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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  Gas mileage - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By Joel - August 26 - 1:35 am

  I love my truck and the way it rides. The only problem is the gas mileage. I might get 17 MPG on the highway if Im lucky. Thats driving around 60 to 70 MPH with the tailgate down. Ive talked to others who own a Dakota and they average about the same.

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  King of Bang for the Buck - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By SRTified - August 25 - 1:32 pm

  What a great little car! Stuff a 2.4L Turbo, heavy duty trans and limited slip diff underhood, then add a good suspension, different styling, and viola - the perfect FWD performance deal. Ive been getting about 27 mpg after the engine break-in. No problems to date. Exhaust is a bit loud, but I kind of like it. It doesnt drone on the expressway. Handling is darn good for a FWD car, and brakes are terrific. It has the Kicker/Livin Loud stereo, and sounds very good! I would prefer to be able to turn the sub up a bit. Cant go wrong for the money!

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  02 Durango 4X4 - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Duane P - August 25 - 10:00 am

  Awesome vehicle... Absolutely no rattles and problems. Very solid vehicle.

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  You gotta try this car - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Ramification - August 25 - 9:40 am

  For me to rate a car as high as I did it has to be something special. At 63" I fit very well inside. I would like to have the center arm rest come out a few more inchest to beter saport my arm. Very quiet inside and at highway speed. Can hardly hear the engine. Stomp on the gas and no question you got a bunch of woop ass power. Brakes are solid and sure footed. As for styleing, drive one for the day and see the looks you get. People ask all kinds of questions about it. The first time you are walking into a parking lot and you see your Magnum amung plain cars that all look the same, you will be as happy as I am about a well rounded station hot rod... ZOOOOMMMM

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  Great Family Ride - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By themightyq - August 24 - 4:53 pm

  Bought this van eight months ago and have driven 8500 miles. Overall, this van is probably the best on the market. We love the stow and go seating and it has a great A/C system. Some people might not like sitting so high in the drivers seat, but my wife does. Gives you a good view of the road. MPG is approx. 18 city and 25 hwy

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  Grand Caravan - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By Daniel Brown - August 24 - 4:37 pm

  I have been less than pleased witht the performance of this vehicle. Steering is loose and out of control when traveling on curvy roads. Dodge still uses rocker switches for windows, children have been killed using these things. They have put them on a vertical surface which increases safety, however it also decreases ergonomics. Airconditioner and radio controls are too low and force the driver to look down, nearly to the floorboard. The power sliding doors are also in need of improvement. Setting these things aside, the van drives well on straight roads and the stow and go seating is a good idea, however the seats are uncomfortable.

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  WOW! Biggest Sports Car on the Road! - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By delray - August 24 - 12:55 pm

  People seem to be complaining about gas mileage? Come on people, get REAL! Per SQ. Ft., this is no doubt the most economical SPORT/Family-"FunToDrive" car on the road!! At 234HP, this vehicle with a 3.5L Outperforms ANY car in its class/year and price range. More importantly, it does it with style, agility and room to spare! If you want 2-4 MPG more, go for half the room, no pep, flat, boring Honda and pay thousands more! Buy this however, and you can put a couple of those thousands in the gas tank and be very pleanantly surprised and happy with all the room and style you got, not even to mention the truely spirted drive youll experience!

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  Sorry to see it go - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By adeldrip - August 23 - 10:54 pm

  I bought the Intrepid off lease at 17,000 miles. Yes I went through the warranty window motors, big deal. The 2.7 engine NEVER gave me any trouble. The car handled well, I loved driving it. I finally had to trade it off after 115,000 miles. Its TERRIBLE driving on gravel roads. If you live in the country dont buy it, the fan fills up with mud and it takes hours to clean up. Its too close to the ground and it leaks dust in the car.

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  Nothing but problems - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By No more Dodge - August 23 - 7:26 am

  We bought the car brand new, looked cool and had good gas mileage. With in the first 30k miles, we had to replace tires, we are still buying tires way to often. We also have a tapping sound that the repair shop can not figure out. After 2 years the paint started to flake off and the trim is pealing. Car looks cool but that is where it ends.

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  Dakota - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By dsatlle - August 23 - 2:23 am

  Overall, the vehicle is about what I expected. When traveling over bumps or potholes the vehicle jumps off the front tires. it feels really dangerous so Im not happy with the way it handles.The passenger seat does not recline to a comfortable position on long trips, not even half way to 180 degrees, it can be quite uncomfortable. The brakes started squeaking at about 16,000 miles and I have not had them checked, hoping that the dust works itself out without the dealer arming and legging me to take care of it. BTW, I bought a oil change coupon book from the dealer and they are always wanting to do unnecessary work, so beware. Other than oil changes I have done no other maintenance.