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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  Many small problems - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By FuzzyDolly - August 28 - 11:22 am

  When I bought this car in 2000, I was upgrading from a 95 base Neon. At the time I thought I was making a smart decision, guess I was wrong. Although there have not been any major problems with the car, there have been many small ongoing problems. In 5 years, Ive put 39k miles on it, and am on my 4th set of brakes and rotors. In the last year, my hood has rusted through, and the bushings AND bearings have gone. In 5 years, Ive also had to replace the engine mounts TWICE. With the cruise set at 65, I get 20 MPG. In suburb driving, I get 16-17. Expected better mileage. Dealer said this is all normal wear. Funny, never had these problems with any other car. Wish it had Intrepids reliability.

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  Terrrific vehicle - versatile & reliable - 2002 Dodge Caravan
  By Michael - August 27 - 11:33 pm

  We have driven our SWB Caravan Sport over 75,000 miles in 2.5 years. It has been virtually trouble free. The only exception was a sliding door issue that was covered by warrantee. It has met our every need from a local people hauler to a vacation and camping marvel. Terrific handling, very good fuel economy (consistently over 21 mpg combined), and great looks. My engineer daughter loves to drive it. We are passing it on to our son who now has two small kids, but replacing it with a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country Touring model. We are sold on this car.

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  One of the most underrated sedans - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By Dodge8 - August 27 - 7:31 pm

  I bought this car to replace my piece of junk 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera. This Intrepid has done more than impress me. I am getting 27 to 29 mpg with city/highway and 32 mpg with the optional 3.5l 24 valve SOHC V6 that was only rated at 26 mpg! I have almost 127,000 miles on the original motor and transmission and they both behave as though they have at least another 75,000 miles left on them. I have had to replace a intake and some other gasket on it but beyond that, it is been trouble free.

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  Pathetic - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Steffiesue - August 27 - 6:36 pm

  I bought this car off lease and it was great for 6 months. Since then I have replaced the speed sensor the power stearing pump 2 times, the same belt 2 times, and the alternator 2 times. I had it worked on at the Dodge dealership here in town. On top of this I have also replaced the computer. The car is well maintained and has less than 80,000 miles on it.

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  Wow Car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By gomoe - August 27 - 2:33 pm

  A great smooth zippy drive. I love the comfort of this car! Sturdy, smooth, classy, but sporty. Most of all I am surprised at the great comfort and room that this car has. The designer was brilliant. It looks smart on the outside and serves your comforts on the inside. Gas mileage is little less than what I thought, but three times better than anything out there. The look is unlike any other out there! I have been asked more than enough from strangers just wanting to know, "what kind of car is that?" Stands out and gets your attention. Nice looking. Good job Dodge!

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  Poorly designed - 1998 Dodge Stratus
  By joseph - August 27 - 3:21 am

  This vehicle looks nice and is fun to drive. The problem with the vehicle is that Dodge designed it to fall apart and then be so difficult to fix that you would be required to bring it to a dealership so they can make more money. For example the battery is not accessible from engine compartment, must remove tire to access it, drain plug for radiator inside of bumper, brake caliper made out of plastic so it fails every 2-3 brake changes. everything requires special tools to repair it. not an easy car to fix despite many problems with it, gaskets failing, etc. I would not recommend this vehicle to anyone.

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  Great truck - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By rjwagne2 - August 26 - 8:37 pm

  Handles great and is fun to drive. Not to mention Im getting better fuel economy than what is on the sticker (just over 21)

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  Very pleased with my Stratus - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By Deb - August 26 - 6:11 pm

  My Stratus rides extremely smoothly, is very comfortable and extremely quiet. The 4-cylinder engine has excellent pick-up and I get great gas mileage.

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  2001 Intrepid-Great Car! - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By lil mac - August 26 - 3:18 pm

  I traded in a 2001 Stratus R/T 2-door with the 3.0 liter and 5-speed in 12/2003 for this car. Best deal I ever made! The Intrepid (with a 3.2 liter) handles better than the Stratus and has better pickup, not to mention is much roomier and way more comfortable for long trips. I change the oil about every 2000 miles and just had to replace the steering gear at 77,000 miles. Other than that, its been a remarkably trouble-free car. All Ive had to handle is normal wear-and-tear items. I love the looks of this car, but would have been way happier had it been available as a 2- door coupe.

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  Jacks Hemi - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Jack Partington - August 26 - 10:53 am

  The Charger has been the most fun car to drive. It holds the road solidly and accelerates without hesitation.