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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  Love my Nitro! - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By Bev - November 13 - 8:58 am

  Ive had my Nitro for 2 years now, putting on roughly 35,000 km each year. Love it! Husband says not enough space for him (he is 62) but I dont have an issue. Very sporty, fun to drive, easy to park, can haul lots with the fold down seats. Mileage could be better but heh, its a SUV, they are all the same arent they? Havent had many problems at all. Tire pressue gauge is touchy would be the only thing Ive have to say negative in 2 years hauling 2 busy kids around, living on a gravel road in rural Alberta.

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  so far so good - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By fordfan - November 10 - 6:51 pm

  Bought it as used at carmax. 2.4l engine. Kind of loud. Other than that everything is good. 20-22 combined mpg. Reliability is good for my 3 yrs ownership. Nothing broken down. Good value.

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  07 to 10 - 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By t grobsmith - November 10 - 7:23 am

  miss the 07, I preferred the styling of the 07 over the 10. Both are nice vehicles but the 07 averaged 18 around town while the 10 gets 15. Highway the 07 would get 28 the 10 lucky to get 24. Also the gas is now 10% ethanol which does make a little difference.

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  Regret - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Mary - November 8 - 9:25 am

  I traded in an SUV that I LOVED for this thing. It has a very weak AC. There is a drink "cooler" in the glove box that is cooled by the AC. Pretty pointless if the AC doesnt even get cold. Youd be better off taking your cold drink and rubbing it on your face because that is the only way you will cool off in this car. The interior is too cramped and there are blind spots everywhere I look. I hate driving this car.

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  Not bad! - 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By JC - November 8 - 7:33 am

  This is my first mini-van. I am pleasantly surprised at how nice it drives and rides. I have 2 small children and getting them in and out is a whole lot easier than the Jeep that I just got rid of. The stow and go seats are wonderful! Its like have a mini- van and a pick up all in one. Not to mention there are 8, count them, 8 cup holders in the front seats alone. So far, as Ive only owned the veh for a week, I would recommend this veh to friends and family! However the defroster leaves a little to be desired. I have a hard time keeping the windows clear.

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  My fun 2nd car - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Hector Fussa - November 7 - 9:10 pm

  Bought this vehicle as a 2nd car mainly for commuting, and I love it. I added 17" wheels and some fat tires, tinted the windows so it looks cool. it came with a decent warranty at an excellent price. Toyotas and Hondas are getting too expensive and I think that this Neon with the proper maintanance and care will last me a few years.

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  2005 Dodge Neon - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Bob - November 5 - 5:20 pm

  I bought this car because of its relative fuel economy vs selling price...good MPG for the price I paid. In town I get 25.5, with automatic, driving conservatively. Also, it is a previous SCCA champion road race and autoross car...it handles very well, handles super with a few minor mods.Acceleration is fun, not stunning.

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  GOOD START - NEEDS HELP - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By RACER52 - November 5 - 10:00 am

  SOLD AN 03 350Z PERFORMANCE MODEL FOR THIS RT. GREAT LOOKS. SUSPENSION HITS BUMP STOPS CROSSING INTERSECTIONS AND IS WAY TOO FLOATY ON REBOUND. WHY IS THE TURN SIGNAL STALK NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE STEERING WHEEL. MY HANDS ARE ALWAYS AT 10 AND 2 - GEE - RIGHT WHERE THE CRUISE CONTROL STALK IS! FRONT BUCKET SEATS CAN HANDLE TWO SMALL ADULTS COMFORTABLY IN EACH SEAT. THE RT SHOULD HAVE REAL SIDE BOLSTERS TO FIT ONE PERSON, NOT TWO. PLS PUT THE CHRYSLER SRT8 UNDER THE MAGNUM BODY - OR AT LEAST OPTION A SUSPENSION TO ENABLE THE RT TO BE MORE LIKE A TRUE SPORTS WAGON AND MATCH ITS LOOKS. NOTHING CLOSE TO THE ADVERTISED GAS MILEAGE, WAY TOO MUCH FUN

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  Transmision and Fan problems - 2008 Dodge Dakota
  By Charles - November 4 - 3:13 pm

  The first night I owned the vehicle I started it and the Variable Speed Fan was locked up. It roared like an 18 wheeler. Then came the transmission problem. When coming to a stop, at 25 MPH the transmission dropped into low gear and jolted the whole vehicle. Many trips to dealer never resolved these problems. Tech says fan problem is normal!!! I got rid of it at 28,900 miles. The decision was made solely due to the problems with the vehicle.

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  Still Love The Neon! - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Matt D. - November 3 - 7:47 am

  We bought this car two years ago with 19k on the odometer. We now have 60k on it. The only issue weve ever had besides a stock battery with a couple dead cells in it, was with a water leak that Chrysler issued a TSB back in 03. I fixed that myself. The car handles great, fairly comfortable for a small car, and is fun to drive. Sure it could use more power, but its way more than adequate. One thing though, is the in town mileage for this car is pretty low. I average 23 MPG in town. But on the highway, especially on our vacation trips, we hit 37 MPG regularly. The factory Goodyear Eagle LS tires were horrible in the rain and snow. I replaced them with Cooper CS4s and havent looked back.