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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  Cool Car - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By El VatoLoco - December 18 - 12:12 pm

  So far this car has been very fun to drive and the factory sound system is just awesome. The body styling is also the best styled Neon ive seen so far. The interior is well made as well and its also great on gas. And there is so many aftermarket parts for it as well which is a good thing for me.

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  What am I gonna get now??? - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By SUVman - December 17 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned a 99 SLT+ for close to four years now. The only real gripe that I have is that the Durango rides a little too close to the pavement, and its ride with the factory shocks was below par. Its breaks also feel somewhat squishy in harsh braking conditions. Other than that, its been a great vehicle. The 5.9 is extremely powerful for a vehicle of this size, and a lead foot on the gas pedal will burn a quick hole through your wallet. After sitting in a plethora of comparably equipped SUVs, the interior fit and finish of my truck appeals to me now more than ever. Not one squeek or rattle after 60K+ miles. Based on my experience with three other 4x4 SUVs, this is VERY unusual.

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  What am I gonna get now??? - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By SUVMAN - December 17 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned a 99 SLT+ for close to four years now. The only real gripe that I have is that the Durango rides a little too close to the pavement, and its ride with the factory shocks was below par. Its breaks also feel somewhat squishy in harsh braking conditions. Other than that, its been a great vehicle. The 5.9 is extremely powerful for a vehicle of this size, and a lead foot on the gas pedal will burn a quick hole through your wallet. After sitting in a plethora of comparably equipped SUVs, the interior fit and finish of my truck appeals to me now more than ever. Not one squeek or rattle after 60K+ miles. Based on my experience with three other 4x4 SUVs, this is VERY unusual.

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  OK, but look before you buy - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By Craig - December 17 - 12:33 am

  Very stiff ride, rocks a lot on bumpy roads. My wife and kids complained incessantly about the poor optics at the edges of the windshield. Definitely a gas hog. Had some wierd repairs I thought should not have happened - leading belly pan, upper and lower ball joints failed. Very small gas tank and had to fill up way to often. My previous estimation of Dodge quality suffered with this truck. Seemed to be a lot of noise when at highway speeds. Other years are probably more thoughtfully put together.

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  Too much Mercedes - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By hobbyman - December 16 - 1:26 pm

  I love the styling and power. I accept the poor milege. The steering colunm, tilt wheel, turn signal, cruise control, and power seat operation seem to be for another car(Mercedes?). None of the above features match the feel or operation of any of my other Chrysler cars.This car definitely needs seat memory with two drivers. My wife broke a fingernail the first time she tried the power window switches.The fiberglas rear cargo insert is a drop-in loose fit that is not mounted in any manner. I would hate to think where this heavy piece would fly to if I ever had a front end collision. Good car that misses on the details that makes a great car that you wnnt to drive foreve

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  Dime a dozen (used), worth every penny. - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By kkenmore63 - December 16 - 4:49 am

  More room than any truck/suv, with handling and mileage of a sedan. What I like: Stow n go, lots of storage, roomy comfortable, decent on gas (27mpg hwy, 18.5 combined). Well thought out interior. Chrysler seems to have addressed a lot of the previous gens chronic mechanical issues (transmissions, sway bar bushings, etc), though it seems to have been at the expense of attention to detail. What I dont like: Cheap feel compared to my old 97, though better than the 2010 I used on loan. The pass. side power door stopped working (broken wire, easy fix, see youtube). The key fob stopped working. The airbag light is on for some reason, and OMG the rust is an up hill battle.

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  Gotta go with the R/T - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By Tony K - December 15 - 3:37 pm

  Ive had my Stratus R/T now for 6 months. Plenty of horsepower and still get 30 mpg on the highway. I got mine fully loaded w/ auto-stick, moonroof, leather, infinity sound, chrome wheels. I get a lot of nice car compliments. Dodge did a great job with this car.

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  Dream Car - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Brian Pahlm - December 14 - 12:13 pm

  Its not a 2 door so what? I ordered this car on June 28th and just got it on the 8th of Sept. The audio is great for stock, the sunroof is a great option, but for the money ($1600) the road and track option is the way to go. Up graded stearing, exhaust, suspension all for the right price. Its not orange or yellow so hopefully ill be able to avoid some tickets. With 350 horsepower for 33,175 msrp you cant go wrong. Light em up

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  POC - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By privateer - December 14 - 2:00 am

  I will never buy another Dodge product ever. The brakes needed to be replaced after 8000 miles. The transmission is stiff and jerky. The fit is poor and the dealership service is abysmal.

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  Great Van - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Steven Griffey - December 14 - 2:00 am

  I love it, easy to drive, fun to ride in, lots of room.