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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  The Best - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By Lugo - April 6 - 2:00 pm

  In the past 12 years I have 4 Chevys, 2 Pontiac, 1 Toyota and 2 Nissan cars and this Dodge Straus is the best. I like to drive on the highway Ensenada to Tijuana because its a great adventure. You can feel the power of the motor, and the great response to the curves. You have total control of the car, practically "glued to the road" and dont hear a noise. Its a quiet car, off road, the suspension is fantastic!! The fuel economy is very good. The brake system is good. You can stop the car very fast with the 4 disc brake system. The system sound is OK. I love this car!

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  Easy on the eyes, not bad on gas - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By bill - April 6 - 12:48 pm

  Fun to look at and drive. The envy of all my friends who own trucks. Getting about 16.0mpg in the city. Only complaint is that the engine sometimes feels like it "lags". In other words through the mid gears you dont feel like you have alot of power on hand. Plenty of room on the inside. More than the competition.

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  Great Car - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By 71charger - April 5 - 4:43 pm

  I drove the heck out of this car for 13 months before trading it for an 04 R/T which I only did because I found out the R/Ts were discontinued. I traded an 00 Neon for the 03. Fabulous, and terribly underrated by automotive writers too heavily biased against American cars.

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  1992 dodge shadow america - 1992 Dodge Shadow
  By kottonmouthking - April 5 - 1:32 pm

  I love this vehicle because you get over 300 miles on a full tank. It handles great.

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  Van drifts to the right - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By chuck - April 5 - 5:30 am

  I really like this new van, but for some reason car drifts to the right all the time slow or fast. I have been back to shop three times and have not been able to correct this problem, although I have been told this a safety feature built into the vehicle. My problem is I like a vehicle that holds the road.

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  Good for the money... I guess - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By DarkPoter - April 5 - 12:58 am

  I got the car 2 years ago because I needed something more reliable to drive to work. It has done a fair job for much, much less then a Mazda.

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  Nice Van for the money - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Greg - April 4 - 9:50 pm

  We purchased this van new with only 6 miles on it. It has done us very well. Took it on a 1500 mile road trip and the mileage was around 23, and that is fully loaded with luggage and 6 people on board. The passenger side door failed and got a new motor. The DVD system failed and dealer replaced the complete head unit. The van is great and will buy another one. Looked at the Toyota/Honda both and the Dodge came out on top, and it is American! Power is very smooth and linear. The sunroof had a small issue and needed new motor. Seems like a lot of issues in a short time, but again a well worhty Mini-Van!

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  Versatile - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By RCV718 - April 4 - 10:48 am

  I love everything about this car EXCEPT the gas mileage (Im averaging 12 in a mix of city and highway). Starts right up in freezing temperatures, the 4wd plows right through the snow, and the car is very comfortable for long commutes. At about 90k now, and it has an exhaust leak, needs new shocks and brakes, and seems to have some sort of electrical problem with the lighting system. As it is a higher mileage vehicle, I am not surprised. The 318 is a tough engine, you cant kill it - no problems with the tranny yet.

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  Perfect new Dakota Styling - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By BG MA - April 4 - 3:09 am

  Dodge really improved on the body styling for 2005....Its good to see that a reasonably priced truck can look better than what the other automakers are selling....I also had a 2000 Quad Cab 4x4 and never had a problem with it....

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  This car I drive - 1991 Dodge Dynasty
  By Joshua_S - April 2 - 6:36 pm

  Well I was really loving this 91 dynasty of mine but just two days ago the transmission has almost completely failed. I guess Im going to have a used tranny put in but otherwise I was happy with this car. When it was given to me I hadnt had a single problem with it. Not one. It always started and still does even though its tranny wont shift gears. The thing is I am guessing on the mileage because the odometer broke at 47,000 k. I like the bench seats for the most part because they are quite comfortable. Not as ergonomic as the Japanese counter-parts but still comfortable. It does have a reasonably powerful engine but it isnt a smooth ride. Not as smooth as other cars I ride of same age.