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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  This car is awesome! - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By Ib2yz4u - July 8 - 4:17 am

  I love this car! I got all the upgrades, remote starter, spoiler, custom air intake, custom exhaust, tinted windows. This aint your mamas Intrepid, (Even though I am a mom )I wouldnt be selling it if it had a 3rd row of seating! It is so much fun to drive, 3 kids in the back seat and plenty of room for me and daddy in the front. Only complaint is the 60 lb puppy under my feet! Thinking of buying? Get the upgrades, 3.5 ltr v-6 with auto stick and stick some pipes on it. If your kids wont talk back to you this car will. It will just take what you dish out and keep on giving it back to you. My only regret, that I didnt get the car when I was younger. Man, I could have had some fun!! It is a great car. You wont be disappointed. I never was! It will be a sad day when mine goes!

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  Reliable...but falling apart - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By David James C - July 7 - 10:52 am

  The Avenger was the pick for my ex - and I got stuck with it, while she took the new RAV 4. Smart. The Avenger is reliable, always starting, but acceleration and performance seems to decrease year after year. I put oversided fat tires on it, and it looks and handles very well . The seating is very uncomfortable and the electric fore/aft died, but the cabin still looks good. CD function died, but the premium sound system is still good. The tranny seems to be going now. Front end was replaced by the previous owner. A/C died, holds vacuum, but cannot find leak after recharging three times. The next day its dead. See a trend here? Time to sell it while it still looks good.

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  Magnum - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By NICK - July 7 - 8:13 am

  Great quality improvement for Dodge. Outstanding performance is only mared by poor fuel economy. However, my highway mileage is still a respectable 18MPG. The only problem I have had has been a clunking noise from the HVAC system at start up. Apart from that, I love it. Oh, It really does turn heads!!!!

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  Dont forget your wallet on trips - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By not a fan - July 7 - 12:21 am

  I like the fact that this car has never left me stranded, but I only get 11 MPG in town and 15 MPG on the highway! My keyless entry only works when it wants to, and my security alarm goes off even when its parked in the garage for no apparent reason! My biggest complaint though is the gas mileage. Its very poor. I could understand if I were pulling a trailer, but not just cruising down the highway.

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  Reliability Nightmare - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Mel Farnaby - July 6 - 6:11 pm

  This is my second Durango from the same dealer. My first one was returned and replaced due to excessive water leaks that the dealer was unable to fix. My new 05 SLT with Hemi has now had three fuel pumps on it and a new gas tank, and I am extremely dissatisfied and wonder where and when it is going to leave me on the side of the road again. This vehicle has less than 5,000 miles on it and has been in and out of the dealership since I leased it. I wish Dodge would face up to the fact that they have a problem and take steps to rectify.

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  Valuable advice - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Badintrepid - July 5 - 5:15 pm

  I bought my Dodge Intrepid used a few years ago. I loved it despite the window problems I had initially. It was very comfortable to drive and a fun car in general. But then one thing broke down after another and they were all major concerns. My transmission has died costing $2,000 plus the speed sensors and other problems you can find online very easily. The oil system is also a major concern in most models because it was designed very poorly. Although this car seems great at first - try asking repair people their opinions on this car. Youll get a good laugh. Although my family members are employed by Chrysler, after this experience, I will never ever buy a Chrysler/Dodge product again!

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  Get the Bugs Out - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By aurora4u - July 5 - 2:34 pm

  I like the truck, but it has had a problem with the instrument cluster. No speedometer, the air bag light goes on, and the ABS light goes on. It does not keep codes if you turn off the engine, and you must take to shop for a quick scan. It is in shop today. This is the 13th day at the dealer since I bought it. It could use more head room. I am 64", and if the seat is not set right, the roll over bar is on your head. I do love the color Patriot Blue Pearl coat. I guess that is why I bought it. This was the very first one the dealer had. I should have waited for a review before I bought.

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  10 year review - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Tony S - July 5 - 8:21 am

  I’ve had my caliber R/T for 10 years now, and overall it’s been a decent vehicle. Like a few others, I to had to replace the ball joints around 50,000 miles. I’ve replaced the battery twice. Replaced tires numerous times. Replaced the master and slave cylinder for transmission. That’s about it. I bought the car used in 2007 with 14,000 Miles. The dealer had a number of calibers on the lot, but I wasn’t fond of any until I saw this one. It looked great (still does), was an R/T, plus had many of the SRT upgrade features. Finally, it was a manual transmission which I love. Over the years, I’ve racked up more an 100,000 Miles on this car, and although I’ve had a few repairs, I’ve never regretted buying it. Any car 10 years old will be be in the shop sooner or later. Even with the expense of repairs, it’s been the most economical and reliable car I’ve ever owned. Time and time again it’s got me where I needed to be, and never let me down. I was looking for a economical car when I found the Caliber. Many told me not to buy it, but those same people were spending thousands more on a car than I wanted to. I bought it anyway and have never regretted it. Maybe I was lucky. Maybe I found the only decent Caliber out there. I don’t know. I like to think I took care of her, and she took care of me.

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  Loaded Laramie QC H/O 3.7 - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Mike J. - July 3 - 12:48 pm

  Purchased truck to replace 03 Dakota club cab. Really appreciate the added power, room , improved handling and quite ride of the new model. Took it on an immediate long trip with camper in tow - better mileage and more comfort than the 03 model! Compliments to Chrysler on this one!

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  Great Vehicle - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By JOAN&JOHN - July 3 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is great. We got a tremendous deal on it. This is our second Dodge and we plan to have more. Handles great, looks great, the 6 cyl has great pickup, i was surprised. Plenty of extras for a low price.