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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  Hemi Charger! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Randy - February 23 - 10:36 pm

  Hemi is great. Trip to Lake George, 2000 miles round trip averaged 24MPG not bad for this much power. Fun to drive. Easy to pass pretty much anything. Very comfortable. Pricy at $35,000 but worth it. My employee discount (Im an electrician at the brake factory) was $500 - for taking the DC loan.

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  Stratus R/T coupe - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By Starvin - February 23 - 3:19 pm

  This car is a fun car to drive. The 5 speed manual is smooth and precise. The 3.0 has a broad powerband and you dont have to be constantly shifting down to keep it in it power range. It will suprise 5.0 mustangs. The car is nice to look at from the outside. I am not crazy about the interior I feel it has to much plastic. I drive 75 miles one way to work mostly driven at 75MPH and get ~27MPG. The R/T is not a family vehicle can get very cramped with 2 adults and a child seat in the back.

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  My first Dodge - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Mike - February 23 - 12:40 pm

  A loyal Ford truck person, I thought I would try something different.Price and research brought me to Dodge. So far, so good. A basic truck w/AC. My commute in L.A. takes me 86 miles round trip. Handles well in traffic, although brakes are a little "spongy". I am impressed with what Dodge has done with the Dakota.

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  Great Vehicle - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Jeff - February 23 - 10:36 am

  Every now and then you get a vehicle that you really like. This is only the second vehicle I have had that experience with. I put about 25,000 miles per year on it and it has never let me down. The amenities in the plus package make it a luxury SUV. The power makes it a real work horse. I plan on driving this one until the wheels fall off which at the rate were going will be a loooong time from now.

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  OK for a Minivan - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By familyguy69 - February 23 - 3:09 am

  I purchased this van used in 2010. I didnt know at the time, it was a previous Enterprise Rental. I got a good deal on it and has been mostly reliable. The van still has the original battery in it! It currently has 79,000 miles on it. THE BAD - My van needs front brakes every 8-10k miles. I only replaced rears once so far. Other than the A/C, Radiator Cap, and Sliding Door recall, Ive had no major problems. The right front caliper did freeze up on me once. Since the last time I did brakes, the right front has been making a screeching sound while driving. I hope it is not wheel bearings. The seats could be more comfortable. The newer vans have nicer interiors since Fiat took over.

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  Durango Does Not Disappoint! - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Al - February 22 - 4:48 pm

  I bought my Durango in 5/05 and have put over 20k miles on it thus far. I have never felt obligated to write a review on a vehicle before, but I am really impressed with this SUV. My previous two SUVs were a Bronco II and Ford Explorer. I was all set to buy another Ford Explorer when I decided to give the Durango a test drive. From the first moment I drove the Durango until the present day, I still find myself thinking what a nice truck. No comparison to the Fords, the Durango is another class. It is so solid, quiet, comfortable, commanding and the Hemi just plain hauls. Recently had to make a trip from NH to CT during a blizzard, the AWD/4WD/antilock brakes were amazing! Great SUV!

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  Spacious but unreliable - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By Kelly - February 22 - 3:26 pm

  Love the space and comfort of the Intrepid - hate the reliability. We had to completely replace the engine after less than 80K miles, were told it was sludge build up from poor maintenance although we run synthetic Amsoil and perform routine maintenance. Door locks jam trapping you in and out of the car without a keyless entry - told the rods are corroded and it is common, similar to the engine failure issues.

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  GREAT VEHICLE/ GREAT DEALER - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By VOLNEY WILLIS - February 21 - 2:32 pm

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  A turbocharged neon - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Alex - February 20 - 2:55 pm

  When I first bought the SRT I was excited to get it on the road. I walk into my garage and open the driver door and climb over the highly bolstered seat. You turn the car on and you feel a rush of power and hear a beautiful deap throaty exhaust. This car goes like no other in its price range. Very quick, flooring the throttle and flattening your kidneys an seeing the cars next to you shrink in the mirror never gets old. A great car for the money. Handling, acceleration and a fun ride have never been so easy to obtain for so little money. A great car for what its built it to do, drive fast

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  Second Time Around - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By jackie - February 20 - 2:56 am

  My first Durango was a pre-owned 99. It had 13,000 mi when I bought it over 4 yrs ago. By the time I decided to trade it in, it had over 100,000 miles on it. I didnt see anything else on the road that caught my eye, so I went back to what I know. This 2006 Durango is awesome! I even splurged for the 335hp V8 Hemi (what a rush :-) I was able to build my own Durango on line and pick it up at my local dealership. I didnt have to haggle over pricing or options. I love the smooth ride,the powerful engine, the power liftgate and 6 CD changer. My kids love the DVD and wireless headphones. Its perfect for family road trips and fits my lifestyle