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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  Good solid vehicle- 2006 Durango Limited - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By Warren - October 11 - 12:08 am

  I have had this 2006 Limited HEMI for 3 years now and no problems whatsoever. This is an excellent SUV. It will tow just about any trailer with the 5.7L HEMI. Fit and finish on the interior of the Limited model is very good overall. Plenty of off the line power with no lag. Factory Navigation system from Alpine is very good, although it isnt touchscreen and requires CD map updates periodically. Ride and comfort are exceptional. Visibility is outstanding. Perhaps a bit better final inspection as a drain pipe wasnt originally installed in the side pillar which caused water leaks in the first rain. Dealer installed at no charge. Overall, Dodge makes some very fine trucks like this one.

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  Decent car, decent price... - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By kaoticsundae - October 10 - 10:06 pm

  All in all, I cannot complain too much. I traded in a 99 Pontiac Grand Prix with 182,000 miles for this 04 Dodge Stratus with 74,000 miles. I have an incredibly long commute to and from work and I figured the MPG difference would pay for itself. I was wrong. The MPGs for the two cars during my ownership have been almost identical. Plus, I am a very tall man and have a wife and two kids to haul around and it is a tight squeeze for us all after a grocery store trip. The front floorboards are very spacious but the back are lacking. The handbrake is too far away for a driver that has to put the seat back a bit. I do like the 4 cupholders. Biggest complaint: the car shifts VERY ROUGHLY!!!!!!!!

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  04 intrepid sxt 3.5L HO engine - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By dennis williams - October 10 - 4:14 pm

  bought the car late in 04 when they were phasing it out. car is great on road trips and plenty of power w/ the 250 horse 3.5L. religiously change oil every 3000 miles and obey all scheduled maintenance. had a cam shaft sensor go out 2 yrs ago covered under warranty. had a recall last month for the crankshaft sensor once again it was free. bought new tires last week after 63000 on the original goodyears.

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  2000 Intrepid base - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By andre1969 - October 9 - 10:00 am

  Typical Mopar, but thats not necessarily bad! Great drivetrain, roomy, attractive inside & out, but build quality could be better. 3 door frame seals have shrunk, the plastic cover around the shifter is loose, passenger-side mirror wont adjust, and a power lock actuator had to be replaced. Mostly minor items...as this car ages, itll probably be the kind that nickels and dimes you to death, rather than catastrophically fail all at once! Base 2.7 is a bit slow around town unless you stomp on it, but at higher speeds its pretty quick. Roomy in most dimensions, but a bit lacking in front-seat legroom. 62000 miles.

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  Alternative to Cookie-Cutter Sedans - 2009 Dodge Avenger
  By James - October 5 - 10:38 am

  Ive always liked the look of the Dodge Charger, but theyre too big and too rear-wheel driven for the wife, so we went with the "Baby Charger." First off, it looks like no other sedan out there. Whether thats a good thing or bad thing is up to you, but we love it. Bright red with tinted windows looks pretty mean. Interior controls are layed out nicely, but build quality (uneven gaps, rock-hard platics, etc) is a little lacking. We average mid-to-high 20s for gas mileage. Engine gets the job done but you wont win any races.

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  Great Van - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By Dodger - October 3 - 10:38 pm

  I have 80,000 miles on my minivan and the only repair so far has been an EGR valve and one tune up and brakes. We completely filled the van when we took a trip to South Carolina with five passengers and all the luggage and the van still got 27 miles to the gallon with the 3.3 motor and the air - conditioner on for the entire ride! We also had plenty of room and everyone was comfortable for the entire ride. Buy this van, you wont be disappointed.

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  Still Working Out The Bugs - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By BRENT - October 2 - 4:53 pm

  I traded in my full size Ram to save on gas and provide the household with 2 cars for getting around. 1st bug! The check engine light has bad wiring and we are waiting on Dodge to send the replacement. 2nd bug! The model we bought has a Firestone tire that is not released to the public yet. and it is on back order and guessed it! We had a flat that could not be patched. So after 3 weeks we are waiting on a tire and a new wire so the check engine light will work correct. I hope nothing is wrong with the engine because the dealership just told us to drive it there is no problem!

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  Boutght used, running well - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By LARRYH - October 2 - 10:01 am

  Needed car for my daughter to drive for school and activities. Found this, with low miles (23,000 when we bought it). It has been a really enjoyable little car. My daughter loves to drive it, and, even with the 2.4 4 cylinder, it has decent pickup and driveability. Seats are comfortable, mileage is decent (average 25 mpg). Was not really expecting much based on reviews, but have been pleased. My daughter has driven in 12,000 miles since purchase, and it has been completely reliable so far.

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  No problems for us! - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By AlaFamily - October 2 - 10:00 am

  Bought this van used for less than 20K with 20K miles (it was a Program vehicle). Now at 60K+ miles with absolutely no problems. My husband changes the oil regularly and it runs great. We have not experienced any of the wind noise nor transmission problems/oil leaks mentioned by others. But would like to see hideaway 3rd seat feature. VERY comfortable on road trips, though, and roominess is unbeatable. Would definitely buy another one.

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  Review - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By Rachel - September 29 - 11:59 pm

  I have had this car for 3 yrs. it has been a lot of fun to drive even got me into trouble a couple of times. I have had a lot of repair work done on it, but what can you expect from a 12 yr old car. The main issues I have had with the car have been major, such as the brakes jamming, fuel pump breaking, bad connection to the battery, and the tie rod. Other than having to fix all of these things on it, it is a good family car. I wouldnt recommend it for really long distance travel. but if you are a college student like me it at least gets you from point A to point B. I have no problem with the shop that I bought the car from. they do an amazing fix it job. The car has been Murphys law.