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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  i love this car - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By kjones - June 26 - 10:55 am

  I bought my durango in 2006 with 80,000 mi on it. Since then the only major repairs I have done were the water pump and the blend door. Being two separate transactions only totaled about $2800 both done by Firestone. I have had an issue with turning off at a stop light with little to no warning. But if you let the engine warm up it is an amazing truck. I now have 168,000 mi on it and it is still running strong. My favorite feature on the truck is the seating. The entire family can go on trips comfortably. With seating for up to 9 people and 2nd and 3rd row fold flat seats makes moving a breeze. I would absolutely recommend this car. I will own this car till the wheels fall off.

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  2004 Durango 5.7/V-8 HEMI - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Desert Raven - June 25 - 12:29 pm

  We love the third row seating, the one feature we miss since we traded in our 04 Pilot on our Ridgeline. So last September we traded our Neon in on the Durango. I had gone to look at Pilots (better MPG) but the best deal I could find was the Durango. Since our purchase, we have averaged 19.0 MPG, driving all over Southern California. We take our Durango everywhere.

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  Awesome Vehicle - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By booter - June 24 - 10:11 pm

  Bought the vehicle at 82,000. Had a problem with the water pump. Worst place to put a water pump right in the middle of the engine. That cost about a grand if you do it yourself. right now i am pushing 110,000 and havent had any problems. I straight piped my car and put on a performance air filter. Because of those little adjustment to my car i get about 30 to 32 on the highway. Overall it is a wonderful car and hope that it last until 250,000.

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  Very happy with 2003 caravan - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By heatherj - June 24 - 9:31 pm

  This is our 3rd van, and it has been terrific. 3 teenage sons all learned to drive on it, so there has been bodywork done, but no major repairs have been needed. :) have always had recommended maintenance carried out on schedule, though. It starts in -35 degree weather without being plugged in (its in Canada) and air conditioning works like a dream when we have +80 f temperatures. It has been ideal with two kids playing sports and lots of trips to out-of-town games. This is my third Dodge caravan, the first being a 1983, the second a 1999, and I would buy another anytime. Great family vehicle, affordable, good mileage. Very practical vehicle.

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  So far so good. - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By frank - June 22 - 8:37 pm

  Sorry for the guy who had a lot of problems on page 1 but i traded my Plymouth Voyager 4-cyl. with 280,000 REAL MILES, got it new (1998) and drove it to death and just wore it out! so i wanted to give dodge another try since i had good luck with my mini-van, so far just 1500 miles on it and i like it a lot, quiet-solid-comfortable and good mileage for a v-6. 24 every day.

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  My RED Magnum! - 2007 Dodge Magnum
  By My RED Magnum! - June 20 - 7:23 pm

  I Love my Magnum! It is great in the winter w/ the autostick and the gas mileage is not that bad either. Very roomy, much better w/ children than a CUV or Minivan! :0)

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  3.2 Engine is very solid - 1998 Dodge Intrepid
  By Chris Riccio - June 17 - 10:18 pm

  I think this could be one of the most underrated cars in the last 10-15 years. I am the original owner. It has respectable performance & handling. It gets great gas mileage. I have gotten 30 MPG on the highway and 23+ around town. Keep in mind this is not a small car. I rent cars all week being a traveling sales guy. I also own 7 other cars. This car is a still amazes me. 203K Miles and still very strong. No issues until the car had 125K on it. Recent repairs have included the air cond system, and the computer system. A few other minor repairs but this car never had a problem in the first 8 years of ownership. Like the design better then the Charger

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  Hot Mag - 2008 Dodge Magnum
  By regularguy2 - June 17 - 6:19 pm

  Nice car, fast, smooth, hauls stuff & hauls! I like the power and the handling

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  I love my Caliber - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By Sheila - June 16 - 1:28 pm

  I just bought my Caliber this week So far it has been a blast to drive. I was so surprised how much pep its got for a small engine. Its also very smooth, you dont even feel the gear shift, I love that. I also love the way it feels like an SUV but looks like a sporty car. So far I love everything about it.

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  Great Car - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By blast of the past - June 15 - 7:29 pm

  This is one of the best cars Ive owned and I must say we got a great deal that ford or Chevy could never match this car handles very well for its size and mpg is great too, we had a Mustang which was nice also but the ride was hard but again its a sports car and with no back seat you wouldnt want to sit in, this car has a nice back that you can sit in, everybody loves it and most of all the dealers are willing to deal , this is a good safe car I would buy again.