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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  First Dodge - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By stockholder - October 19 - 10:00 am

  Just picked up my Neon yesterday. I must admit I never could see myself owning a 4 cylinder engine car, but this one has a lot of pep. The salesman put me in the showroom car and then when we figured my 6/2 frame could fit in it. I went outside and picked out my graphite colored car. So far I have driven back and forth to work. But this week I get a chance to really drive it.

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  Love My Magnum - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By mitcfarm - October 19 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my Magnum since early July 2004. I love it. It is exceptionally roomy inside for my family of four. It rides smooth like a heavy sedan on the freeway, but handles quick and responsive like a small sports car around town. The power is phenomenal and a whole lot of fun to drive. And, it definitely turns heads and starts conversations everywhere I go. One negative--I have encountered a "hard-start" problem and the dealership and factory finally solved it after 10+ days in shop, now it continually has a "check-engine" light that they are still unsure of. The problem, although frustrating still has not taken the fun out of this car.

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  Great price - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By brandon - October 17 - 9:10 am

  The engine is fine getting around with amazing jump and even highways but when in upstate New York and the steep hills, I had to hold the pedal to the floor to get decent pick-up. Handles great on sharp turns. Radical gated shifter that leans down when in park is the easiest gated shifter to use and does not move into another gear if hit into easily. Interior is amazing with the YES essentials stain resistant cloth and DVD players and built-in booster seats. Great value and looks

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  Dodge Neon - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By westernmeadowlark - October 15 - 2:00 am

  I just bought a 2003 Dodge Neon SXT. What a great, fun car to drive. Plenty of features with plenty of zip. Great Buy for the price!

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  This was not the car for my wife. - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Joseph Machlitt - October 10 - 3:13 am

  This car has gone beyond my expectations. This is the true combo of Mercedes Benz and Dodge performance cars. This drives like a very expensive European car. Lots of good legroom and loads of storage space. We like the look outside. My 8 year old daughter calls the car her limo in the Cool Vanilla color.

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  2009 SXT Dodge Journey - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Rich Gordon - October 7 - 9:13 pm

  Ordered it from dealer. Got the SXT with all of the options at 3000 less than an RT. Hi Quality SUV for a low price. Good "value" car. 24mpg on the Highway, 18 in town. Super Crash rating, quiet, and comfortable. 20000 miles on it and absolutely no problems. High Tech car on inside. Would definitely buy it again.

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  A good value - 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By 04quadcab - October 6 - 3:32 am

  2013 Grand Caravan SXT; currently with about 10,000 miles on it. I really wouldnt consider any minivan that didnt have some version of Stow&Go. I have the second row seats folded down almost as much as I have them up, and I wouldnt like having to remove the seat to free up that space, since you then have to leave it at home and cant haul passengers in that area. Other likes: Great power, good gas mileage-I get 27 at 70-75 mph (town mileage is not great, tho). Quiet, smooth ride. Much less expensive to buy than Honda or Toyota. Dislikes: 6 spd tranny is OK, but not as smooth or predictable as could be. Drivers seat needs more rearward travel; legroom is limited.

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  The amazing Neon SXT - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Lonelyrider - October 5 - 10:00 am

  This is my second new car, used to own a new Saturn SL2 , which I trade-in for this new Neon. I took advantage of a 25 hundred bucks rebate. So far, I just made 12 hundred miles with it, and its really fun to drive with plenty of power, even though this one is an automatic one vs. the previous manual shifted. The seats are very comfortable, the stereo is amazing -dont need to spend extra money on another - So far, breaks are pretty good.

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  durango - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By fishscout - October 5 - 10:00 am

  Picked it up from the dealership and never brought it back for any problems

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  Wonderful Vehicle - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Satisfied Customer - October 4 - 11:30 pm

  The van is solid. Very comfortable to ride in for extended periods of time. The ride is smooth and quiet. It is a fun vehicle to drive. There is nothing in here that I am not satisfied with.