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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  Loving It! - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By Len - April 22 - 10:58 am

  Only had a couple months, but Im loving it so far. Very fun to drive, and plenty of power. Fuel economy just under the 17 MPG city. But, this car needs the 8 cylinder, not the 6. I dont have the navigation, but the satellite radio, electronics group, sun roof and convenience group are great additions. This has more storage room in the back than our mini-van when both of the bench seats are in it. Im 62" and feel very comfortable in this. Takes a little bit of time to get use to the viewability out the windows, but with the small round mirrors added to the side view mirrors, you should do fine. No regrets so far!

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  Great Value, Great Van, Great Economy. - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By BillMcguire - April 21 - 2:21 pm

  I bought this van with 21,000 miles on it used. Now I have 59,000 on it and it has had no problems. Many of the people I know drive Honda Oddyeses and Toyota Siennas and have many problems from electrical to axle problems. The Honda even lost the transmission at 42,000. My last Dodge Caravan was a 1998 and I just sold it with 213,500 miles on it and I did the transmission at 198,000. The resale isnt better in the long term on the Honda and Toyota product, you just pay more initially and it seems that way. In 5 years they are worth about the same. I sold my 98 caravan for 8k after 7 years of faithful driving.

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  Superb! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Frazlac77 - April 21 - 12:53 pm

  Greatest decision I ever made in buying a vehicle. Its such a fun car while also being superb on gas mileage!

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  Surprisingly Pleased! - 2016 Dodge Durango
  By Michael Kuppe - April 19 - 11:31 pm

  The 2016 Durango Citadel is a well-made, well designed full size SUV. The interior and exterior are well appointed and well designed, with great comfort and convenience items that are pleasing (vented driver and passenger seats) and start-stop technology. Two issue Ive had so far: 1) is the fact that the 8 speed VVT transmission shifts roughly and even over revs when fast accelerating; 2) The cooling aspect in the HVAC seems to be having problems cooling effectively during some very hot days here in the Midwest. Hopefully a quick trip to the dealer can fix this. Other than these issues, the vehicle is great, so far.

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  Its an OK choice. Pretty reliable. - 2000 Dodge Caravan
  By Roman - April 19 - 4:35 pm

  When I bought this car it has 72K and I put another 7000 miles on it. All I can say is its not real pretty on the inside or outside, but with captain chairs its a very good family car. Its quite reliable too (try a Windstar, youll know the difference). Its 3.8L engine took a little less gas then Windstar, and its quite powerful too. I didnt know that when the car stays a couple weeks outside and brakes get rusty - you have to take the wheel off and smake the drums with the hammer, so I ended up replacing tire, brakes and wheel. ($350lost,put used alloy wheel and used tire). Id recommend this car to someone who likes comfort, but doesnt have enough money to buy and Odessey or Sienna.

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  Gas mileage champ - 1997 Dodge Stratus
  By CEB - April 18 - 2:31 pm

  I purchased this car with 150K on it. Had to do some minor repairs to it. I have the 2.5v-6 in it. I cant believe the mileage I"m getting 31-32MPG for the power & acceleration it has. Only major repair was a $300 fuel pump. Has been real reliable. Comfortable & sporty looking. Will get another one when this one dies. Has a 190K now and still going strong!

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  Go Man Go! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By lazrguy - April 17 - 10:36 pm

  Ive always wanted the type of car which has posters made of it. This vehicle fits the bill. If youre looking for a Honda, buy a Honda. If youre looking for a Charger, nothing else will quite do it. I have looked long and hard for a vehicle that would haul groceries and really haul at the same time. My opinion is that the Daytona Package is worth the money, but that is completely a matter of opinion as the Road and Track package gets the good without the loud paint. I happen to like the loud paint. I get lots of looks in the car. Let the midlife crisis begin!

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  This car is very versatile - 1994 Dodge Intrepid
  By Reds Trep - April 17 - 6:56 pm

  My mother originally bought the car in 01/98 for $7300 from a guy in Chicago. Top of the line stuff was added its whole life. I got the car in 06/99 as a gift. The car had 120,000 miles on it. Now as of 04/06, 288,350 miles on original engine and tranny. Body is rough due to the people I trusted. Rust is minium considering it was from Indiana. Overall, wonderful car

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  Best Full Size SUV Ever - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Durango - April 17 - 2:21 pm

  I purchased my Durango as a utility purchase. It has the best towing capacity of any full size SUV on the market. It pulls my boat wonderfully! After having it a short while I have fallen in love with it. It is the most comfortable and easy to drive vehicle I have ever owned. I have owned several. I love the deep throaty growl the Hemi lets out when she is opened up. It is not overbearing keep in mind. Just enough to let you know that I am a bad machine. The Durango is very easy to manuever and park in those tight places. If you are in the market for a full size SUV that can pull and that is comfortable this is the one for you.

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  Get outta that minivan! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Ken - April 17 - 12:50 pm

  There is no American built car that can compare to the new Dodge Magnum. You can find a faster car, a better handling car, and a more utilitarian SUV or minivan, but looks and comfort is second to none. What I found so appealing is the ability of one car to do so many things so well. I love to drive the car, use cruise control because its easy to catch yourself going way to fast. The handling is very predictible and safe, but forget about rain and snow. I believe a good set of snow tires would remedy that, but currently no snow tires are offered in that model, so I ended up buying another car for winter driving.