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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  Can be fun, but... - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By sad stratus owner - May 1 - 2:11 pm

  I like how this car looks and how it handles, especially in slippery conditions, but Ive had to bring it to a dealer for warranty repairs about every 3 months since Ive owned it. The front suspension, interior wiring, pretty much every interior switch, radio, heater, transmission components, and other things have been replaced, some multiple times. Its also leaked transmission fluid, coolant, and power steering fluid. Now I need a steering rod replaced. Once the warranty on this car expires, Im done with it.

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  Excellent family car - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Gilbert - May 1 - 10:00 am

  Bought with only 3000 miles on the vehicle and have put 58,000 more miles on it. Drives very good, handles well, good visibility, sufficiently comfortable for long trips. Had only two mechanical problems; a whining compressor was replaced under warranty and gas pedal sticking that i had to pay for (under $150). Brakes job required after 57,000 miles which was not bad. Like the car a lot.

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  My favorite car - 1990 Dodge Spirit
  By steve - April 30 - 8:32 pm

  This is a very reliable car. It feels as though it knows exactly what I want. This car has gone over 300 miles a week at times with no problems. Handles very well in snow condition

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  My Second Dodge - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By steve - April 30 - 8:27 pm

  The car is very dependable even in the coldest, wettest weather in the northeast, especially when very cold temps. Starts up without a problem even at 15 degrees. The car handles very well in blizzard conditions.

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  No a Sports Car - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Uwe - April 30 - 12:30 pm

  Since I have the Charger, people ask me "And its fast, isnt it?" Well, its not slow, but its 4100+ pounds take some time to get moving. 0-60 in 5 seconds according to various reviews. A sporty car, not a sports car. My 349HP MB SLK32 is a sports car. Lousy gas mileage (as expected). Nice interior. Stereo (mine has the high-end one) a bit disappointing due to some lack in bass. Seats not fully leather, but then again this is a under $40k car. Some people think the windows are too small, I dont. No idea what the stability control is there for, mine never seems to kick in. Comfortable ride. Too long to fit in my garage with the motorcycle (I traded this for a KIA Sorento which did fit).

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  Love it - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By mikey - April 30 - 7:38 am

  I love the look of this car. I love the pickup it has and everything. I wish they would have made the interior a little sharper and the brake dust has got to go!

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  Daily commute rocks! - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Eric - April 29 - 10:11 pm

  We paid over MSRP in April 2003 when these just came out. We werent planning on a new car, but I was compelled by the performance and my wife had the same reaction to the styling. (Ours is yellow). We took a test drive, and the first thing we noticed is that this is NOT a Neon. The build was very tight. Special attention went into these cars. With limited production, Dodge wanted to make a statement. The SRT line was unveiled And we had to have it. Words to describe this car: Practical, economical, exhilarating, and reliable. We had to justify using this as a family car. A) the back seat was very roomy, and the trunk was spacious. B.) We get 29-30 MPG hwy and 25-26 daily driving.

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  Good overall truck - 1992 Dodge Dakota
  By Vince - April 28 - 2:57 am

  The 1992 Dakota is a very good overall truck. Power is decent for the era with the V6. Running the AC while driving in hot weather tends to cause it to need to downshift often to accelerate at certain speeds. I recommend the V8 for the club cab, especially with the 4x4 option. The exterior and interior design still looks good to this day. With a new paint job, removed plastic moldings, and wheels, many non-car-savvy people mistake mine for a new truck model.

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  Love/Hate - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By SB - April 27 - 2:10 pm

  I love so many things about the Nitro, standard features, comfort, cargo room, etc. But I hate the fact its been to the service department 3 times in the last month for the same problem (1600, 2200 & 2400 miles). he remote (keyless) entry has caused the Nitro to go haywire 3 times when the unlock button is pressed. This causes the Malfunction light to come on, and prevents all the computer modules from communicating with each other. First the dealer reset the computers, then they replaced the main (gateway) computer module. Took it back today, not sure what they have planned now. If they dont get it fixed this time, Ill be requesting a new Nitro, because other than that I love it.

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  Long term relationship - 1994 Dodge Shadow
  By shiba - April 27 - 12:46 pm

  Used as dolly vehicle, and everyday car shopping, church etc. Takes curves well mileage to 30 MPG. No problems, stick shift.