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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  Whats up with those damned brakes???? - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Andy Allison - January 5 - 9:19 am

  I really love my car & the way it drives. Its quick, responsive, & fun. The engine is perfect for this car...it has just enough power for performance without a great fuel cost, all of which leaves me to wonder why Daimler put such a flawed & NOISY brake system on em. When I first start her up , regardless of environmental conditions, as soon as I step on the brakes I hear the most awful grinding/squealing sound coming from the wheels. With every subsequent stop the noise is reduced bit until several miles into my journey it stops all together. I have taken it into the dealership just to be told that the brakes are fine & there is nothing that can be done. Whats up with that?

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  WOW!! This car hauls ass!!!! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By K.J. - January 4 - 8:38 pm

  All I have to say is that this vehicle is one fast ride! There is no turbo lag, just sheer power when you need it. Even without using the recommended 91 octane, the car still puts out 11psi of boost and pulls nicely. The handling is excellent and the ride quality is very good considering the abilities of the vehicle. The brakes do an excellent job of stopping the vehicle under heavy braking without ever fading. The exhaust is somewhat loud due to lack of mufflers, but to a car enthusiast such as myself, its music to my ears. The seats are wonderfully supportive during hard cornering but having the wide side bolsters makes is somewhat difficult to get in. An excellent ride for under 22K!

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  Been in the shop a few times... - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Warren - January 4 - 3:32 pm

  Bought my SLT 4WD in Nov 03. I hated the way the 04s looked + got a steal on the 03 anyway. At about 5000 miles, all the AC leaked out. Took 2 trips in, and they ended up ripping out the entire dash to replace the leaking parts. They did provide me a free loaner car on trip #2. At about 7000 miles, the driver seat had a pin fall out and the back of the driver seat jammed reclined. Now at almost 12000 miles, recalls for wiper motor, and now the ball joint failure. Plus the heater motor has gone out (died in ice storm last week). Also, gas mileage sucks! EPA rating is bull. I average 12.5MPG with 80% of it highway. I doubt I would buy another one, especially the ugly new models.

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  Black R/T - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By Polo - January 4 - 3:02 pm

  Bought the car as a primary, but quickly picked up a winter beater because I couldnt stand to see my baby in the salt and snow. Have had minor problems (tire bulge from previous owner, rearview mirror lights not working all time) but the good far out- weigh the bad. You cant get a better looking car for the money. It will turn heads...even when its parked!

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  dealer want help - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By class6kayak - January 4 - 4:40 am

  Ive had my Journey for 3 months and already have had the sunroof, power steering, transmission, and main wiring harnesses worked on. The oil light came on before 3000 miles and I got the recall about the wiring harness about the same time. I made an appointment and had the service department look to see why the car made a load noise when turning left. The Power steering was replaced and the transmission started slipping between 1st and 2nd gear also gets stuck in 5th gear and causes my mpg to be about 16.5. Now the the dealership is leaving it up to Chrysler to figure out.

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  caravan se - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By irvinbf - January 4 - 1:58 am

  Best Van for the $ fun to drive and has lots of room. Good mpg even with my 2.4 even has lots of power for a 2.4

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  Great Car for the cash - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Kristie - January 4 - 12:26 am

  I went from a Firebird to this car with relative ease. I needed a 4 door vehicle and this was the best buy for the buck. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for an american made four door automobile that gets good gas mileage.

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  Better than a Ranger and a Ram - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By Spinners2021 - January 3 - 11:59 pm

  In have a 99 Dodge dakota V8 5.2L 4WD Ext. Cab. It runs good and has alot of power. I live on a dirt road so it burns out real easily, even when i just tap the gas. It has an ok tunring radius and good acceleration. I wax and polish it about once a month and try my best to keep the inside clean. It is between the size of a ranger and a ram. It is a good looking and driving truck. I have 74K on it now.

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  Fingers Crossed - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By DMG - January 3 - 11:36 pm

  We just puschase a Dodge Caravan STX so far had a small problem with the overhead storage area but dealer handled. Have had alot of road noise was back a dealer today they informed me this was not road noise but a rear wheel bearing. Part ordered today. Im six foot tall and cant seem to find a comfortable position but wife has only let me drive it 4 or 5 times. Wondering if we should have kept our 2000 Intrepid. I Think everything will workout? only time will tell.

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  Gotta Love Your Nitro - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Big Don - January 3 - 7:16 pm

  Bought the Nitro last week and Its really fun to drive. The only real issue I have with the car so far is the gas mileage. Other than that I think I made a good choice. Get lots of looks and compliments. It reminds me of a cross between a Land Rover and an H3.