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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  Nice ride - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By tuda - May 7 - 2:00 am

  yo i got one of these bad boys and what i did with it is i put a cold air intake in there a supercharger and a whole lot of other stuff. Put 2 15s in the back and i got some 12 in rims that stick out like 10 in. Handling is awsome and it races better than any other Civic out there.. and all this for 12 gs. So all you Civic lovers ill see you all later cause this Neon will burn all of you.

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  Great sports car - 2004 Dodge Viper
  By RobbinConner - May 7 - 2:00 am

  Having owned BMW M3s, z06 corvettes, and extensively driven porsche 911s, boxster ss and mercedes sls, I have never found such a well balanced powerful car. The body stays nicely planted over bumps and easily communicates its limits. Torque out of corners is phenomenal. It does idly roughly and generates noticeable heat at all times. It is noisy but not much worse than other high performance cars. The engine produces lovely moans and growls in hard driving. After reading several reviews criticizing ride harshness, I approached the car with trepidation but have not found it any harsher than the a Boxster S with large tires. Convertible is lovely.

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  Not bad for the price - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By josh - May 7 - 2:00 am

  A very reliable car that you can take the family to the park or take it out for a race. As for the car , you get what you pay for. Your not going to expect luxury and comfort as if you do in a BMW for example but it still is a very enjoyable/fun car .

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  03 4x4 V8 Extended Cab - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By x98evens - May 7 - 2:00 am

  Very fast for a truck this size, great size/price combination for a truck. Enjoyable to drive the 5 speed w/ limited slip rear end. Hard to find a good service shop for the tougher jobs (required frequent axle flushes), but you cant blaim that on the truck.

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  Dakota was great - 1996 Dodge Dakota
  By S - May 6 - 2:00 am

  My Dakota was always a good truck

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  Good Truck - Would probably buy another - 1995 Dodge Dakota
  By jmitch0765 - May 6 - 2:00 am

  Have had this truck since it was new - regular maintenance schedule and oil changes - 2 transmission problems (Total approx. $1000) in its lifespan.

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  Excellent car - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By mcmusic - May 6 - 2:00 am

  Excellent car. The 200 horsepower and 205 ft-lbs of torque make it particularly fun to drive. Nice thing about the engine and transmission is that you dont have to wait for the power to kick in like other vehicles.

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  So Far So Good!! - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By Brian M. - May 6 - 2:00 am

  I just bought this car with 11,000 miles. I have been a GM and Honda owner. Traded my CRV in for it. I do alot of highway driving & I am getting 25mpg so far.It handles great and ride nice,very stylish!! I have the SE model. I havent figured out if the rear seats fold down yet?I hope dodge deosnt disaapoint me. I need a good reliable car.

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  Wheeeeeee - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Doggie - May 6 - 2:00 am

  With over 30,000 miles of ownership I can tell you my Durango has been one of the best vehicle experiences I have ever enjoyed! My Durango is just as exciting to get in as it was the day I took it home. 4.7 Engine runs like a top! Brakes with anti-lock feature have saved me numerous times! Drivers seat lumbar bladder is the only item that has failed since new car delivery day. The steering of this vehicle is pure pleasure.

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  DISAPOINTED - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By ROBERT BROWN - May 6 - 2:00 am

  Im not that happy with this van. i traded in my wifes windstar with 64000 miles on it with nothing but oil chages done. at two years old it rode better,drove better,and to be honest as much as i hate to admit the ford was a better van.