFE Cold Air Intake - adds 10 extra HP. Car is comfortable, agile and extremely fast. AWD with 4 snow tires easily handles severe winter driving. My only complaint is poor quality and reliability. Ive been to the dealer 13 times in the first 4 months. AWD transfer case vibrated - fixed first time, replaced second time. Three new radios replaced in succession - radio ate my CDs. Steering rack vibration - unit replaced. OEM self-sealing tires replaced under warranty after only 8,000 miles. Major suspension rattle. Wiper switch defective. Cupholder lid defective. Front brake rotors warped after 5,000 miles - replaced under warranty.

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By thestuff - June 27 - 12:02 pm

  Ive put about 40,000 on my Durango thus far and must say I love it still. Rugged, nice ride with plenty of creature comforts for the family. The 4.7L engine is more than adequate. Only repair Ive had to do so far is replacing a cracked vacuum hose. Beyond that, its been a very reliable vehicle.

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  Dodge Intrepid - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By Patsy Warlock - June 27 - 9:59 am

  I just purchased a used Dodge Intrepid because the 1994 Intrepid I owned was totaled while parked in front of my home. So far I am very satisfied with the 2002. It has a comfortable ride, gas mileage is acceptable and I am looking forward to a good ownership with the vehicle. I also purchase an additional warranty just in case.

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  Charger RT - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By RichCheryl - June 27 - 7:26 am

  Initial problems: Front brake discs needed to be replaced (Guess I couldnt keep my foot off the gas) and stangely, the interior ceiling fabric came down during a passing event on the highway. Windows being down at high speed may have had something to do with it. This is my wifes car and she loves it. She has told me this is the last car she will ever have.

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  69 r/t vs 06 r/t - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By charger man - June 25 - 8:26 am

  To do justice for the newer Charger, one has to base it on experience, which I can do because I have a 69 r/t big block with the 440, automatic. Back in 69 carmakers were not worried about gas mileage, nor were they worried about quality. If it performed, it was great. The 69 was a 2 door coupe and the 06 is a 4 door sedan which is something people can complain about, but they have to know that Chrysler did its homework. The 06 Charger r/t is a fun car to drive. It has power on demand. It is very comfortable, well designed and handling and braking are amazing. It has simple badging which I think should be addressed, like have something besides the Hemi on the side of the car to ID it

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  Electrical System - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By realtypro - June 25 - 2:20 am

  I had new car fever and I fell in love with the looks of the Nitro. I was really enjoying the car. I took three teenagers on springbreak to Florida. On the way home while going 70 mph, in the far left lane, the car cut out, all the lights came on - for several seconds (which seemed like hours) the car was stalled. Thankfully, it came back and we were not killed. I took the car in and after two days and being insistent on cause and repair, there was an electrical module replaced. According to the Dealer, who stated they had contacted the engineers, there had been 10 reported problems. I hope this is the real problem and it was fixed. However, now Im leary of the car.

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  Family car - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By anika honhart - June 24 - 9:08 pm

  It is a nice car to have for a family. Very roomy! Do not like sunroof open unless I had a wind guard. Has a lot of power with Hemi! Love the navagation system. Came in handy when traveling. Gas milege is not very good! 18 miles to the gallon! The head rest is not very comfortable, kind of bulgy. But drives very smoothly!