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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  Daytona R/T - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By OMAR - June 29 - 7:40 am

  The best toy Ive purchased in years. I have as much fun driving this as my Porsche. It is also big enough to lug the whole family around. If youre looking for the compromise of size, cost, mileage, and fun-to-drive, Dodge Charger R/T Daytona is it. When you drive it, it feels much smaller that it actually is and cylinder deactivation does give the advertised gas mileage.

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  Long live the muscle car. - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Paul - June 23 - 2:46 am

  My previous car was coming off of lease in 3 days and I need to pick a new car. I spent the better part of three months searching, but I kept coming back to the Charger R/T. The aggressive look and of course the Hemi had a strong draw for me. In addition to that, I liked the considerable amount of room in the cabin. Oh, and did I mention the Hemi? There are a lot of quality cars out there, but when it came to leg room (front and back), power, and stunning looks, the Charger just could not be beat.

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  for the price cant beat it - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By michael siegenthaler - June 23 - 2:00 am

  I have had my car a year now and as of yet i have no complaints. It is the best car i have ever had.

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  Why this car was built by Dodge - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By seekingrapunzel - June 23 - 2:00 am

  I have about 3500 miles now on my SRT4. Here is what I have to say about it. All the reviews I ever see about this car seem to usually miss the point of what this car is for. Its for FUN! Lets remember this when "experts" claim that it has a rough ride or when they complain about the "noise" the exhaust makes. Thats the core of why this car is here. Fun car for a VERY reasonable price for what you get. How many other cars do you know of that can spank most "sports cars" that cost twice as much? Not many. Drive this car and expect it for what its for and you will never be disappointed.

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  Grrrrreat - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By DodgeFan - June 21 - 10:00 am

  The Dodge Durango is grrreat!!! I think everyone with a big family should have one!The Dodge Durango is a great SUV!!!

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  First "Adult" Purchase Was a Good One! - 2015 Dodge Charger
  By Jordan R. - June 20 - 7:06 pm

  Ive been leasing my Dodge Charger AWD Rallye for about a year and a half now. I intend to buy it out at the end of the lease. Because of the short length of time there wont be much said about its reliability, but so far Ive had almost no problems. In short, this car is amazing. It looks incredible, both during the day and at night. Ive noticed it turn heads several times and I dont even have any special additions to the exterior. My interior looks just as good and its almost secretly a luxury car with a fantastic UConnect system, great climate control, and awesome dashboard styling. Its a blast to drive too. I wish the "from-zero" acceleration was a little better, but the rolling start or highway acceleration (i.e. 60-80mph) is insane, especially in Sport Mode. You can feel the back end of the car drop and the ride is almost dangerously smooth. Ive reached 103mph and was shocked by how well it handled the speed. The automatic shifting within the first 5 mins of when you get in the car is pretty bad -- probably my biggest complaint. BUT the AWD feature is fantastic in the snow. During a 6-12 inch blizzard in CO last year, the Charger handled gracefully and safely; I was even passing Subarus on the side of the road! I put a lot of research into this purchase (6+ months) and the Charger won out over many other cars and thus far, I havent regretted it AT ALL. Highly recommended.

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  2004 GrandCaravan A Winner - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By RM - June 10 - 6:30 am

  My 2004 SXT Dodge GrandCaravan is my first van and it really did exceed my expectations for comfort, convience and reliability. I will buy another Dodge GrandCaravan SXT for my next vehicle purchase

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  A sporty gem - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By JMD - June 9 - 2:00 am

  I recently purchased a 2003 Neon SXT. I found this car to be value-packed and priced better than many of the imports. It feels like a more substantial car than the Nissan Sentra and Mazda Protege and costs thousands less (with available 2K rebate) than the 2003 Toyota Corolla (still a very dull car, particularly the interior) and Honda Civic.

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  Real Performance - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By IVIasta - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Refined from the begining, modded 2003 w/o limited slip, the LSD that comes standard is well worth the money, given the competition there is none, in its bracket only comparison is cars 10-15K more. i would suggest if youre looking for a cheap pocket rocket the SRT-4 should be at the top of your list.

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  Fantastic Vehicle - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By dennyl - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased this car. Dealer allowed us to use it for the weekend. We put 500 miles on it and it drove great. The 2.7 was powerful enough and used regular gas. The fit and finish and overall quality were excellent. Our kids are grown but we can use the space to help them move, etc.