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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  Replaced Jeep GC 4x4 - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Ray - November 3 - 7:20 pm

  Not sure why so many national reviewers are giving this vehicle so much grief. I have the RT with the 2.4L 5spd Manual. Coming from a V6 SUV, I think this car has a lot of pep. Love the color options, my model is Black ext with black and red accents interior. Very roomy in the front. Although, I wish they narrowed steering column. Having short legs I have to be a little closer to the steering wheel. My legs scrape getting in and out.

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  Nice car, but needs a little work. - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By Tony - November 2 - 11:30 pm

  Me and my family bought a brand new 1998 Caravan with 5 miles on it, and we liked it, for a little while. Head gasket failed at 16,000 miles, had many porblems with A/C, and after replacing every component, me and the dealer got to the point that it just needed an adjusted belt after every winter. after a few more parts replaced, the trans tore apart at 73,000 miles, just slipped into the warrenty. then recently, the car needed 2 rigorus mainance jobs, because the engine would hesesitate, nearly stall, backfire, shake, jiggle, and then the power steering was leaking, and oil is slightly leaking. I regret ever buying this car, and I wished that I just got a Ford Taurus.

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  Excellent Family Vehicle - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By WillyBee - November 2 - 2:09 am

  My Silver Durango has all the amenities that a growing family requires in a vehicle. Plenty of storage space, a great sound system with DVD player. The ride is very smooth and the seating comfortable. Great styling in the body and interior design. I absolutely love my Durango.

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  Solid - Great Value - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By MrRetail2 - November 1 - 2:00 am

  Compared Many makes and models and kept coming back to the Dodge Grand Caravan. After having a Ford Windstar - since 96 - I did not want to go the Ford Route again. The creature comforts are many on the Dodge and the ride is excellent. The only option we did not get was the leather interior & DVD. The 6 CD in dash puts out great sound and the Sun Roof will be a nice feature when the weather get warmer. Dealer was discounting heavily and the Rebates made it a bargain compared to the other mini-vans. We ended up almost 8 thousand under sticker!

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  No complaints and a great car! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Smelly - November 1 - 2:00 am

  My first new car and Im very pleased. Of course going from a 1993 Ford Escort station wagon to just about any new car is a great improvement. However Im very pleased with everything about this car. The accelleration is quick for 132hp (notice I got the manual trans) and braking is solid and responsive. Im 63 and the seats are very comfortable even for long drives and I have plenty of headroom. I love the car.

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  Good but whiny - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By Joe Lewis - November 1 - 2:00 am

  This is the first Dodge I have ever had. I like the looks of the car and it is comfortable for long trips. I have been spoiled by some of the GM features Im used to so it is hard to get used to not having those features on this car. My only complaints are the whining noise that changes volume and pitch with the reving engine, the vibrating rear view mirror, and the rattling seat belt buckle. Also, the spoiler hits the radio antenna when opening and closing the trunk. While I like the looks and comfort, these complaints will keep me from buying another Dodge product.

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  Very pleased with 2004 Durango - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By BH - October 30 - 8:23 pm

  Excellant choice in a family SUV if you need space, comfort, towing capacity, and a just plain fun to drive SUV for the price.

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  I Love My Stratus!!! - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By Becky - October 30 - 3:43 pm

  I had a Dodge Stratus back in 99 that held me through 250,000 miles....I never had a problem with that car and only had to replace the norms (brakes, etc)...I only traded it in because of the miles and only had problems with other brands until I purchased another vehicle made by Chrysler/Dodge. Now I have a 2003 Sebring and my new baby, my 2005 Stratus. I love this car in the way that it handles, the look, and the gas mileage isnt too shabby either.

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  Good, but not Great! - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By ChadM - October 30 - 12:24 pm

  Overall I have been happy with the vehicle. I have had one recurring problem that no one has been able to resolve. This vehicle will "bog down" and stutter, and possibly stall periodically. I believe it is a lack of fuel, but it could be an air flow problem or all 6 cyclinders amy not be firing properly. The check engine light comes every time this occurs (it has happened 15-20 times). Every time the code has been checked it indicates that the gas cap needs to be replaced because the air seal and therefore the air pressure is not being maintained properly.

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  Cant trust the power windows - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By Magic Dragon - October 30 - 9:44 am

  I bought the car when it was a year old. Two years later, the drivers power window went bad and Ive had that same window fixed a total of 5 times in the last year. I can no longer use the window because I dont trust it to operate correctly.