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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  wow what a car - 2004 Dodge Viper
  By randyboy248 - February 17 - 2:00 am

  my experience with this car was great it felt like i was in miami florida and that i was rich.

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  more power needed - 2004 Dodge Viper
  By jerry rice - February 17 - 2:00 am

  this is a fast and nice car. but it needs about 150 or more horspower and needs better handling.

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  2004 Viper - 2004 Dodge Viper
  By H. T. Pettigrew - February 17 - 2:00 am

  Pure excitement! Not for the weak at heart.

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  Nice car - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By Brad C - February 17 - 2:00 am

  Nice car , fun to drive . Only problem in 40,000 miles is it needed 2 transmissions replaced and a differential. All warranty work but still a pain. Had a 96 Intrepid for 5 yrs was a much better car than the 2001

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  My second Intrepid - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By Charlene Wilmes - February 17 - 2:00 am

  In 2003 I purchased my 2nd Intrepid. This is a SE. My lst is a 1996ES. I have to say that I still prefer the ES to the SE. I love the extra power on the highway. And I prefer the openness that the 96 has compared to a more closed-in feeling of the SE. Bottom line...the Intrepid has the best ride of any car...even the 2003 Lincoln cant compare.

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  OK CAR BUT BUILD QUALITY STINKS - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By TIMOTHY SMITH - February 17 - 2:00 am

  I LIKE THE COMFORT OF THE INTREPID AND THE LOOKS AND THE WAY IT DRIVES VERY MUCH HOWEVER THE 2.7 V6 DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER FOR THAT SIZE CAR AND IT DOES NOT KEEP ITS VALUE ANY BETTER THAN A FORD PINTO OR A CHEVETTE USED TO SO I REALLY WISH I HAD NOT BOUGHT IT

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  not the comfort of a corvette - 2004 Dodge Viper
  By jwdunn - February 16 - 2:00 am

  pretty much says it all in the title ,if you are all about speed than strap in, but if you like speed and comfort i would caution you to drive one first (good luck finding a dealor who will give you a ride)

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  Disappointed in reliability - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By viper081149 - February 16 - 2:00 am

  Unfortunately, after 36,500 miles, it has been in the shop several times. Rack and pinion system replaced already & is now in for transmission work. "Check engine" light has sent it to the shop four times in less than a year. First two times were vacumn problem, the third time they couldnt find anything (still under warranty By about 400 miles) and now, 500 miles after the warranty expired, they found a transmission problem that is going to cost me $550. To be fair to the selling dealership, it is about 20 miles away in Cornelius, NC and is not the dealership screwing around with me. The culprit is Keffer Dodge here in Charlotte.

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  NICE LITTLE TRUCK - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By SMOKEY-2 - February 16 - 2:00 am

  I ALWAYS HAD DODGE TRUCKS, THIS 2003 DAKOTA WITH THE V6 AUTOMATIC IS A GOOD LITTLE TRUCK. GOOD POWER, EASY TO PARK AND I REALLY LIKE THE 4 WHEEL DISC BRAKES. THE BASE MODEL HAS A NICE SIZE INTERIOR WITH CLOTH BENCH SEAT.

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  LUV MY DAKOTA - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By ORANGE1 - February 16 - 2:00 am

  MY DAKOTA HAS ROOM FOR 4 BIG ADULTS EAZY. W/FOLD UP SEATS IT HAS ROOM TO SPARE. RIDE IS SMOOTH AND QUICK PLUS I GET 16.5 TO 17 MPG. NICE PLUS