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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  Avergers Are Lemmons. Look what happend - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By MikeCalvino - March 22 - 2:00 am

  I bought this as my first car. Only 2 weeks into having it the tranny blew. I went to bring it back and the man skipped town. Cost me 3k. Later the heater core went. If you think changing these japan heater cores are easy try 8 hours and $800. This car also has an elecrtical problem. Alwas dies and stalls out. Piece if crap

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  Va-Voom! - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Dick Bert 10 - March 22 - 2:00 am

  Bought a new Neon R/T with all the toys from a delaer for $13,500. While it may be 2 years old in a few months, its still a new car to me since I keep one for about 5-6 years anyway. The 03 has more legroom and creature comforts than my old 98 did. The magnum engine has as much h.p. as the old 2.0 DOHC, but sounds quieter under load. The 4-wheel discs stop it quite well. The 5-speed makes this pocket rocket a blast to drive and the Goodyear P195/50R16s make it grab in the corners. Ill be upgrading the tires to Bridgestones as soon as I wear the OEM Goodyears out. All in all, I am very pleased with the Neon R/T.

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  Should have gotten the V8 - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By JayB77 - March 22 - 2:00 am

  If I had to do it over, I would buy this model truck only with the V8. The pickup on the highway is somewhat lacking in the V6, with only 2 adults riding. The fuel economy ratings are almost the same between the V6 and the V8, so it would have been worth it. Otherwise I have been extremely happy with it! It is fun to drive and looks fantastic with a good wash and wax! I am actually thinking about getting a cap to make it like an SUV rather then have to give it up for a trade.

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  Shame on Dodge - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Jacatch - March 20 - 2:00 am

  I decided to buy a U.S. car because I thought that by now most cars are similar in reliability. This car was okay until the engine went out at 66,000 miles. My research on the internet has found that this is a common problem with this engine (V-6 2.6 litre). Dodge/Chrysler will not help out in any way (I tried). 3 other people where I work had similar problems with the engine going out (1999,2000 and 2001). Daimler-Chrysler has no idea how many people will never buy a Dodge again. Word of mouth is spreading on the Intrepid all of the repair shops know about the problem with this engine.

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  proud owner - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By kflack - March 20 - 2:00 am

  the best truck for the money

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  BAD ROCKET ARMS on CHARGER - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Gavril - March 20 - 12:08 am

  Just got a 2006 Dodge Charger and now engine is sound like a traine because the BAD ROCKET ARMS on valve never seen this befor just be aware

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  only my opinion - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By hdcon88 - March 19 - 10:00 am

  Well this is our third neon we owned We shopped around a lot and found very few neons on lots in our area as well as several states while we were in, the reason we bought another neon was the fact that the only way to get anything out of it in resale was to deal only with dodge again,because no one else would give us over 2000 for our 99 neon with 77000 miles on it.Well as for the new car my wife likes it so far ( only 200 miles) but my biggest complaint is the seats are not very forgiving or supportive for my 66"

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  A steal @ $9995 - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By sweaterlover - March 19 - 10:00 am

  We happened upon a Dodge Neon looking for basic tranportation, and walked away with a steal. With a sticker price of $15460, it is overpriced, but when the deal discounted the cae, including a $2500 rebate, down to $9995, no one could pass this up. With a manual transmission at that price, many may pass it up, but a manual makes the car more fun to drive, as it is slightly underpowered (been driving a 200 horsepower van for years).

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  Compressor failed 3 yrs into purchase - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By curious07 - March 19 - 4:00 am

  This is my second Caravan. I love it. Very convenient for the kids to get in and out of. My first Caravan the head gasket blew a year into purchase. The current one, the a/c compressor went three years into purchase and the gas pedal sticks. If I could afford it, I would look into the Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey.

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  Nice Car - 1999 Dodge Avenger
  By PA Avenger - March 19 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. My only complaint is the turning radius is unusually wide. And if you get lost a lot, like I do, U- turns can be a hassle.