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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  160k and still great - 1999 Dodge Caravan
  By eric - December 15 - 9:18 pm

  I bought this van from a friend that had it since new,he never had problems out of it,i bought it wit 147k miles on it for 1,500 and this van is in top shape

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  2003DODGE DURANGO SXT4.7L.V8 4x4 - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By CRM - December 15 - 2:00 am

  RECENTLY PURCHASED THE 2003 DURANGO. DROVE LATE 2002 SNOW STORM AND THE TRUCK HANDLES AWESOME. IMPRESSED WITH THE POWER AND STEERING. HAS ALOT OF GREAT FEATURES BUT NOT TOO HAPPY WITH THE GAS MILEAGE.

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  2003DODGE DURANGO SXT4.7L.V8 4x4 - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By crm - December 15 - 2:00 am

  RECENTLY PURCHASED THE 2003 DURANGO. DROVE LATE 2002 SNOW STORM AND THE TRUCK HANDLES AWESOME. IMPRESSED WITH THE POWER AND STEERING. HAS ALOT OF GREAT FEATURES BUT NOT TOO HAPPY WITH THE GAS MILEAGE.

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  Fun To Drive - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By John - December 13 - 10:57 am

  Before I bought car I read reviews here n got alitte nervous. But I really like this car fun to drive. And not bad gas mileage about 26 mpg steady. I hope this review don t jinkx me. I bought an extended warranty direct because of what I read here. I plan on keeping car 4 a while. So bought a 5 yr 100 k mile hope I don t need it but I have in just in case. Im 6 ft 285 and the car is comfortable 4 me easy to get in and out of too.

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  Yes, it does have a Hemi! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Moparknighthawk - December 13 - 10:43 am

  The Charger R/T Daytona is a super awesome car! I have loved every mile so far. Being a limited production car, (mine is number 1592 of 4000 made) I love the look and the color. Its loaded to the gills too. I am getting great mileage so far averaging 21 MPG in the 4200 miles I have driven it. It gets noticed everywhere I go. It seems to fit me. I plan on keeping it for many many years to come. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something unique and head turning. Its a true enthusiasts car!

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  Mopar Man - 2013 Dodge Avenger
  By Robert Bane - December 11 - 9:56 pm

  I bought my 2013 Avenger as a left over in March of 2014 with only 15 miles on the odometer. My first experience as a Dodge owner was with a 1996 Intrepid that my wife thought looked pretty nice and said I should try it out. It had 45,000 miles when I purchased it and I drove it for the next twelve years and when I finally gave it up it had 325,000 miles on it. Naturally I was drawn to the Dodge brand and the Avenger was a sporty looking car and I needed something to teach my daughter how to drive in. My other kids got to drive the Intrepid. I really wanted the Charger, but opted for the smaller sized car. Still not a bad choice. I opted for the 3.6L V6 engine since that was what my Intrepid had in it and have never been disappointed. the only problem I have encountered was when the car was about three months old, the transmission seemed to lock up one time as I was rolling to a stop sign. I couldnt get it to go into gear, but after towing it to the dealer and having them check it out, they found nothing and it never happened again. I now have almost 100,000 miles, I drive it a lot, have been through two sets of tires, change my own oil every 5,000 miles religiously and keep it a clean as I can living in North East Ohio. Its a blast to drive on the twisting up and down roads even in the snow. One of my co-workers drives a Subaru and he couldnt keep up with me one night. Sometimes you get bad cars, sometimes you get good cars. I work in the Auto industry and all the parts come from the same bin no matter who buys them. If you take care of your equipment, it will take care of you. If you like a sporty car, not too big or small with lots of power, this is your ride.

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  New Avenger - 2010 Dodge Avenger
  By John Mech - December 11 - 7:28 pm

  I just got this 2010 White Gold Avenger 2 days ago, so I have not driven it too much. 100 miles so far. I like the car so far. Very quiet, solid. This is a new color for Dodge for 2010.

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  So Far, So Good - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Dave & Debi H - December 4 - 8:46 pm

  My wife says this car drives itself and she is not far from the truth. It has it all, and has gotten rave reviews from all of our friends who have seen it.

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  great vehicle - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By TODD - December 3 - 10:42 am

  The towing is amazing. I tow a big camper and a horse trailer, neither sinks the suspension. Power, ride, and handling are all good. I have had nothing fixed as of yet. A rock solid vehicle for smaller people. My only complaint is I am a bigger guy and the seat is just to high, steering wheel is to low.

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  The silver bullet - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By Robert - December 1 - 11:23 am

  in 2006 i bought a 02 r/t with 150k i have never had a problem out of the car and the previouse owner did not either. in fact the factory battery last up till the spring of 09. car is fun to drive very comforatable inside. has decent acceleration, not so bad MPG. for how much they cast it is a great car. beats the cost to own a 00- 03 civic to!