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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  good buy for the money - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By rodshkin - May 11 - 2:00 am

  very comfortable and great handling

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  I WILL NEVER BUY A DAIMLER PRODUCT EVER! - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By LISA0605 - May 11 - 2:00 am

  BEWARE POTENTIAL DURANGO BUYERS!!!! We purchased our 03 Dodge Durango SLT 4X4 off the lot in February. In Marh 03 we started having "issues" with it. The rear axle seal was leaking and finally after three repair attempts it was fixed. The complete rear axle was replace!! I thought I just bought a new Durango!! This was followed by the check engine light coming on for various other reasons that the service manager still can explain.

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  99 3.9l - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By Austinr98 - May 10 - 2:00 am

  3.9L sluggish, hesitates at higher speeds, turning ratio is terrible.

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  Just keeps on rolling - 1995 Dodge Caravan
  By jrpurcel - May 10 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this van for the past two years and it just keeps on rolling. The transmission is as smooth as new and the engine cranks everytime. The air blows cold and it is one of the most reliable vehicles I have ever owned. I bought it with 113000 miles on it and at 140000 it is just ticking along. I said I was going to drive it until the wheels fell off. They may never do that.

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  I love this car. - 2004 Dodge Viper
  By Zackattk - May 9 - 2:00 am

  This is the best car in the world!

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  Love of my life... - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By KingZilla - May 9 - 2:00 am

  I love it...No Question ask.

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  The Perfect Car - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By Brad Sabol - May 8 - 2:00 am

  This car drives, handles, and performs like a true sports car.

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  AAAAA - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By salem - May 8 - 2:00 am

  SUPER PERFORMANCE FOR THE MONEY---SHARP LOOKING CAR

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  Awesome SUV - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Dainger - May 7 - 5:20 am

  I bought the Nitro R/T with the larger engine and boy is it fast. It really gets up and goes a lot better than my 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the I-6 4.0. Handling is great with the ESP and braking is really good as well. I love the heated leather seats, rear power outlet, sun roof, and the best is the great comments I get from people about how it looks. A lot of people still havent seen or heard of the SUV yet. Thats what I like the best about it, you dont see one of these bad boys everyday, like some of the other less bolder SUVs.

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  Neon Sxt - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By caliroller - May 7 - 2:00 am

  Real road rocket, strap yourself in for a fun, fast ride.