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:

• 

  Hemi Power - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By HemiDurango - June 8 - 2:30 pm

  After test driving many vehicles at many different price points, the Durango was the one. My local dealer, Naples Dodge, was great to deal with and the incentives were hard to pass up as well. My wife and I considered a mini-van, but in the end decided to go the SUV route. The Durango was a big part of our decision and we feel it actually drives better than SUVs costing much more. The Durango is the perfect size for what we wanted and has an incredible combination of power, braking, good turning radius, super quiet interior, very smooth ride, good feature content and reasonable price. Our Durango has almost every option and the navigation system really takes the Durango up a notch.

• 

  05 Dodge Neon - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Joe602 - June 7 - 12:40 pm

  Car has comfortable setting and I really like the front grille.The car gets great gas mileage and with the way gas prices are going, Im glad it takes very little money to fill it up.

• 

  Better than Honda, Ford and all the rest - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By davek - June 7 - 10:00 am

  I have had this vehicle for over 6 months and 10k miles. It still feels and drives exactly like the day I picked it up. Dodge dealer was great to work with. Lots more options for a much lower price than the Honda and I didnt have to put up with the Honda dealers attitude.

• 

  Exhaust sound - 2006 Dodge Viper
  By Besty - June 7 - 12:05 am

  Bought my first Viper Coupe, a 2006, Wednesday, the 31st of May 2006. Car no. 59. Traded in my 2004 Z06 Corvette. The Corvette was awsome but quite docile compared to the Viper. The Vipers natural fit when you shut the door is amazing. The shifter is where it sould be, the pedals are adjustable to fit your personal preference and the handling is amazing. The only detraction from the Viper is the exhaust sound. The Corvette was far better because of the rear-exit exhaust. The Vipers exhaust goes through side pipes that gets vey hot. The Viper is a far better, truer sports car than the Corvette. It rides rough but with 13 inch tires on the back that the way it should ride. Amazing!

• 

  Does its job - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By Dakota Believer - June 5 - 1:52 pm

  Wanted a Toyota Tacoma crew cab, but settled for the Dakota, and glad I did. The Tacoma does not have the room the Dakota has nor does it have the power. Happy with the Dakota, bought it used and wish I would have looked for one with more features.

• 

  Better Than Ever - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By tom - June 2 - 5:48 pm

  Overall fit and finish is more than excellent for a car in this price range. Take a tour of the outside and see the detail given to the body seams, their almost perfect all around the car. sit inside and notice that this is a drivers car. Its easy to get in a good driving position and all controls are extremely easy to use. The only downside is the comfort level of the seats over a long trip. This needs to be looked at by Dodge.

• 

  Great! - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By coolrider - June 2 - 5:29 pm

  Excellent vehicle, 5.7 Hemi (need I say more?) MPG has been up to 29.5 highway with the engine management system of shutting down cylinders at cruise. Fun to drive factor is off the scale. Self sealing tires (18in) have been a life saver. It will even pull my 3500lb. motorcycle trailer smoothly with its hidden hitch and and self leveling suspension system. It sure is more pc than an SUV.

• 

  a pleasant surprise - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By iksok - June 2 - 2:00 am

  very quiet vehicle have no problems with our purchase car is very nicely equipped leather, heated seats, at this time the most pleasure to drive as compared to other vehicles some of which were very much more expensive including imports

• 

  mopar vans,better than japan - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By michael k. - June 2 - 2:00 am

  i got a grand caravan.i tested drove other mini vans and mopar was the best.it handles great,you can trust it.you got great power with very good gas milage.the inside is very roomy.in 94, i tested other vans,dodge was the best then.i got 209,000 miles on it and it still going.my kids drive it now.

• 

  Best Vehicle Purchase - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Happy - June 2 - 2:00 am

  I drive all over Montana in all types of weather. I have never been let down by my Caravan. I never thought I would drive much less purchase a mini-van. This is a rock solid investment. Whomever says you have to be desperate to own a mini-van has never driven a Dodge Caravan.