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 Tough Looking SUV but Pump Costly - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By CTBoyd - August 12 - 8:05 pm

  Bought this Durango last month with 34,850 miles and couldnt wait to drive it off the lot. The reviews are pretty much spot on with regards to the driving comfort, exterior styling and poor interior materials. I havent had any problems with the vehicle and driving this silver Durango Adventurer SLT made me feel like a million bucks. Unfortunately, I will be selling this vehicle in the next month or so because I dont have that million bucks to keep feeding it gas. You can actually watch the 27 gallon tank, gas gauge move while driving. I knew the gas mileage was bad when I bought it, but didnt expect it to be 11 to 12 mpgs. It will be sad to see it drive away when I sell it.

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  Its fun!!!!!!!!!!! - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By twisty - August 12 - 5:44 pm

  This is my second Caliber...I have 8,950 on the clock and it is running great..It does need a little gas of the lights but once it gets going its great.feels solid.no bodyroll in the corners.The driving view is good.except the large front pillars..you need to really check.they are quite intrusive..and do obstruct the view.i found adjusting the height in my seat to be better.The interior seems better than my 2007 model.everything is within easy reach no annoying digital readouts.easy to drive.the gearbox is good.bit slow at start but flies on motorway.good power for overtaking and the car seems solid whilst making quick maneuvers..all in all the Caliber is fun to drive.no problems

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  Vehicle just purchased - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By lmartz - August 12 - 1:43 pm

  I had to give up my Suburban for a more economical vehicle and plus a lower monthly payment. Caliber was not my first choice but my only choice cuz the dealership were out of vehicles due to the clunkers for cash. I have been driving this vehicle for a few days and it is not no bad it does have room for our two kids and a nice family vehicle.

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  sporty - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By streetdown - August 12 - 10:00 am

  great power fun to drive

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  A sexy car with a few deficiencies - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By armypilot17 - August 9 - 9:22 pm

  Bought this car in late Feb 09, have put roughly 8600 miles (Aug 09) on it since then and am still very pleased with my choice. For reference I replaced a 99 Malibu. Exterior is amazing, still draws comments and gawking stares, corners extremely well for its size. Interior is a lil uninspired, strongly recommend the sunroof to avoid a cave- like feeling. Very comfortable though and plenty of room in the back seat and trunk. 0-60 seems a lil lacking, but 60-80 is near instantaneous. Putting an exhaust on it soon, a lil quiet for a sports car. Engine bay is large, plenty of mod space. very reliable, NO mechanical issues to date. Gas mileage is about 23mpg combined highway/city. Love this car.

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  so far so good - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Robert - August 7 - 3:01 pm

  I purchased a used 2008 Dodge Avenger a few weeks ago. I went with this car because it looked way better than a Camry, Accord and all those other cars that look all alike. It drives good and my 2.7 V6 is pretty quick. I recommend going with the V6 model over the 4 banger. I drove both versions of the Avenger and the difference is like night and day. Interior is somewhat bland and the door panels are very hard to clean. There is one huge blind spot in this vehicle that I will have to get used to pretty quick. The 17" tires are perfect for the potholes I have to put up with where I live. This is my first Dodge and their styling right now is above and beyond everyone elses.

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  Best SUV ever owned! - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Trex20165 - August 6 - 3:34 pm

  This has been a fantastic vehicle. I have owned it since new and now have 105,000 miles on it. The 5.9L engine has been bulletproof and the A/C is still ice cold. The R/T has limited slip differentials and the best traction of any 4-wheel drive I have owned. The exhaust system sounds great and the truck still drives like new. Original Goodyear Wrangler tires lasted 80,000 miles! My only complaint is the fuel economy which is about 12 around town.

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  2008 dodge nitro - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By Cindy in Poway - August 6 - 3:08 pm

  I bought a nitro 2 wheel drive RT loaded with tow package. I really like it, it drives good, controls are convenient. It is stylish, bright blue, I get good comments all the time.The only had to have a couple little things fixed. Gas mileage around town is only like 18-20 though. It pulls the boat fine. You can use 87 octane.A/C works great. I can find out temperature, gas mileage, etc. on display

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  I love it, but could be better - 2009 Dodge Avenger
  By telamm - August 6 - 9:02 am

  I purchased this after getting rid of my clunker Mountaineer-V8. So naturally I am going to have to get used to the 4 Cyl. But I love the ride, the lack of noise, and the way the car looks. The chrome on the inside is blinding during the day, havent come up with a solution to that yet. The 4- Speed Trans is a little primitive. The car would be 3x better if it was a 5. Other than steeping down so far into a 4 cyl, I love the car. Very good decision and paid THOUSANDS less than getting a Fusion, Malibu, Accord (even civic). I paid $ll.2k after taxes!

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  My baby - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By Jaime E. Carball II - August 4 - 3:25 pm

  Overall fun car, I had it since college graduation. It has taken me everywhere no problem. It is a big car but it handles just fine. Add on a few aftermarket products to enhance mileage and performance and youll be set for quite a while. Its reliable, dependable and just plain fun. General maintenance upkeep, regular wash and wax and it to this day still looks brand new. I have the dark blue one and I still love driving it to this day. 8 years and still going strong, best vehicle ever made, best vehicle I ever owned.