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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  God help us all - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By milent - October 19 - 10:57 pm

  I bought this car less than two years ago with 30k on it and as soon as I reached 36k and my warranty expired, this car was nothing but a pain. It leaks, had to replace radiator, transmission went bad at 52K. It became increasingly noisy. It goes fine when alone in it, but two more people get in and it seems like it is pulling the trailer. It is relatively cheap. I say relatively because you are going to spend a lot on repairs. never gonna buy another.

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  Number 4 - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By P Sosnoski - October 19 - 9:35 pm

  This is our 4th Minivan and best yet. Love the DVD player and Stow n Go seating. Dealer was great, our 3 from them. This is much quieter than our 2000 Grand Caravan. No problems so far, and gas mileage is improving weekly (thank god!!)....about 23mpg mixed.

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  Satisfied So Far - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By After A Long Search - October 19 - 8:26 pm

  I looked for a replacement vehicle for 2 months, drove all kinds of cars, trucks and vans and decided on the Dakota mainly because of its size and price. Got it new for just over 15K which was 8K less than the sticker. I couldnt come near that on any of the competition including the compacts. It has a heavy, secure feel. The gas mileage is 16 mpg so I figure its costing me 15 cents per mile to drive this truck. Oh well, better than being cramped into a tacky Kia.

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  Great Truck - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Eric - October 19 - 2:32 am

  I got this truck on my 18th birthday. I love it! Comfortable ride, dependable, V-6 -has plenty of power, smooth look. Chrome definitely looks nice on this truck. The interior could use a little work, but nothing major. Overall, I am very satisfied with my purchase. I also looked at the Colorado, and I am very satisfied with my decision. I recommend buying.

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  Always a mechanical problem - 1998 Dodge Stratus
  By dodgeowner - October 19 - 12:20 am

  Weve had this car for 5 years and there has always been some mechanical problem that just wont go away or is easy to fix: faulty fuel pump (was replaced under warranty and still faulty) CV joint broken blown head gasket in 2004not as quiet to road noise as before some interior light features broken power lock doors from key entry never worked speaker system wires faulty radio control panel difficult size to replace with new system for home repairs, the parts are all not easily accessible at all.

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  Gotta Love It!!! - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Starry - October 18 - 2:00 am

  This car has been wonderful to me and my family. It is very roomy and provides space for five, tall adults. The ride is very smooth and comfortable for long trips. The only complaint is that the driver window sticks and falls off of the track. Other than that, there is absolutely nothing I would say is wrong with the car!

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  Durango, gas hogger - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Sonia - October 17 - 1:03 pm

  I think that the Durango is a real nice looking vehicle. The only thing that I dont like is the gas mileage. The tag on the vehicle said that I would get 19 in city and 24 on highway. They lied. I only get 15 in the city and about 14.5 on the highway. I made this purchase thinking that the gas mileage was not the greatest but it was ok. Now if Id known that the gas mileage was 15 in city and 14.5 on highway, I would of looked for another vehicle. Im not happy with the Durango.

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  My Hemi - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By garry birks - October 16 - 6:33 pm

  I love the power of the v8 Hemi. It performs better than I expected. Lots of room, very comfortable. The sound system is also great.

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  New Dodge Magnum 2006 - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By hopper - October 16 - 5:46 pm

  All in all this is a great car. There are a few things that we dont like. The size and cargo is excellent. We packed our house in it for the evacuation of hurricaine Rita. The car drove great in 28 hours of traffic , never ran out of gas. It has large gas tank and great fuel economy. The things we dislike are that the air conditioner blows hot air at you when you first turn it on. This is annoying when it is hot out. The other things are that the arm rests are extremely hard and hurt your elbow. The windows are high so when you hang your arm out the window it is at an uncomfortable angle. But most of the things we love about this car.

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  Astounding Value - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By sailor22 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Lots of utility and comfort for low price, $9,000 LESS THAN my 2003 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer, and I received "friends and family" pricing on both. How does DCX do it? HEMI gas mileage on freeway was 19+ mpg @ 75 mph, after break in. Unique styling doesnt do much for us, but more people ask about liking the Durango than they ever did about the Expedition. Ride quality is much more compliant and smoother than old Durango, very "German" in character. Ive owned the BMW X5 4.4 sport and a Mercedes ML320 and find the Durango Limited to be up to par with these vehicles; the Durango cost $24,000 less than my 2000 X5. Not as roomy as the Expedition.