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:
Showing 661 through 670 of 11,324.00-
Country Blue Cool - 2007 Dodge Caliber
By Sarah - August 28 - 7:06 amI wound up with the marine blue R/T due to the fact that the storm blue was pretty impossible to find, but now I am in love with the blue interior so I dont mind it so much. Took a few weeks to learn how to drive a car with not a lot of pick-up, but now I am totally used to that as well. Had Jeeps all my life and picked this over the Compass and do not regret decision!
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Shafted again - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
By upset - August 27 - 1:33 amIn July of 2004 I wrote a review with concerns whether Dodge had cured its tranny problems and I was experiencing tranny shudder and slipping into a false neutral. This was at 29,000 miles. At 35,000 I had the fluid changed and then at 44,000 they had to do a major rebuild on the tranny and replace the torque converter, now 14,000 miles later the same problem is here again. Do I attribute this to a lousy transmission that was to be upgraded and now reliable for 2003 or a mechanic that doesnt know what hes doing. They will have to rebuild it again now at 58,000 miles and one wonders if itll be another rebuild just before the warranty expires or do I dump it! Unfortunately, Adios Dodge
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Keep on Truckin - 2003 Dodge Dakota
By Tim - August 26 - 5:53 pmThis truck has been a steady performer. It is functional enough for light construction duty and family recreation. Our family of 3 + 1 large dog has found there is plenty of int. room and adequate cargo capacity for our road trips and camping outings. The ride is truck like, but without much road noise. There have been no major problems, but the broken emergency brake release lever and the poor seal around the gas intake pipe are annoying. The V6 provides pep and the transmission shifts smoothly. The gear shift on the steering column is a little tempermental and requires perfect placement before finding the right gear. Traction on wet pavement and snow is weak when the bed is empty.
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Dodge repairs too many - 2002 Dodge Caravan
By John - August 26 - 9:06 amI had a few Dodge cars, all had head gasket problems that I had to pay to fix. For awhile I avoided Dodge. I liked the sport caravan so after talking to a dealer they assured me engine problems were solved. I leased for 3 years to be sure problems were really gone. After lease I purchased. During the lease time the air bag light kept coming on. I took it to the dealer at least 7 or more times for repair. Whatever they did kept the light off for a few days or up to a month. After warranty was over the light came on again. Then I took it to a non dealer repair center. They showed me the problem was the passenger airbag needed replacement They said no way would dealer not know about this.
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Excellent Choice! - 2004 Dodge Durango
By golfgti47 - August 26 - 5:11 amI recently bought my Durango used. I am single and dont actually need this vehicle but I have since found it so useful! It tows my 6000 pound car trailer with ease, even with 3.55 gears in my Hemi. Power is great and is always available, I average about 13/18 but if I want to take it easy I can easily get 21-22 MPG on the highway. I only wish the 2nd row had more legroom but the 3rd row easily has the Tahoe beat for overall comfort and space. Overall this vehicle was an excellent buy! It looks great, drives great and has just about every feature I could want! At 101K miles it still feels like brand new! I highly Recommend this car! Dont buy any other till you atleast test drive this car!
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Rock Hard Seats - 2009 Dodge Avenger
By L2 - August 25 - 11:03 amI have 16k miles on now. Drive all the time. Seats are rock hard. Back seat makes you feel like a dungeon. I have to lean forward to look out. Front seat would be more comfortable if flat. Hav enothad great gas mileage either. Horrible visibility and blind spots.
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great car - 2007 Dodge Charger
By kc - August 24 - 8:57 pmThis is my first mopar product in 48 years and you cant get a better choice for the money, it rides great, it looks great and is easy to own, with lots of room for upgrades.
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Nice summer car - 2013 Dodge Dart
By Dalphne - August 23 - 7:57 pmThis car was not made to be driven in snow.
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2004 Hemi Durango - 2004 Dodge Durango
By Hemiman - August 22 - 2:00 amHaving traded a 2001 Durango for this I see only improvements. The vehicle handles as if it is much smaller than it is and rides considerable better that it earlier verisons. With the Hemi it tows effortlessly, better than any vehicle I have driven. When not towing, from quick starts to high speed passing this vehicle pulls hard and accelerates more better than any other SUV I have been in. As far as cargo space is concerned, it is enormous. You cant miss with this vehicle as long as you have a gas credit card (preferable with rewards for heavy use).
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Love the Stow n Go, Hate the seat design - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
By egapch - August 21 - 8:56 pmWhat I hate about this minivan is the design of the driver and passenger seats and the inability to adjust the shoulder strap down another inch or so to prevent the strap from rubbing a sore spot on my neck, I am 5 4" tall. I think these two things should be a priority. The main reason I bought a DGC was for the Stow n Go seating, and I was impressed that the second row of seats would adjust back to provide more leg room. I will not buy another American car unless I can find one in which the seats are comfortable and the seatbelts adjust to fit me.
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