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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  Gotta love a Dodge - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By Andy - March 26 - 9:13 am

  Have been thoroughly pleased with this truck with only minor exceptions. This truck drives, handles, and tows exceptionally. Ive used it to haul cars, trucks, boats, campers, and my family without fail.

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  Uh oh - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By pigeons - March 25 - 8:18 pm

  This thing is great to drive. solid on the road, fast, quiet, efficient. It is just really nice to drive. But it breaks down all the time. Dealer assured us that Dodge had fixed the notorious transmission problems associated with Caravans.

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  Amazing Vehicle - 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Jake - March 25 - 6:53 pm

  My brand new 2010 dodge grand caravan se is very comfortable and fuel efficient. The small 3.3 V6 engine does a good job.

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  Best bang for your buck - 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By mightyquinn889 - March 25 - 12:09 pm

  Wanted a reliable vehicle with 3rd row seating, nobody money wise can compare to the Caravan. Ford and Chevy stopped making mini vans and there comparable SUVs (traverese and Explorer) are way more.. Honda and Toyota Mini Vans are way more also. Caravan was majorly overhauled, nice comfortable seating, DVD entertainment system, stow and go storage, smooth ride (never feel any bumps), good warranty 5yr/100,000 miles, strong engine also has an economy fuel button where you get better gas mileage if you dont need all the HP in your engine at the time.

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  Better than the base model - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By jkm - March 25 - 6:43 am

  I had a Caravan 98, destoyed in a crash. So i went shopping and ended up the 2005 Grand, when I compared the "new " base van to my old 98, the 98 was less tinny and a better drive. have had this three days, feels solid and strong, think I am going to miss my old van less. best new feature? The redesigned cup holder that does not drop coffee cup, and air vents in the back for the dogs.new sound system is also great. My old van purred, but this one is even quieter! I bougth it with 30,000 miles and only a few months left on the warrenty, $15000 plus fees. think i did good

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  Great rebates and incentives! - 2017 Dodge Journey
  By larry moore - March 24 - 2:08 am

  I traded in my nearly new 2016 Honda Civic for a Dodge Journey earlier this month. I loved the civic but I needed more space and the pilot was a tad bit out of my desired price range. Next door was a dodge jeep dealer so I stopped by to look at the grand cherokee originally and saw the Journey. I thought it looked good, not like a new modern conventional design but more along the lines of the original looking subs that didnt have a bunch of flash. I bought the crossroad plus v6 AWD, and the sticker said $34,560, but the salesman told me dont even think about what that sticker says. When we sat down to do the paperwork I noticed all they really wanted for the car was $27,600!!! I nearly started dancing to see a price offered from a dealer so much lower than the MSRP. I guess the Journey has been around a while and they dont move as quickly as the rest of the new chrysler dodge jeep products. The only thing that I wish it offered was adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring. Even budget cars have those options nowadays but for the price I cant complain much. The engine has more power than I really need, all the room I could ask for (including two beer coolers that are removable under the second row seats), AWD, a huge infotainment screen that I still have yet to touch because it kind of intimidates me, and a bunch of other little niceties that I didnt really expect (self-dimming rear view mirror, built in booster seats for kids, removable flashlight built into trunk, actual power outlet in the backseat). One concern I have though is reliability, I see a lot of people have issues with their transmission, brakes and random engine components so *knock on wood* I dont experience any of those problems. It rides like a cloud, smooth and quiet. Though the trim piece around the infotainment screen makes a slight creak on the occasional bump but its nothing obnoxious... YET. Overall I think I am going to be very happy with this car, I like sitting up higher and after the civic it is going to take some getting used to but you certainly cant argue that its an extremely versatile vehicle. If all goes well reliability wise I think I will keep this suv for a long time.

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  This is an awesome car! - 1993 Dodge Stealth
  By adsallstar - March 24 - 2:05 am

  93 is the best year of all stealths. Everywhere I go people turn their heads. The car isnt the fastest but, it is a fast car, plus there are a lot of tune ups that you can do. The interior is very comfortable, and the use of the hatchback and folding down seats are great for anything. The feel of the cars power, and handling with a 5 speed is awesome.

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  Great for trailer towing & fun - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By larry Maddox - March 23 - 5:48 pm

  My wife and I have a 26-ft travel trailer we pull 4-5,000 miles per year. This truck is great. Also, driving around town is fun. No mechanichal problems or warranty issues. This truck is our 4th Dakota and we plan to have many more.

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  DeeDee Durango - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Daddy dan - March 22 - 4:47 pm

  My little DeeDee. I loved this truck, right up to the day my wife totalled it out last week. Great ride, great looks, very comfortable. We went across the country twice in it, and had a great time. On time, at 12,000 miles a solenoid in the trans went out. That was the only problem in over 60,000 miles. Good power, good towing vehicle. It sounded good too, and didnt have a Hemi. Just a little baby 4.7. I just a bought new one, although its not as cool looking. My wife survived a 50 MPH accident in this truck, with NO injuries. Her lipstick was even still in place after the air bag hit her in face. She walked out just fine.

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  Uncomfortable Ride - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By dave - March 22 - 12:09 pm

  This new Caravan is the 6th one I have owned ranging back to 1985. It is by far the worst riding vehicle that I have ever owned. The suspension is so tight that it picks up every little imperfection on any road. The ride is so bad I actually took it back to the dealer for service but the technicians said, "This is something you would not expect from a new vehicle but everything checks out as normal." The 1999 Caravan I traded in with 114,000 miles actually road better than this 2006 vehicle. I test drove three versions of this vehicle and they were all the same. I purchased this vehicle because of the great deal I was offered hoping the ride would get better. After 2000 miles it hasnt.