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:

• 

  NEVER AGAIN!! - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By Avenger-NEVER AGAIN - May 3 - 2:00 am

  Fell in love with styling 1st time I saw it. Bought new 2nd model year. 1st 3 months was in the shop 10 times. Auto transmission shot at 40K miles. Entire front end replaced at 56K due to shotty controller arms (the front end broke away from the main structure of the car!). Changed thermostat 2xs & always needs new brakes. FM radio & CD player no longer work. Lots of interior cosmetic problems now make the car look junky. There is a leak inside that no one can find & everytime it rains there is a puddle on the front passenger floor board. I will drive this piece of junk until it rusts away to nothing just to get the $$ I put into it for repairs.

• 

  Lotsa car for little bucks - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By dhughes1 - May 3 - 2:00 am

  ES with 3.2 and Autostick. I bought it used with 21K. More car for the money than most. Ive put 10K on in 6 months no problems other than a vibration in the engine compartment on a cold start. Much improved over my 96 Intrepid quieter, many design improvements. My only real gripe is poor low end torque. You have to get deep into the throttle to make it really go (which it will!).

• 

  Underpowered Dakota - 1998 Dodge Dakota
  By bobby62914 - May 3 - 2:00 am

  My 1998 Dodge Dakota with a four cylinder is terribly underpowered. Even negotiating a modest grade with the A/C running is impossible. It has no cupholders. It is poor visibility and is not fun, or easy, to drive.

• 

  Great vehicle for the money - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Greg - May 2 - 8:33 pm

  This vehicle has to be one of the best made vehicles I have driven. Very comfortable ride. Tracks well on wet or dry roads. Handles bumps extremely well.

• 

  Charger - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Reggie - May 2 - 8:33 pm

  My RT is an excellent vehicle. Very powerful and comfortable. The ride is smooth and the drive is flawless. A definite head turner!

• 

  2005 Dodge Neon - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By blueram13 - May 2 - 5:53 pm

  Economy car that provides good gas mileage and reliable transportation. Drives 80 miles a day to work. Last Neon (1998) drove 175,000 miles and only needed a head gasket. Very happy with all around performance.

• 

  neon is nothing special - 1996 Dodge Neon
  By danda - May 2 - 2:00 am

  For a long time it was a great car. It is still pretty reliable. My problems are with the paint, and the durability of the accessories. The door panels keep falling off and breaking. The windows havent worked right for a long time, The antenna fell off. The gas tank door broke one day. The car is horrible in the snow. Its a reliable vehicle. The gas mileage has decreased, but it still gets 25-32 mpg.

• 

  Runs & runs - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By Tugg53 - May 2 - 2:00 am

  I have driven this vehicle for 6 years with no problems for over 150,00km. I have it serviced regularly and I dont abuse it or drive it hard. I several times done 8.2 or better litres/100km app 26-27mpg US. It is a 5 passenger 4cylinder auto trans. I can cruise comfortably at 110km/hr. The only time there is any shortage of power is on mountain roads when I shift down she goes. Been a great vehicle so far.

• 

  think before you buy regular cab - 1997 Dodge Dakota
  By ems - May 2 - 2:00 am

  its been a good truck for the 6 months Ive owned it. Beware of ball-joint issues in the 97-02 models... the 00-02 seem to be the worst, but mine needed all four ball joints before 100k... they arent cheap either, total bill was $1500. The truck has plenty of power with the 318 (5.2) and the transmission has been smooth shifting... but the engine does have idle issues, make sure you start the truck COLD as thats when they tend to show up. Would I buy it again? Probably, but Id get the club or quad cab!

• 

  99 durango - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By cheryl hayes - May 2 - 2:00 am

  I love the roomy interior, the comfort and the drive. I have had only 1 problem and that being using a automactic car wash the water gets in the distibutor and the car has to dry out a few minutes before starting.