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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  White Lightning - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Bill - April 7 - 5:26 pm

  I took my white RT on a trip from South Bend, IN to Tampa, FL during record setting snow falls in Kentucky and Tennesse. I was able to open it up on Rt. 57 thru Illinois which was real fun. Got lots of looks. I hit the snow in Kentucky. I was extremely pleased with the handling of the ESP system. I was able to run at 40 mph, which in those conditions was flying! I was amazed at all of the high priced cars off the road in ditches ect... Spent pretty much of Xmas eve on I-24 in Tennesse. Things finally got moving again about 2pm and I was off to the races. I want you to know that this car makes you forget that you are diving long distances. Oh yeah!!! 22 mpg SWEET:)

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  Grand Caravan SXT - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Mark - April 7 - 3:23 pm

  Our third Dodge Minivan. This continues to be the best designed minivan in the marketplace. Dramatic pricing discounts help ease the low- resale pain. Reliability has not been an issue for us. We enjoy the convenience front to back that this well-designed vehicle offers. Ride is quite nice, quieter than past models. Extra storage throughout is a plus.

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  Avenger Review - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Cj - April 7 - 1:06 pm

  Born and Raised a "GM Girl", I felt almost disloyal when I purchased my Avenger SE, but BOY am I glad I did! Its a great car for money! It has a spacious interior and many extras that you wouldnt expect in a base model. Cool Zone cup holders, 2 part adjustable arm rest/storage console and a folding rear seat with rear passenger armrest, makes for enjoyable road trips. Its easy to get in & out of and has plenty of headroom, which if you have tall and/or aging loved ones, this is a HUGE plus. The exterior is probably the biggest surprise of all. Who would have thought you can get a car that looks that cool for under 20K? It certainly wouldnt have been me!

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  overall, a good car - 1995 Dodge Stratus
  By 1995statusES - April 7 - 2:00 am

  bought car with 89 grand on the odo it is a perfect car to hang out with 4 or 5 friends in. it has almost 120K now. very comfortable, heater works fast a/c is promising. i was 16 when i bought it so i punished the 2.5 bad. 1st gear is surprisingly quick for a heavy sedan, but its not that sporty otherwise. people need to realize that cars dont last forever especially if u treat them bad.my h20 pump was replaced at 105K, which is understandable. rotors up front replaced too. just got new torque converter and 1st gear replaced(i wonder why, maybe it was the frequent redlined rpms) overall ive enjoyed my strat, but ive punished it so its punishing me.

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  Reliable and Fun to drive - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By Elaine3 - April 7 - 2:00 am

  I have had the car over 2 years. It has been a very reliable car and has had no mechanical problems. Squeaky brake problems are usually a concern for Stratus cars but mine has had no problems. I have enjoyed driving it.

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  Looks good, not build good - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By cordled - April 7 - 2:00 am

  I have always loved the way Dodge trucks looked. Thats what attacted me to the Durango. Now after owning it for 5 years I still like the looks but I had to get a new transmission ($2600) in March of 2003. Now this year front and rear diffs, engine intake and the rear axle/bearings needs replaced (another $3500). I will probably never purchase another Dodge again.

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  durangogo - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By heatu - April 7 - 2:00 am

  very nice car just a little tippy in hard turns or hard braking

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  2008 Grand Caravan A/C evaporator - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Richie - April 6 - 10:26 pm

  2008 i purchased used in august 2009, TIPIM or TPM MODULE went bad caused van to shut off, radio didnt turn on signals didnt work. dodge said they cant help. now my a/c blows hot air i put die and had a tech check he did not find any leaks at all so he asked another tech that works for dodge and was told it is the evaporator for SURE the evaporator used in my vehicle are the worst and it should be a recall, but of course Dodge said no again. I cant afford to fix it so I will be driving with out a/c the worst part is the defrost dont work without the ac, in Florida, and I have 5 kids. I also got a recall on the radiator cap and brakes. Wow terrible made vehicle

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  Love it after 5000 mile camper trip - 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Jeff - April 6 - 10:24 pm

  These vans do what they are meant to do, carry lots of stuff or people. We just finished 5000 mile trip in the Rocky Mountains and our 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT was great. It pulled a pop up camper up and down mountains without a complaint and got great mileage doing it. We had hoped for 20 mpg and got 24mpg(actually 23.7) traveling with the traffic at highway speeds. Now without the trailer mileage approaches/exceeds 30mpg at highway speeds. And our two dogs love it too. We buy and keep our cars for long periods and have always had great performance from Dodge grand caravans.

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  Was hoping for better - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By usmc - April 6 - 2:36 pm

  As soon as I drove this car home, there was a squeak on the drivers side undercarriage. I took it back and it was fixed in a jiffy .. something hadnt been tightened down. When I turn on the A/C there is a "shushing" noise. I need to get that checked out too. Also, it doesnt seem to me that the rear window defroster is working at all. I have put 3500 miles on it since I bought it in Feb.09, with no problems other than what I first mentioned. It is quiet on the road and has enough zip when I need it. The seats show dirt quickly so I have to stay on top of that. The wiper blades are not good quality. They squeak and streak, so Im not happy about that. Decent gas mileage.