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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  Van - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By jN - December 4 - 11:33 am

  Now that there is a TSB out to get rid of the honking/wind noise from the front windshield at speeds over 65 mph. My major issue with van will be gone.

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  I Love this Car - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Fastfrt1 - December 3 - 11:22 pm

  What a great car!!! Fun Car to drive, I get about 27-28 mpg. I run it to just under a 1/4 tank and it only takes 7.4 gallons! Great sound system!

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  Fantabulous - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Roy - December 3 - 5:26 am

  Fourth Chrysler product. Intrepid, 300M Pacifica and now the Grand Caravan. Only the 300M was better, as it is a car and meant for comfort and style. Grand Caravan is a joy to drive. Backup camera, ambiant lighting, all interior doors side lighting and stow and go are great features. CD/radio great sound and easy to download CDs. Did not get video system, no small children anymore. Bluetooth makes cell phone calling and answering easy and you do not have to hold a phone in your hand, thus driving safely. Fantastic vehicle

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  Dumb blond Lady gets shafted - 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Mary jo Fletcher - December 2 - 5:46 pm

  I bought new Van from Wilson Motors in Corvallis, Oregon. What a mistake, they took my dependable Toyota Sienna in trade and gave me a $1000 for a car valued at $4-5000. The new Dodge Caravan didnt have enough heat to keep ice off the windshield, I took it in and was told that it met the standards! Im in Oregon not Alaska. I went in three times to say the cruise control wasnt working and they said they couldnt repair it unless it broke right in front of them! Very rude and probably overworked repair people. The stress factor at the service desk was palpable. I spoke with the manager (a very nice man) who told them to take it in overnight, and guess what the cruise control didnt work and they had to replace it. I was so used to the ordinary features of my Toyota Sienna that I bought used and never had a break down or problem that I didnt realize that you had to remember to turn the lights on and off in this lemon. Also that the gas tank didnt lock from the inside and that when you used a regular store bought gas cap with a lock that it ruins something that costs $185 to get the light off your dash. Also that the back seats are like cardboard. Its the biggest financial mistake Ive ever made, I wonder how the salesmen feel conning those of us who are not professional car buyers.

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  Awesome Durango - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By dodge lover - December 2 - 5:23 pm

  I love this vehicle. Outside of the purchase price...1st one bought at this dealership I love it. Very fun to drive and the MPGs are not that bad for a vehicle of this size. We are getting over 20 on the highway. Resale value sucks though just looked it up and lost 6 grand allready. I wish the 3rd row seat layed flat though.

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  Love that Durango! - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Geo - December 2 - 3:40 am

  Had it a month. Im in love. And this from a guy who traded in a Mustang GT convertible. Eased the transition with the 5.7l Hemi and the sunroof.

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  Awesome vehicle - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By bobbyjoe - December 1 - 9:11 pm

  For the money, this has to be the best deal on wheels. Lot of bang for the buck. I feel like it is worth every penny spent.

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  Stratus ES - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By jimbuc43 - December 1 - 10:44 am

  My 2002 ES is fun and reliable. Performance with the 2.7L engine is great and it gets good gas mileage. It also looks sporty with my added spoiler.

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  Good Solid Car - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By Dave - A Neon Driver - December 1 - 3:06 am

  I have spent less money on repairing this car than I have on toothpaste.

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  More Chrysler Garbage - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By GIBill - November 30 - 8:11 pm

  I owned this vehicle for less than 6 months before trading it in on an Accord. The only reason I bought it was the cheap price. But like the last Chrysler product I owned this car suffered from underpowered air conditioning (sounds loud, hardly cools the car), a jerky automatic transmission with weird gear ratios, and a ride like the shocks were made of oak. NEVER AGAIN!!!