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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  AWESOME - 2003 Dodge Viper
  By Joe - January 28 - 3:39 pm

  Ive had this car for almost 7 years, I still have goosebumps everytime I drive it...I LOVE THIS CAR!!!

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  Best Truck Ive ever owned! - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By cd493 - January 28 - 2:38 pm

  This truck is great. I just bought it about a month ago. It is has the Hemi engine which is the best preforming truck I have ever driven. It can tow like hell and it is so comfortable I wouldnt even know I am towing anything. If you are in the market for an suv This is a great option.

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  Well refined Hot Rod... - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By nealuss - January 26 - 10:20 pm

  I have owned this car for about 2 years now and so far no regrets. I spend a lot of time in it driving 40+ miles to work almost every day. So far I have no real complaints. Its a comfortable commuter with a more than adequate passing gear and a well equipped sports car at the same time. I would recommend the 3.5L to those who arent concerned with performance, but if you are a car nut like me you should go no lower than the R/T.

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  Good.. For the most part. - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By ZachJ - January 26 - 11:54 am

  My strat was my first car. I got it a few months ago. Ive only put about three thousand miles on it and I have to say I love it. I wasnt planning on buying a Stratus to begin with. But it was there, in my price range, looked nice, so I sat in it. Sold. Loved the inside. I took it for a test drive and fell in love with it for a second time. There are a couple flaws, but all cars have some.

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  MY SOUL MATE - 2009 Dodge Charger
  By Jeylo2 - January 25 - 5:19 pm

  I scoped this car out for months, read all the reviews, drove several models, but Im absolutely thrilled over my "CHARGER". So far it has been everything I anticipated it to be and more. Im not a drag racer and I know a little something about cars to go with the 3.5 V-6 HIGH-OUTPUT at least. All around the board this is the car for me. My kids will get this car and still be cool and safe. I was a little hesitant about the rear wheel thingy, but I found that if I just respect the vehicle, it will definitely return the favor. This is definitely my soul mate.

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  one complaint - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By Bill - January 25 - 2:19 pm

  I could not afford the RT so I bought the SE cause I had to have it. It is a beautiful car in every respect. I will soon be installing some upgrades, duals, air charger. V chip. It will then sound as good as it looks and go a little better. This car has the 18 inch aluminum wheels and I have no plans to change them.

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  Dodge all the way - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Joe - January 25 - 9:14 am

  My 02 Mustang died the last month of my 5 year loan. I was never happy with Ford products and will never buy another Ford as long as I live. This is the third Dodge vehicle Ive owned and I could not be happier. I bought it used with 1700 miles. I now have over 72k and have not had one major problem. I noticed a lag in acceleration initially and read on some Dodge forums that the car needed a flash upgrade. Once that was done (Free from the dealer) the car handled much better. The original Firestones are very loud. I replaced them at 70k with Yokohamas and am amazed at the difference.

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  Loved this minivan - 1996 Dodge Caravan
  By Suzie - January 22 - 7:34 pm

  My uncle loved his 1996 Dodge Caravan and gave it to me when he bought a brand new one the year before last. This minivan has been great. It drives itself and has been as reliable as any older car would be. I regularly got 27 mpg and the seats are really comfortable. This car was old enough to have personality, but if you dont mind windsheild wipers turning themselves on now and again and the loud knocking noise coming from the glove box, then this could be the car for you. Ours, unfortunately, just hit the end of its road. But while I was reading reviews about new vans, I thought Id write a good review for our old one.

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  I wouldve never thought - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Mrs. P - January 22 - 9:37 am

  I love the Chevy Tahoe and the GMC. I decided to step outside the box and ended up falling in love with this vehicle. I has all the luxuries for a better price.

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  Dream Car - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Cody - January 20 - 2:46 pm

  Im the proud owner of a Brilliant Black 10 Challenger SRT-8 Auto with every option.425hp going to the rear wheels means fast, fun and not for winter driving.Styling perfectly matches my taste- understated yet eye catching exterior, plain(not distracting)functional and comfortable interior made with quality materials.The stock SRT is tailored more towards touring than street fighting which trades off a little horsepower for a quiet ride.Despair not musclecar fans for the engine is unleashed with the addition of an aftermarket performance exhaust and cold air intake.This airflow combo increases engine power sound and response while maintaining or improving gas mileage.Great enthusiast car!