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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  UH oh Watch out - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By jdl44lfhs - September 13 - 2:00 am

  Well I bought this car as a used Rental car and I saved a bunch of money on it. I am not sure that this is going to catch up to me or not. I have over 26,000 miles on it now and its been a great car so far, there is a rattling type noise that just started happening towards the front of the car which I have no clue at all what the noise could be, but let me tell you that it is very annoying. I work for a CarMax dealership and we will not even sell a Dodge Intrepid when it has over 60,000 miles on it because as I was told that "they are junk once they get over the 60k mark".

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  A Good Buy - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By neonsoxt - September 13 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car brand new off the lot in April 2004. The features are great for the MSRP, including a great stereo, ice cold air, and power windows up front. While the rear windows are crank, its not a big deal because theyre easy to roll down with only a few cranks. The build materials seem pretty durable and tight so far as I have put about 4500 miles on it and there hasnt been one rattle or squeek. The suspension seems like a good comprimise between a touring ride and good handling. The engine can be what some would consider choppy at idle, but it has a nice sound and a great sweet spot right around 4000 RPM.

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  Good Minivan Sport version - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By rt90 - September 12 - 10:00 am

  80,000 miles and still going strong. I do my own maintenance so the hardest thing to replace was the starter at 75K. It does eat front brake pads. Had to replace the tranny lines from the raditor. One brake hose started to fail and was replaced under warranty. Overall it takes a beating and keeps ticking. Battery replaced once. No major problems yet.

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  This Works For Me - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By LuvnDad - September 12 - 10:00 am

  I have been the owner of this vehicle for a few weeks now. However it was bought brand new by my mom and dad. It is in excellent condition. I had many chances to drive this vehicle and I find it to be a very smooth ride. It hugs the road on turns and does not feel top heavy. The exterior is sweet. The rear spoiler and front fog lights give it a very sporty look. I never thought of myself as a minivan kind of guy; but I am glad I bought it and believe me it was well taken care of. The kids love it. There is plenty of room for them and now I dont hear she touching me or move over anymore.

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  Total Dis-satisfaction - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By lemomade - September 12 - 1:56 am

  I bought a 2009 Dodge Journey SXT in July 2008. At this date (04/07/09), I have only 3000 miles on it. Frankly, I cant afford to drive it more. I get only 12 mpg combined city & highway. My local dealer tells me they will NOT check it until I have 8000+ miles on it. The brakes are making noises already. The engine sounds awful when accerating. Worst mistake I ever made in purchasing a new vehicle. At 8e years of age, I shouldnt have to put up with this.

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  Sa far so good - 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By John Kowal - September 11 - 2:43 am

  Lots of cargo space. Love black package. Great engine Poor transmission shifting, vibrations and hard shifting from drive to patk or to reverse

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  Great Car! - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By tericoke1 - September 11 - 2:00 am

  Why Dodge decided not to make any more Intrepids is be on me. This is my 3rd. Theyre a nice looking car. The dealership had to drive 150 miles to get this car for me. The only reason I give up a car is because of milage. I put alot on a car.

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  Sporty Fun - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Kuzza - September 11 - 2:00 am

  Always loved Dodge cars. Previously owned the last 1999 2 door Neon Coupe with very standard features, but I liked it. My new 2004 Neon SXT Sedan is definitley a step up and found vast improvements, especially with audio & smoother ride. Very stylish with fog lamps and rear spoiler. Enjoy driving this vehicle very much. Trying to learn the CD controls is a bit of a challenge. The best feature is the smooth braking. Money-wise, it was a good deal, especially if you can get rebats like I did ($3500), plus with a trade-in, the final cost was lower than what I paid for my 1999 Neon brand new. I cant complain, I love this car.

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  fun compact - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By strack350 - September 11 - 2:00 am

  dodge has taken a good car and made it better. The second generation neon is not as performance minded as the first, but it is far more comforatable to drive, and is far more refined.

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  My Review - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By MrKnowItAll - September 11 - 2:00 am

  It has been the most fascinating driving experience I have ever had. It is a very luxurious vehicle. My family and I are pleased to have such a great automobile.