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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  Great Little Car - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By happywithneon - January 3 - 6:43 pm

  Somewhere along the way I heard the Neon is a throw-away car. Something to get you from point A to B...no frills. Well I was wrong! This car has been wonderful the past year. The little car really has some get up and go for a 2.0! Nothing like the doggy 1.9 liter in a Ford or Saturn. It gets good gas milage about 26mpg. The radio sounds great! Not tinny like in some cheaper cars. This car is as dependable as it is fun! I live in MN where it has gotten to -15 and the car still started with no problems. It even handles good in the snow and ice.

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  Bad ass SXT - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By T-REX56 - January 3 - 3:45 am

  I had a 97 Intrepid sport, loved it! So I bought a new one. The car gives you all you would expect in a Intrepid.The 3.5 litre 250 ponies is a real treat.

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  so far so good........ - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By lovemystratus03/04 - January 2 - 10:24 pm

  So far so good. I bought my Stratus in March 2004 and I love it. It is fun to drive and has great handling. The V6 engine has a lot of get up and go. It is also pretty good on gas. The interior is spacious and the rear can hold my three kids (2 that are in booster seats) comfortably. The only thing that I would change is the console design and storage. Everything else I love!

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  Awesome - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By TurboQueen - January 1 - 4:13 pm

  This car is awesome. There is not one thing I can complain about. It will blow the doors off any other car for the price. Next to the WRX and EVO, its one of the best sport compact cars out right now.

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  Piece of Junk - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Chris - December 31 - 11:15 pm

  I bought my Intrepid brand new and have been plagued by repair after repair since the warranty ran out. One highlight was when the power brake booster went out and had no brakes! There have been plenty of repairs in between, but now at 60,000 miles the air conditioner went out and the 3rd cylinder has only 60% compression with an idle of a tank. Also, like many others, the motor on one of my windows is also out.

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  BEST OF THE BUNCH - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By JOHNT - December 31 - 5:32 pm

  I HAVE OWNED A TAHOE, 2 EXPEDITIONS AND A JEEP. THIS HEMI DURANGO IS THE BEST SUV I HAVE OWNED BY FAR. LOT OF POWER GREAT HANDLING QUIET RIDE.. VERY NICE

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  It must have been made on a Monday! - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Lemon - December 31 - 4:06 pm

  I have had trouble with this van since the day we bought it. Constantly in the Service bay for one thing or another. I get smart sarcasms from the salesmen and mechanics. Most recently I have had this van in the dealership 6 times in a month and a half for the same problem. I will never buy another Dodge. We have always had foreign cars and I guess now we know why!

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  Satisifed - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By T - December 31 - 2:18 pm

  I have had my 99 Durango for 6 years now. I am satisfied with it although not ecstatic about it. I would recommend getting an extended warranty after the manufacturers runs out. I bought one for $1300 that covers everything with no deductible for 4 years and I have used about $1200 in warranty so far after 2 years. Not a lot of problems, however, SUVs are not as reliable as cars, and have more expensive repairs. I have never had another SUV to compare. The serpentine belt is definitely an issue with mine. I have 67k miles and need to replace the belt for a second time. 4WD light was broke twice. Rear ended a car from behind doing about 5MPH and not a scratch on my vehicle.

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  love it - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By dmr0824 - December 31 - 2:00 am

  I had always wanted a suv, had just bought a ford taurus in June. Was out for a drive one afternoon, next thing was out looking at suvs had wanted a different suv, never knew about the durango, took one test drive in it, and knew it was for me, didnt care how upside down I was on the taurus, the durango was mine, was behind the wheel the next day, and TOTALLY enjoy driving it each day.

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  Nice car - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By Steve - December 30 - 9:53 pm

  Just got car in Nov 2004. Very surprised with this car. I never paid much attention to Intrepids. Very tight, rattle-free and solid. Lots of power from the 3.5. 24 mpg!