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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  1999 Grand Caravan Sport - 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By John Walker - June 19 - 10:00 am

  Initially we loved this vehicle. It performed well and was an excellent family hauler and trust me, we have a clan to move! Over the past year we have experienced several problems including the drive belt tensioner, having to replace the front brakes twice in 13,000 miles, needing new front brake rotors, exhaust sensor replacement and speedometer sensor replacement. A little too much to swallow in such a short period of time. Our perception is that the vehicle is falling apart after just a few years of use. We are ready to jump ship and move to a new, different brand vehicle.

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  Love it - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By Willard - June 18 - 1:55 am

  More power than you can imagine. A muscle car that needs no maintenance. It is truly a modern day hot rod. It is a mix of raw power and gut wrenching off the line thrust. Who would actually believe it gets over 20 miles per gallon on the highway? It does!

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  Viper, unbelieveable driving experience - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By cebernstein - June 17 - 6:12 pm

  This is an affordable exotic car. More power than you will ever know what to do with. So far, Ive had no troubles with the vehicle. It is truly a pleasure to drive, and will get you noticed everywhere you go.

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  Loving my Caliber - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By MS. G - June 17 - 1:30 am

  I just purchased my Caliber a week ago and I just love it! I wanted a mid size SUV and decided to go with the Caliber instead. Its just like a SUV. I have received so many compliments about my car everyone that see it loves it. It is so comfortable and rides very well. I have the red one and the color is just beautiful. I highly recommend this car, you will love it!

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  Great Van - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By Cheesecubs - June 16 - 10:52 pm

  Bought this van new in 1998 and have had no problems other than normal wear up to now. Had to put in a $50 front-end part and that is it. Greating driving van, easy in and out. Lots of flexible room.

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  Love this car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By bluebutterflyla - June 16 - 4:50 pm

  If an SUV and a sedan had kids this is what it would look like. Small like a sedan with room like an SUV and the comfort of both. This car is great on gas and is very dependable.

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  Caliber - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By jim - June 15 - 11:40 pm

  Drove in snow and ice for first time. Excellent handling on the ice with AWD. Getting up icy hills with no problem. Tows my small boat easily. Would like better gas mileage (22 mpg city). Is not crowded with five passengers. Like the SUV style-I call it a minie SUV.

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  Great for our family - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Amy - June 15 - 3:53 pm

  I got a loaded SLT with 4WD, Hemi, sunroof, leather, DVD entertainment system. We have three kids so the Durango gives us lots of room with the 3rd row.

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  Great Car, No Problems! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Rey Rivas - June 15 - 10:00 am

  I bought my car in July of ‘03. Its an 03 SE model in Black (not much different from the 04 SE) Im a college student & I needed a car that was reliable & that could handle being driven on 6 hr long road trips between my school and home, aswell as a car that looked & felt good to drive. When I test drove it I knew this was the car I wanted. I’ve had no mechanical problems. Ive added a spoiler & CD player, plus other things that I will install shortly. Interestingly enough, if I had to do it again I wouldnt buy it, only because after I got my car I noticed other cars that looked sportier, but I definitely dont regret getting my Neon!

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  My Durango - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By Keith - June 14 - 6:53 pm

  My favorite of all midsize SUVs. Beautiful design. Its much more stylish than any of those boxes on wheels rolling around out there. It has great interior space for cargo and passengers. Best of all it has an incredibly strong and powerful engine. I have done everything from get out of 4 foot snow drifts to pushing disabled cars and towing large boats. Not as quiet as a luxury vehicle but definitely more affordable and practical. By far one of the best car selections that I ever made.