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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  Home Run! - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By JD - December 20 - 10:33 am

  New 4.0 has great power, wind noise was easy to fix, just flip the crossbars around on the roof rack (they are tear drop shape, thicker end faces forward) Dual screens with satellite TV is a huge hit! My nine year old can work everything! Swivel and go seats very comfortable. My wife loves this new van, we have had every family hauler from a Yukon Denali to a Toyota Sequoia and this vehicle takes the cake! Gets around in the snow great. If you dont need to tow anything heavy then this vehicle will do everything for you, and has a LIFETIME warranty to go with it!

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  DODGE OWNER SINCE 1963 - 1992 Dodge Dakota
  By cedar24 - December 20 - 2:00 am

  3.9 MAG ENGINE SUITABLE/TRANSMISSION RATIO SHD BE LOWER GEARED BUT ACCEPTABLE AS DAKOTA HAS PULLED 1500# IN BED + 2000# IN TRAILER W/O CHOKING.REBUILDING ENGINE AND CLUTCH AFTER 170K MILES/ALL OTHER COMPONETS WORKING WELL AND WILL UPGRADE AS NEEDED.4X4 ON LOWFLY IS NICE..NO BUTTONS/NO HUBS NO PROBLEMS/MS

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  love the car - 2003 Dodge Intrepid
  By broussardla - December 20 - 2:00 am

  this is my second intrepid. I had a 96 intrepid with a 3.5 engine and never had no problems with it. i traded it on a 2003 se with a 2.7 I like the body style of the 2003 drives better than the 96 model the price of the progam car was great

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  Wont buy anything else but a Durango - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By gypsylv - December 20 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Durango, and they have been the best cars Ive ever owned. Very reliable, sturdy, and fun, I will always have a Durango as part of my family.

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  Good Car but screams 80 yr old lady - 1993 Dodge Dynasty
  By aalprice - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car for almost 3 years and it has only had 2 repairs and for a 10 yr old car thats pretty good. Very roomy but the outside look it really bad. I am a young person and it is more of a boat then I would really like but it has great power with the V6. Hugh Trunk!

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  Middle of the Road - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By supaguy80 - December 19 - 2:00 am

  The Intrepid I own is a pretty fun car to drive. Have no major issues with it. I would reccomend it to someone who is looking for a good commuter car, but not if youre looking for something sporty.

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  I LOVE MY DURANGO!! - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By betsman - December 19 - 2:00 am

  My husband and I ordered our Durango and took delivery on new years eve 1998. I have never ever regretted that day! I absolutely would recommend this vehicle to anyone and everyone. I think they screwed up when they redesigned it for 2004! I have no plans to trade or sell my durango. I love it! No mechanical problems, albeit the normal wear and tear (brakes, tires, etc.)

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  Great Minivan - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Mike Hovey - December 19 - 12:50 am

  Third and best Dodge minivan weve owned. This is an SE/Sport (not AWD) with 3.3L, 17" wheels, and HD towing pkg. Just went over 151000 miles. Replaced transmission at about 100,000, but otherwise no major problems. Great for road trips and more than competent as a commuter. Will absolutely buy a fourth.

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  Dodge Dart 2013 - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By Peter G - December 18 - 9:34 pm

  Bought new... Never drove like new. The car has lag, and it is a six speed. Without master craft glacier grip II tires in the snow the traction and handling is horrible. The car has only 48,000 miles on it and already have had to replace cooling hose and alternator. The head lights are very poor and the car was made extremely cheap. In comparison to other economy cars like the ford fiesta and Subaru impreza the dart has a ton of work to do. The gear ratio is too close to be a fast car. Gears one, two, and three are very close. I would not recommend this car to anyone and it is a shame that my family and I have had such a bad experience (we were dodge fans). Dodge needs to adapt to the change in technology and defiantly performance.

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  1999 Dodge Dakota - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By JBHC69 - December 18 - 2:00 am

  Happiness is passing everything on the road in your Dodge Dakota! The Dakota is great on the road and in the city, and by adding a hard Tonneau cover, I increased the gas mileage by 2 mpg. Off road, Ive had this truck in some rough terrain in the Rocky Mountains, southern Utah, and the southwest and in all applications it has taken me where I wanted to go with complete confidence. I have had very few repairs. My original brakes lasted 72,000 miles. I love this truck!