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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  love this truck - 1993 Dodge Dakota
  By love my dodge - March 13 - 4:38 am

  i bought this truck from a friend for $800 the best money i ever spent it has a 318 5.2 V-8 Magnum and 298,000 miles on it and still will put u in the seat if i punch it. I drove it 1300 miles nonstop with no problems.

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  Love It - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Linds - March 12 - 7:44 am

  I just purchased my Nitro..Dodge had no problem taking my truck and fixing the recalls...Every manufacturer makes mistakes get em fixed and u will love ur truck. I could get better gas mileage but everything else about the Nitro makes up for it! Most definitely a head turner, caught my eye the moment I saw it on the lot!

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  My Best Vehicle - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By janbon - March 10 - 6:55 pm

  Ive been driving my Durango for 7 years, longer than any other vehicle Ive ever owned, and I plan to drive it for a long time to come. I am getting ready to have the trans rebuilt, its been messing up some for a couple of years, and with 154k miles, I can see why it would. But it hasnt broken down on me because of it. I love this vehicle. I do wish the gas mileage was better, but with the performance and reliability and comfort, etc, the mileage has been tolerable. This has been my favorite rig.

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  Love my hemi! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Tom - March 10 - 1:00 pm

  The car has awesome performance. Great bang for the buck! MPG not the best for the power, but the MDS sure helps. The ride/handling with the stock R/T is a bit "Soft" - with the SRT8 suspension I put on, its much better! This is not your grannys family sedan. Its fast, stops on a dime and corners awesome. The biggest pet peeve is my left arm falls asleep on long drives due to the hardness of the drivers door armrest.

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  06 Dodge Charger SXT - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Roadstar - March 9 - 5:43 pm

  This car drives great and I have the SXT trim level. The 3.5 engine is plenty of power for most people and still have fun. The tie rods wore out a little early at 45,000 miles. All in all I love this car!

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  glad I got the 6m transmission - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By getther/t - March 7 - 8:16 am

  Ive had this car for six months and I still cant believe Dodge actually built this thing. Mine is black, as I think the lighter colors make the car look too big. Its a big, honking, rumbling, American muscle car that people just love. Kind of like mid-60s Corvettes. Who doesnt like those? Anyway, this car is a future collectible for sure.

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  Dodge Magnum Done Again? - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Purp574 - March 7 - 1:56 am

  I know that Dodge/Chrysler are going through bad times, but Ive been Dodge since my childhood w/my fathers Dodge-ram conversion van. Owned two dodges since. Now to my Dodge magnum loved it from the first time I saw it during a super bowl commercial. (get it!) remember. I own an sxt awd 3.5 liter Dodge magnum and am in nothing but awe and praise for my car. Even after two years. What upsets me is that Dodge has decided to do away w/the mag and replaced it w/the nitro or journey which look good, but dont stand out like my mag. Please Dodge, bring back my mag. It has an all-American muscle style that with a bit more time will grow. Thanks for reading, next step for me an srt8 magnum. (get it!)

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  keep maintained - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By destini - March 6 - 12:43 pm

  this is a fun car to drive. 1st time owning a dodge. as long as maintained is a good car / risky if buying pre-owned. Common issue is head gasket, pistons & value guides causes car to smoke. After having these issues fixed I havent been able to go to beach (anything to do with driving over mountains, huge inclines as such) but in city has been good car. Had car accident totaled vehicle I will not purchase another 1 but if had not been totaled I would still enjoy this car. Maintenance has not been to bad, really suggest just keep it up and should be an ok car.

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  Its a wagon! - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By william van dusen - March 5 - 11:33 am

  My car 06 magnum srt-8 drives perfect for road racing, acceleration stopping night driving, looks (without a doubt) when backing just force yourself to turn your old tired body around an take a good look, blind spot is there in the back. Only thing I can see is when trying to drive down long straight roads the long wheelbase and ten inch tread in the front goes away from straight much easier than smaller tread tires but it corners unbelievable for a 4,300 lb. wagon with a long wheelbase, Ill take the cornering ability anytime. Ownership of my car has been a long time coming (since 1962) Ive always coveted the big cubic inch Dodges and Plymouths, HA thought it was crippling at 4,600.00,

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  Challenger is retro and fun to drive - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Kent - March 4 - 10:14 am

  Having owned a 1971 Challenger it was a no brainer when I saw the new one. I had to own one. Bought a 2010 RT Classic in silver and love the car. Although I dont have many miles on it (because of a bad winter) I can truly say it is one fantastic car. Being I am tall there is plenty of interior room and although plain inside it is extremely functional. The exterior styling is beautifully done and reminds me so much of my 71 it is scary. The ride is not jarring...excellent highway cruiser. No it isnt as fast as the Camaro or Mustang but in my opinion more stylish with a better overall ride. Wouldnt trade it for either one of those cars.