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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  caravan is worth the money - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By jeff becker - October 27 - 10:00 am

  this van is so much nicer than my old one i traded in. it is more comfortable and the accessories make the vehicle

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  very fast - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By dodge srt4 - October 27 - 10:00 am

  this is 1 very fast car ..it stops on a dime ..set back and hold on..dodge did a great job for under 20k... keep up the good work

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  great suv,great price - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By ASW - October 27 - 10:00 am

  The new Durango is great! I got the Hemi (5.7L not 4.7) and it will really move! The ride is quiet and handling is great. With the amount of snow we got this last winter, the this thing was unstopable. If you are looking for a great looking suv that will take you anywhere, the Durango is the best choice.

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  My first van - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Judy Ashmore - October 27 - 10:00 am

  It is a very comfortable ride. You do not feel that you are driving a van at all.

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  This van is the bomb! - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By gail39 - October 27 - 2:19 am

  Weve purchased this van brand new in 2006. It has over 117,000 miles in it! Other than the interior cosmetic issues such as flimsy cup holders and shortage on the automatic windows and lights in the front- in terms of its reliability, its great as it has never left us stranded anywhere weve been! My kids grew up riding in it and we have all loved it! No transmission or engine issues so far! Were hoping to another 100,000 miles in it!

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  Sporty Good! - 2014 Dodge Avenger
  By ANDIE - October 25 - 1:03 pm

  The SE model I recently purchased is a great car. I love the Sporty look, it rides good, and runs good mechanically. The radio is a the basic stereo for this vehicle. No rear view camera, no navigation or touch screen options. Im thinking about upgrading just for the rear view assistance. The windows arent as wide as what Im used to in a suv. But all in all Im pleased!

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  Dakota - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By snowman - October 25 - 10:00 am

  Truck has worked out really well for light hauling, running around town. Rides well.

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  Dakota - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Snowman - October 25 - 10:00 am

  Truck has worked out really well for light hauling, running around town. Rides well.

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  hate this car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Eileen - October 24 - 10:03 pm

  I really hate this car. The inside features are not intuitive at all. My son has been pinched with the door locks that auto lock. The seats make your back hurt after any length of time. The trade in value on this car sucks. I owe more than I could ever hope to get back on it. I am praying for the day that I get it paid for so I can just trade it in and get rid of it. It has 4 doors but absolutely no room in the back unless you have the seat tilted so far back you look at the ceiling. The windows are so hard to look out of the visibility sucks. The mileage on the car runs about 26 mpg if we are lucky. The only good point is that it is very good in the snow.

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  Better than Honda - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By Better than old Hond - October 24 - 4:44 pm

  I was having so much trouble with my Honda Odyessy that i needed to buy a vehicle to drive while the Honda was getting its second transmission. I went next door to the Dodge dealership and bought this. I love it. It is more reliable than my Honda ever was. I thinking of selling the van and just driving this. I hated getting stranded in the van all of the time. I would buy another Dodge in a minute over a Japanese brand