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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  Beauty and a Beast - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By E. Weatherbee - March 26 - 11:53 pm

  This car is awesome. It is definitely a car that gets attention. The power and growl of the the engine restores the Charger back to its muscle car fame. The ride is smooth, yet stiff enough to handle agressive driving and cornering. The ride is very quiet and comfortable. When you get on the gas the engine springs to life and the growl of the engine and exhaust let you know the Hemi is under the hood. The interior is well appointed with comfortable seats that will adjust to almost any size person. The adjustable seats, telescoping / tilting steering wheel and power adjustable pedals offer infinate adjustability. Dodge hit a home run with this driving machine.

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  meh - 1996 Dodge Stratus
  By hoeun - March 25 - 2:00 am

  got it brand new back in 96. ive been driving this car for 4 years. my mom had it before me. before i started driving, it was taken goodcare of and was driven very softly (never over 3000 rpm). when i took over, i abused the 2.4lt engine. i put it throught alot of tests and trials. i do give it regualr oil changes, but my average peak rpm when im accelerating is 4500. i get bad gas milage only due to my driving style. we had to replace the head gasket, transmission twice, and whole lot of brake jobs. but considering my driving style, it was reasonable. right now it has little ove 150000miles, and its still going strong.

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  The Neon is not reliable - 1995 Dodge Neon
  By Sean S - March 25 - 2:00 am

  Having purchased my 95 Neon with only 1200 miles on it made me feel like I was buying it new. But this ended about 2 years later, when the $5500 bills for transmission repair/replacement began to pile up. I recently put an additional $500 in repairs into the car, but it didnt help my "lack of acceleration" problem. The brakes are extremely loud and give way too easily. The rear speakers havent worked since 1998. I will never buy another Neon.

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  Mazsmag - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By craig - March 24 - 3:00 pm

  I like the inside and out. Its fast and fun to drive. Keep up the outstanding job.

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  Family Truckster - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Paul K - March 24 - 4:10 am

  This vehicle is by far the best in its class, and priced well for quality and performance it delivers. As many first set of brakes were replaced at 12K, but under warranty. Dealer adv that Dodge is making improvement to the brake pads soon. The V-6 with quick shift option is great. The national safety ratings are excellant. Only complaint city MPG could be better, but again my wife drives like she trying out for pole position in NASCAR. The under hidden storage, beverage (in dash), built in power converter, and recharging flash light, and rear doors that open 180 degrees are options you wont find in an import. Would by again..

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  Love my Dodge - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By ushowilook - March 24 - 2:00 am

  First, dodge vehicle i ever owned and all i have to say is I LOVE IT.

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  2000 Durango - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By DSLT - March 24 - 2:00 am

  Love this SUV, great performance, good handling, modest comfort level, alot for the money. I be in line for a 2004 when my lease is up.

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  Best "compact truck" buy you can make!] - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By MagnumDak - March 23 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this vehicle for about three months now and have had no problems at all. It has over 85,000 miles on it but the 318 ci (5.2L) still runs as strong as ever. I take meticulous care of her as she is an older vehicle but there isnt a thing to complain about. I was backed into by a Jeep Grand Cherokee and it totaled the Jeep but put only a 1/2 inch dent in my bumper. I am super immpressed with the acceleration of this truck and its ability to effortlessly "peel out". Overall this is an outstanding truck.

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  Great Tow vehicle! - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By grndsm - March 23 - 2:00 am

  I got an awesome deal on my Â’98, back in Â’02. So I used $$$ left in my truck budget to completely rebuild its front end (all 8 new Moog ball joint). The difference was amazing! Overall, gas mileage was poor (11-12mpg). But I had ZERO other problems with the truck and it now has 148k miles!

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  04 Dakota 4.7 V8 - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By Rickyboy - March 23 - 2:00 am

  The quality seems to be good recomend getting limited slip rear end, goes good with sand bags in back in snow. Have optional wheel package Goodyear Eagles are to noisey. V8 very strong gas mileage not the best but will pull load well. Seats are comfy [front buckets]. Drove the V6 and it had plenty of power bought this one because of stronger motor and load capacity. Overall I have owned Rangers and S10s this is by far the best compact truck made by the big 3 automakers.