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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  Mechanical Problems - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Unhappy sport - January 1 - 10:00 am

  Every 20000 needs front brakes, every 30,000 it needs rotors, At 60,000 new transmission, At 75,000 new ac system, belts and pulleys all replaced and starter at 70,000. To top it all off it still is not paid for. Never buy again.

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  Even better than the last one - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By postman - January 1 - 10:00 am

  I had a 2000 Durango with 73000 miles and thought this would be a good time to trade it for a new vehicle because of all the insentives and low interest rates. I test drove the Jeep Grand Cherokee and was disappointed with it. The lack of room and power were the main dissapointments. I went back to my Dodge dealer and drove the 2003 Durango and fell in love with it. Dont get me wrong, I loved my 2000 Durango but the 2003 have been refined to perfection. The ride is so much smoother and the handling is much better. The comfort level is amazing, I feel like Im driving a Lexus from the inside. I plan on keeping this baby for a long time.

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  Surprised - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By R Nathan - January 1 - 10:00 am

  I recently bought Dodge Grand Caravan Sport model. It is loaded with power sliding doors, liftgate, DVD player, rear 50/50 split seats. I as initially hesitant in terms of reliability and quality. I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED! The vehicle is extremely quiet inside and very comfortable. It rides and handles extremely well. It gives me a good gas mileage.The power lift gate is a boon, extremely handy when your hands are full. The rear split seats are easy to manouvre and move around. Overall, I love this minivan. IT CAME WITH A GREAT DISCOUNTED PRICE TOO!!!

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  Excellent truck!! - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By terry jenkins - January 1 - 4:14 am

  20k miles now and havent had to take back to dealer one time! Rides like a car and has adequate power for commuting. It pulls my 17ft bass boat with ease. Gas mileage not too bad with v-6, I improved it to 23 overall by adding k&n filter and using synthetic oil. I hope to keep this truck along time so reliability is extremely important and time will tell if it can go the distance that I expect from my vehicles??? Good value for the money. A Toyota Tacoma with similar options would have been 5k more!!

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  One Great Ride - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Ted - January 1 - 2:21 am

  We love this car and MPG. For the money you cant go wrong. The interior has so much room and comfort, great stero and options.

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  Like riding on Air..... - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By Sherry - December 31 - 12:47 pm

  This car is so comfortable. Not only is it great to drive, but Ive found that it is a nice family car. The only word that I can say is "Comfortable". Very smooth and so far no mechanical problems. I am loving the smooth ride and decent stereo. I think I will have the car for a long time.

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  94 Dodge Stealth R/T Luxury - 1994 Dodge Stealth
  By mtsmitty82169 - December 31 - 4:45 am

  Have had no problems with this car since I have bought it. Ive owned it for about 6 months and it has been very dependable. Handling and power is impressive. Turns heads at every corner. Very pleased with performance. Needs few repairs done only because of its age and mileage. Really is a great buy for the money and performance. This style is very rare to see and I am a proud owner. I plan on keeping this car for a long time.

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  Better than I thought! - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By Dovey - December 30 - 12:05 pm

  We bought this van in high hopes that the whole family would be comfortable. Our son who is only 14 yet over 6 feet tall finds that he has plenty of space, both kids and even the dog are happy on long trips now due to the seating and DVD feature. My daughter loves that she can watch a movie and we can be listening to the radio at the same time. I enjoy driving the van, it is very comfortable and user friendly. My husbands favorite feature is the stow and go seating, we can change arrangment at any given time for our convience. Never thought I would enjoy a mini van.

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  Love my Charger - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By J. Lorenzo - December 29 - 5:56 pm

  Was always a Chevy lover but as soon as I saw this new Charger, had to have it (Chevy and Pontiac missing the boat on styling). I drive 30 miles each way to work and it is a pleasure. Car gets plenty of attention and I get ask about it all the time. My wife was scared of the power at first but now wants to drive it all the time. I can say with truth that I have no regrets about buying this cool car. Great for family and greater for me who loves the power.

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  Neat Truck - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Dakdude - December 29 - 3:46 pm

  I find the Dakota a fun truck to drive. It feels very solid and handles well. I like the interior and exterior design, vey well thought out. One exception would be the location of the transmission selector. It needs to be more centrally located. Sound system is really good. Some things that could stand improvement are the fuel economy. Although it stckered at 17 city and 20 HWY (I think), I have yet to break 17 on the HWY! Also, 4WD gets a little stubborn at low speeds in snow, kind of like surging or something. All in all, however, I really like the Dakota and would recommend it to anyone looking for a tough midsize truck to have fun with.