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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  Twitchy - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By Viper - December 4 - 5:15 pm

  I bought this car for my wifes birthday last July. It truly is an eye catcher and a great performer. But i guess we are not the atypical buyer for a vehicle such as this. We do not normally drive it very hard. I think the car is so twitchy at any speed that it is dangerous to drive fast. It follows the grooves of the road and is almost impossible to stay in any single lane. I have driven other high performance cars and i cant remember any of them doing this to this degree. The Viper is a work of art in the styling dept. The interior is spartan by any standard. and the lack of amenities is i guess part of its raw character. We love this car despite its few flaws.

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  Bought for temporary/ kept love it - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By Jackie lee - December 4 - 5:04 pm

  Bought 6 yes ago with 105000. Miles now has 230800. Very dependable regular maintenance ..replaced air co dition compressor for $700 2 yrs ago. Luv this van taught gkids to drive in it..like style cant find anything I like better even like old body style. Go to mountains every yr in it..4cyl no problem climbing those mountains in north Carolina.. Would recommend to anyone

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  Stephen A. Gillen - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By Steve Gillen - December 4 - 4:40 pm

  A Super car. I took it to vermont on a long ride. It got 22mpgs just lite cruising. The minute you go heavy on the gas -- down to 14.5

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  Worst interior ergonomics ever! - 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By joeb316 - December 4 - 2:49 pm

  Do not buy this car unless you intend to use both feet to operate the accelerator and the brake. The brake pedal is approximately 1" closer to the driver than the accelerator pedal, making for the most annoying driving experience Ive ever had. In addition, the third row seatings headrests significantly obscure views out the rear view mirror and the automatic shift selector is in the most awkward place Ive ever seen.

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  dodge viper - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By Ian shivo - December 4 - 2:47 pm

  well my experience with this car is unbelievable i never drove a car like this i am use to a car going like 80 tops and i this car go nice and fast and this car is the best

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  Venom (My License Plate) - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By Justin Carroll - December 4 - 1:18 pm

  I got a Viper SRT-10 for my 17th birthday, and it is one of the most exciting things to do. My dad owns Auto Selects of Williamsburg, Virginia and this is where I got it from. When I drive up to my high school and people see this car, they just stare. I know that I am very fortunate to have this car but I would sell my first-born child before giving up this automobile

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  Fast Fun - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By RaZ - December 4 - 1:10 pm

  This car from the factory is quite fast. If you can get ahold of John Hennessey itll become one of the fastest street cars around. Take a look at the optional Venom 1000 package he offers for even more excitement.

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  the best - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By smith - December 4 - 12:34 pm

  it is the best handling car i ever drove.plus it is very well put together.nothing bad to say about this monster.

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  The Truth - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By Mark - December 4 - 12:12 pm

  The car is very fun to drive,very beautiful to look at,but it is scary to drive in higher speeds because it is very jumpy and not smooth.It has virtually no electronic items in the car,not even cruise control or any other modern electronic options. It is truly an american muscle car and nothing else

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  Vipe...The best performance sports car - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By Larry - December 4 - 11:57 am

  The acceleration is awesome ...the handling superb!