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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  My GTS - 2001 Dodge Viper
  By Steve - November 11 - 3:21 pm

  I find my Viper to be the perfect cure for todays cookie cutter vehicles. The exterior design is as elegant as it is outrageous. More car companies should be so bold as to take such a chance on applying creative design elements. That said, the interior pays a slight price for maintaining the aggressive outer appearance. The drivers footwell is perticularly tight. A small price to pay considering a quick stab at the throttle forgives all.

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  Coupe 2006 - 2006 Dodge Viper
  By jamie - November 10 - 11:35 pm

  Compared to the SRT convertable, this is tighter, quieter and more solid. The car is brutal for those who havent driven one. Not much creature comforts, but tons of torque and HP. Smooth ride, very tight handling, and awesome if not the best brakes of any car. Spin the tires with ease, If you like attention, this is your car, thumbs up everywhere you go, unlike the corvette, which hardly gets a second look, I have both.

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  Happy Dakota owner - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By dakotaowner - November 10 - 1:44 pm

  I have a 2005 Dakota Quad Cab Laramie with the 4.7-liter High Output V8 and All-wheel drive. The only way I recommend a Dakota is with the High Output V8. It has a better rear end, limited slip, and less restrictive exhaust. All of this adds up to better performance, better handling, and better traction. Add this to the Dakotas good looks and I think its a winner.

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  Finally Rid of this Lemon - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By Nellie03 - November 10 - 12:21 pm

  I cant imagine owning another Dodge. The transmission went out as soon as the warranty did. Ive gone through more ball joints and wheel bearings than gallons of gas it seems! Wiper fluid pump went out at 100,000. Exhaust leaked at 75K. Power Locks went out. Nothing but trouble, but is that really a surpise coming from Dodge? If its not a Hemi, its junk...

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  Great Car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By jake - November 10 - 1:53 am

  This car is great and with gas over $3 it makes it even better. I travel for work and use the cooler and ipod holder every day. I also have the music gate feature and love it for tailgating.

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  Wouldnt Have Believed it - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By gonzoy5 - November 9 - 7:21 pm

  If someone would have told me how sweet this car was I wouldnt have believed it. But once I drove it I was hooked. Sure its a little rough around the edges, but its dead on where it counts. Outperforms cars that are thousands more right out of the dealer lot. Performance upgrades are cheap and easy. Racing style Seats are great after getting used to them. I took a 4 hour trip a month after getting the car and I didnt even think about them. Its a nice commuter car. Small enough to zip around town, fast enough to get away from the SUVs that dominate the roads. Small performance car designers should use this as a template.

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  reliable - 1999 Dodge Avenger
  By rmmedj123 - November 9 - 7:13 pm

  I have put a lot of miles on this car and it has held up wonderfully. Over 180,000 miles so far and no mechanical difficulties. Oil change and tires is it. Good Luck or Good car, probably both.

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  Wonderful Ride - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Oldtimer - November 9 - 7:13 am

  Never thought I would own a Chrysler product bui I bought a 97 ES which I loved. I though that with the deals available today why not look for a new one. I bought a 09 SXT, only had it a week, but I didnt think I could top my 97, but this is really nice. My wife says it is like traveling in a plane, really smooth ride. The 3.8 engine has plenty of power. Seats arent as nice as my 97 though, kinda hard. The stow and go seating is nice, My old seats were getting to heavy to remove. The whole van is larger. I did have some minor adjustments to my garage, just barely fits in my small extra garage. Just had my first long trip and was a dream, especially compared to my last long drive in my 97.

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  Would not buy another one. - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Kaye - November 8 - 11:00 pm

  This van is the small one. Lack of storage and console, no grab bar for front passengers. Inadequate air conditioning for Florida and for passengers beyond the front seats. It has an uncomfortable front passenger seat with limited adjustment. The second seat cupholders are poorly designed and placed. So far only 13.1 miles per gallon city, the same as my previous SUV V-8 which had all the amenities. For the high cost, this vehicle appears stripped and is not a good value. Im so disappointed with vehicle, I plan on trading with my son for his older SUV.

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  Nice Ride for a Permit Driver - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By SDC - November 8 - 9:59 am

  Weve had our Durango for 4 yrs. Its great, though the water pump was damaged by a rock causeing the engine to overheat way too much and blow. Other than that this is one damn fine truck.