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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  2004 Stratus - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By Jeffrew - October 2 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for a year and I love it as much today as I did when I saw it. Its a nice-looking car with excellent performance. I highly recommned this car.

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  Stratus R/T - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By car_know_it_all - October 2 - 2:00 am

  I have just purchased my 2004 Stratus R/T, and was astounded with how happy i was. I previously drove a 2002 Neon SXT, and the Stratus is a much better car. The performance is absolutely great, and with the auto-stick these California hills are a breeze. The bold and daring design of the Stratus R/T Coupe demands respect from every one on the road. Every since i picked it up from the dealer i have been reciveing constant complements on my new ride.

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  Cheap but unreliable sedan - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By raskolnikov_im - October 1 - 2:00 am

  The v6 picks up adequately but guzzles gas. Brake pads have to be changed with absurd frequency. The build quality is fairly poor something which is evidenced by continual small/mid ticket repairs that need to be performed on a bi monthly basis. The cup holders are awful. The rear windows is perched far to high on the back end, which means rear visibility is limited. The back seat does fold down though, which provides lots of room when you need to move something.

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  Better be a AAA member! - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Lazurus - October 1 - 2:00 am

  We had several recalls which should have been warning enough. The dealership would not stand behind the warranties on the child integrated seating. Experienced electrical problems, belt tensioner issues, complete failure of brake system, and finally a catastrophic transmission failure. All before reaching 100,000 miles.

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  pimpin - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By jarrod - October 1 - 2:00 am

  this car is totally awesome for the money, nothing else in this price range even comes close, my dad has a 2001 ws6 t/a, with a hurst 6 speed and this car is nearly as quick for $13000 less

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  Just a few quirks - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By stratus04 - October 1 - 2:00 am

  The car has been excellent. The gas mileage has been less than spectacular though. The wheels continually are covered with brake dust. The cup holders are small. I would suggest automatic headlights. Other than those minor things, I have had no complaints with my Stratus in short, day to day trips or long distance trips. I have not had any work necessary other than routine oil changes.

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  Nice Truck - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By jbgrandslammer - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Nice Truck fun to drive. Would like to see better gas milage. Also would like to see lower prices. I,ve owned fords and chevys so far this one is the best.

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  Excellent van - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By David - September 30 - 10:23 pm

  We have a 96 Grand Caravan with 168,000 miles and it is still running strong, but figured the wife would be better with a newer model. The van gets 23-24 mpg, rides great, and everyone is comfortable. The power sliding door is a two edged sword, but the power liftgate is great, especially when it is raining. We have 65,000 on this van, and have never had a problem with it.

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  A good mix of quality and quantity - 2000 Dodge Ram Van
  By our car - September 30 - 4:50 am

  Of all the extended van designs, we found this van has the best seat for a driver with a sensitive back. Rear seating isnt as comfortable. This is our 2nd Ram van. The 12 passenger configuration is great for rear cargo area. Transmission is in the Ram van vocabulary. We carry 12 passengers daily. If you have transmission trouble, save yourself some grief and buy a new transmission.

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  Love Hate Relationship - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By Newman - September 30 - 2:00 am

  I bought the cheapest model I could get (4 cylinder) turned out not to be so inexpensive. Have loved the utility, design, looks, comfort, handling, sharp turning of the vehicle. It has been the worst car I have had for reliability on my third transmission, second ac system has now died, need a third water pump, etc. The fuel economy is also suprisingly poor for a 4 cylinder engine (average about 19 mpg).