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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  BIG Transmission issue - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By jlcc - April 24 - 4:43 pm

  My family loved this car...while it worked. We took it back to the dealer when the transmission literally broke into a thousand pieces and it will be, at the earliest, July 16th b-4 there will be any transmissions available. NOT OKAY! Not sure where to go from here... save your money and buy a Ford

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  2005 Dodge Dakota - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By hba327 - April 24 - 12:17 pm

  This truck is amazing. I have the 3.7 l V6 and it has great power and sound. The interior Is my favorite, very comfortable, quiet, smooth. The only thing I dont like about the truck is the front bumper sticks out 6-inches too much, but other than that I rate it altogether a 9/10. I wouldnt buy anything else but a Dodge

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  Pleasant surprise - 2017 Dodge Journey
  By RLester - April 23 - 7:57 am

  We tried the Journey because of rebates. Expecting a loud jerky experience with a 4 cylinder 4 speed. To our surprise, we found a very smooth, quiet, European feel, quality and comfort driving experience. We came from a Toyota Camry to Dodge Caravan to the Journey. We found the experience of a true crossover, car like ride and drive with the features of an utility vehicle. We are in our sixties, so ease of getting in and out of a vehicle is very important to us. The journey has the perfect seat height for us and very easy to enter and exit. The Camry has the cheapest, thinnest, and uncomfortable seats in a very good car. The Caravan was a comfortable entry but the ride was bouncy and hard on old bones. Also, our senior friends just could not get in the back seats. They are too high and too far over, you have to climb in, which, is okay for the kids and grand-kids but not seniors. The Journey comes in AWD and the 3.6 v6 engine with 6 speed. One needing more power might look for these options. But I am in the south, no ice and flat terrain so I find the 2.4 quite adequate. I will admit the 2.4 is a bit under-powered. It will not win any awards in gas saving either. Looks like in town driving will yield the same mpg as the 3.6 in the Grand Caravan around 23 mpg. However, again surprised how smooth the 2.4 is with the 4 speed. The 6 speed in the Caravan was bad to hunt and shift down, very annoying. I need to mention the high quality pleasant ride is only found in the 2017, in which, suspension and quietness are upgrades for the 2017. We tested a 2016 and there is a significant difference in ride and feel. In the 2017 , I can hardly hear the engine. Very quiet cabin. I am a part-time transporter for a major rental company and I drive a lot of new vehicles of all brands. The Journey ride is at the top. Try the Journey before you buy a Rogue or RAV4. I got the 7 passenger, seats fold flat for cargo space, easy entry, European feel, cargo comparments (ice chest) in the floor, premium seats and very nice road trip ride. This is a true crossover, car like features with SUV benefits. Hard to beat value and quality.

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  LOVE IT! - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Eric Waterhouse - April 22 - 11:58 pm

  After purchase, I dropped it 2 inches and put on rims, intake, and exhaust. I took it to VA and got 34-36mpg in it. The intake and exhaust really brings that little motor to life. This is my second Neon and I think Im hooked.

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  Great second life car - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By PLEASED - April 22 - 6:43 am

  I have been driving a Pontiac Sunfire (2) since 1996. With my kids grown, a sporty little 2 door was all I needed. Then came the grandkids. The came my mother and her wheelchair. There was NO WAY in a Sunfire. I love the Magnums look! It handles as easily as the Sunfire tho I have some concerns about winter driving in Ohio wtih a rear- wheel. I cant say eough abou the room. Ive ridden in the backseat and I wouldnt hesitate to go cross-country in it. Gas mileage 20 mpg city and fill up was a real shock to me. The absolute selling point was the pedals coming to me (at 54") and ease of handling. It gets a lot of stares and questions. I first said it when I bought it. Love at first sight!

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  Unhappy owner - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Jake - April 21 - 11:26 pm

  I purchased an 06 Daytona and have had excessive rattling/vibration from the trunk lid due to the stock stereo. The car is not fixable by the dealer. I was told all of the Daytonas on the lot have the exact same problem. The power sunroof has an intermittent problem. The car will not smoke the tires as shown in the picture. The hood is a decal,not paint as some of you may have seen wrongly described. My pride of ownership is fading as more problems arise. The car sits because it has lost its appeal to me & the body and paint was damaged by the dealer. 2700 miles are all it has on it.

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  Intrepid - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By whit - April 20 - 10:55 pm

  Great feature such as cruise, power windows, power seats, and electric trunk lid. But, I dont feel like the engine is all that great. Had to install a new timing chain tensioner at a little over 80,000 miles and now at a little over 100,000 miles its doing the same thing. Pretty sure it needs another timing chain tensioner installed. This is definetly not normal. Ive been using Sea Foam which seems to be taking care of the problem pretty well but when ever I change the oil I have to add more Sea Foam. Eventually this will not work any more.

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  Rip-Off! - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By kj - April 20 - 3:06 am

  Since buying this vehicle, we have replaced the tie rods, replaced tires 3 out of 4 years, replaced brake pads almost annually, replaced the brakes, had the motor in the driver side power window fixed, replaced the alternator belt, did the tailgate lift recall, and now we are having to have the fuel injector replaced and the computer system repaired. The rubber on the edges of the doors has been glued twice, the air conditioner leaks on the passenger floor boards, the little cup holders on both passenger seats have also broken. You would think I worked to tear this vehicle up. It gets regular maintenance. I drive on interstates and main roads. Its in the shop for the 4th time this year!

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  2001 Quad Cab SLT 2WD - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By T Chezem - April 20 - 1:36 am

  Excellent truck overall. Dodge could do better with their fuel consumption...for the size of the truck. It gets 15 around town and 17 on the freeway nowhere near Dodges MPG ratings. Good cargo capacity and towing as well. Overall a great truck, just make sure you are ready for poor MPG, especially with the 4.7 V8. A well put together truck with great options and interior layout.

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  Awesome car! - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By Mike - April 18 - 8:22 pm

  We purchased Dodge Viper a month ago and both me and my wife already fell in love with it. We almost bought new Vette and thank God we didnt. By far this is the best styling (in/out) and performance you can get for your money. The car is gorgeous from any angle you look at and is probably best designed car ever. The dealer was nice enough to throw in a free (Mopar) navigation system which I highly recommend.