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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  Dodge + Mercedes = Magnum Hemi R/T - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Jay Brown - March 7 - 2:00 am

  All I can say is that you must drive this car to fully appreciate it. I was granted the opportunity to drive a production ready version on a race track under the instruction of a professional driver named John Paul Jr. This car is built like a benz, handles like a BMW, and accelerates like a Viper. This thing is just DAMN fast for a full size wagon. The build quality both inside and out was as good or better than anything Ive seen. They claim the body gaps are only .116 inches. I could go on, but it would take days!!!

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  I like the new features - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By brandysc - March 5 - 6:36 pm

  I have had a few cars in the last few years.( Saturn, Neon, and a Windstar) None of these compare to the features of the Grand Caravan. We got the vehicle used but has almost brand new interior and exterior. I really like the DVD player, and stow and go seating.. I think this will make it much easier to travel to visit family and friends.

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  ZOOOM !! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Pete00 - March 1 - 10:00 am

  off the chainn !!!

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  2005 Dodge Magnum - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Lnet46 - March 1 - 10:00 am

  Im probably the only woman my age (58) to read about the Magnum (with the Hemi) in January and get to order the first one into the Dodge dealership in Rockwall, Tx. My husband and I picked it up in late June and we cant stay out of it. In less than 2 weeks, we have 1600 miles on it. It drives so smooth and has so much power that its a little scary. I dont like the navigation system in it, as its not as precise as my G35s. The gas mileage isnt the greatest, but I didnt buy it for that reason. We replaced our big and bulky suburban with this wagon, and for the price, we got a winner!!!

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  Sticking wtih Chrysler - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Hoopster - March 1 - 9:50 am

  After all the Honda Odyssey hype, I decided to stick with Chrysler/Dodge when it came time to replace the old minivan (replaces an early 90s Grand Voyager). $3500 in incentives and my companys fleet pricing on Chrysler products outweigh the reported reliability advantage of the Honda. I guess I can pay now or pay later. I opted for later. Grand Caravan SXT is very roomy and has a more functional interior that my old minivan or the Odyssey IMHO. The kids love it.

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  Great for the money - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By budoinst - February 26 - 10:26 pm

  I owned a 2003 G35 coupe which I loved, but traded for the SRT-8. Unbelievable car with a great deal of Mercedes influence in the suspension and trans. Extremely fast, quick and with uncanny braking power for such a large car. The main surprise was how comfortable it is on the road and how quickly you may pass with a slight touch of the pedal. The mileage is not great---around 17 all around and 20 on the highway, but then again that is to be expected. LOVE IT!!!

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  Love it.. - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Chrysler Baby - February 26 - 2:33 am

  When I went to purchase my car, I was looking at a used Pacifica but saw this and decided to test drive it. It sits high enough that I can see things but low enough that my older mother can get in w/o any problem. I drive a lot of highway miles and there is very little road noise which is wonderful! I love the eletrical plug in too! Makes it great to have a Wii plugged in for my son on our long trips back and forth to Grandmas.

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  burly station wagon - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By bengettinrdone - February 24 - 10:00 am

  great car i never thought i could say i have a burly ass station wagon, but i do, and comfort is outstandig

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  Huge improvement over my 2007 Grand Caravan - 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By wstraube - February 21 - 9:46 am

  Not sure where to start but everything I hated about my 07 is fixed on my 2014 SE 30th anniversary edition with Blacktop option. Better mileage, better ride quality, better looking, much better paint job, and as far as I can tell this new generation (2008-2015) has fixed the rust problem. My 07 started to rust with just over 100,000 miles on it. And the A/C went out. Over $4000 to repair. Ive had my new one since june of 2014 and have 10,000 miles on it and it has been great. But dont be fooled by people saying they get 29 MPG. I check it each time at fill up with math and I get on average 18 around town and 24 HWY. the computer is correct about 1/2 the time. You get a lot for the$$

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  I love this van - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By BigCheeseDad - February 21 - 2:00 am

  This van has all the handling characteristics of a sedan but with a hugh interior. I love this van and always will. It has decent power but the most important feature is the way it handles on the highway. Dont get me wrong, in very high winds, youre going to get pushed but NOTHING like the Windstar. I recently drove a brand new Windstar and I was all over the highway. Its handling was much poorer than my Dodge. I highly recommend this vehicle.