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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  Hidden Gem - 2013 Dodge Challenger
  By beast91 - April 6 - 9:23 am

  When this vehicle was first introduced in 08 and i saw one on the road it quickly brought me back to sitting in the classroom in my HS in CT mid 70s watching muscle cars of that era occasionally zipping by with a roar and garnering the attention of a select few of the boys in the classroom. Fast forward to today and the fascination of the cars are now captivating a new generation while extending the opportunities of yesteryear to those of us who now have the means in participating in the ownership of one of these great machines. The Chevelle SS was always my favorite with the 69-70 Challenger a close second. No modern era Chevelles, so the SRT 8 is it, AND BOY I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!

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  Love our big black toy - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By shane138821 - April 5 - 11:03 pm

  we bought this durango about 6 months ago. When we purchased her, she had 151,000 miles on her and she ran great. now Just from six months time she still runs perfect and has just rolled over 200,000. this truck has never asked us for anymore the common maintnence and a set of shocks. And even with her age and miles i still wont hesitate to run her the 1,800 miles back to the state of nevada next week. her fuel milage is a bit on the expensive side. but with the raw power and the fact that i can shoot around just about any corner with ease its well worth giving up a few extra bucks in gas.

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  You want a big regret? Welcome to neons! - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By nexxt - April 5 - 1:50 am

  I cant beg you enough for all of you that are thinking about buying this car, youre trippin. DONT! This is the car that will ruin your life. I cant stress how much I hate this car. Bought it for $3200 as a first car 3+ years ago. Ive put over $5000 in upkeep. Last December I spent $1200 on all new motor mounts cus they were all broken. My windows lag when rolling up, my meters dont work especially when it gets wet, suspension is crap, horrible takeoff, the engine jolts all the time for no reason, my headlights flash for no reason. Ill be sitting at a stoplight and it will just feel like someone running up to the front of my car & jumping on the hood. It shakes, squeaky, cheaply made!!!!!

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  Dakota drivetrain quality - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By ezcc - April 4 - 9:50 am

  The driveshaft that couples the front axle to the transfer case is ungreaseable and only lasts about 75000 miles the rear axles splines break and need to be replaced before 100000miles and the auto trans will be due for a rebuild at around a 100000 also, This all happens even if you change fluids and do maintenance as recommended in owners manual. This are very light duty vehicles, not really trucks as far my definition of truck goes.

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  2000 Dodge Durango - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By 62hilger - April 3 - 10:35 pm

  I purchased a Durango with 4.7 V8 overhead valve motor. This motor has plenty of get and go. It will squeal the tires without hesitation. The motor needs proper oil changes and I would recommend high quality motor oil. The bad side of this vehicle is you will average 12 MPG and it took quite a while to heat up. Get an auto start for it. I keep record of my fills and I mostly drove rural roads. My vehicle had rear air which was nice. If MPG is not an issue I would recommend the vehicle.

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  Best car ever owned - 2012 Dodge Challenger
  By timofmichigan - March 31 - 8:20 pm

  Having owned a 1973 Challenger at 19 yrs old, it was my favorite for many reasons. But after owning the 2012 SXT Plus for nearly 2 years - its now my all time favorite. Like the original, its coke bottle shape is timeless. Add todays quality standards, reliability, comfort, driving characteristics, and modern features like NAV, handsfree phone, heated seats, etc. - its awesome. This Challenger is trouble free, quiet, and smooth despite our sometimes rough midwestern roads.

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  Second Dodge in a year - 2013 Dodge Challenger
  By russl57 - March 30 - 6:25 pm

  Last year I had difficulty in deciding whether to buy a Charger or Challenger. I bought the Charger and liked the Dodge product so much that this year I bought a Challenger. Both are RTs. The Charger was a better value but the Challenger is a great car. A lot of people want to compare the Challenger to the Camaro and Mustang. This is a huge mistake. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. For pure speed and handling the Challenger will never compete with the Camaro or Mustang. For comfort, room and road presence the Camaro and Mustang are not in the same class as the Challenger.I like all three cars and I am not brand loyal at all. I bought an RT Plus in Granite Metallic, just Beautiful

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  Great van with lots of versatility - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By aveybaby - March 30 - 12:49 am

  This is the perfect vehicle for a family. I got hooked on Dodge Caravans years ago. I had one that lasted ten years with no problems until the transmission went out at about 200,000 miles. I bought a Windstar and didnt like it so got new Dodge Caravan again. For as much space and comfort as it has you cant beat the gas mileage. I consistently average 20 mpg. Considering that you can seat 7, thats a good value. Ive replaced the battery, and the tires. Its now getting a bit older, over 150k miles on it, so Ive replaced the radiator because of a leak, and the oxysensor valves (check engine light came on). Good value overall.

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  I Lke It! - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By skippy21 - March 25 - 6:43 pm

  i have had mine for about 9 monthes and min eis a 96 as well and mine has never died on me, and the only probleme with it is the interior, i completely hate the interior, crappy plastice that keeps breaking on me, but other than that i like the sound, speed, and realiability of it. over all i am impressed.

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  Steering Failure - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By jacobsfamily4 - March 25 - 12:37 pm

  Purchased a new 2013 Dodge Dart. Within 2 weeks of owning the car the lower control arm bolt either broke or was never tightened. My steering locked up on me while driving the car. In all attempts to talk with Chrysler, they refused to take responsibility. This was the 7th and final car that we will buy due to their lack of responsibility or loyalty to my family and the danger that they put us in.