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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  On the road again - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Roger Nafts - December 18 - 2:00 am

  I havent had any trouble with this vehicle. Oil Changes on a regular basis.

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  Durango Devil - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Bigbillelliotfan - December 18 - 2:00 am

  Refreshing for an American built SUV. Ride is somewhat sporty and pretty predictable in manuvering. Good bang for the buck with a touch of German quality and engineering. Almost has a "hotrod" appeal.

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  Black Charger SRT8 - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Yvette - December 17 - 10:26 pm

  The Charger SRT8 is the most incredible car I have ever driven. The acceleration is awesome. The car attracts a lot of stares and questions. Be prepared for the question: "That got a HEMI in it?" Just be careful about staying near the speed limit - it also attracts the police.

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  Love it - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Sweet - December 17 - 9:16 pm

  Ive had my far share of Chrysler disasters and by far this is the best van ive ever owned! I just traded in a 1998 grand caravan sport with 325 000 miles on it when it officaly blew! Ive also had a 93 with 220 000 miles on it and the transmission blew. I bough a base van and im worried about the transimission like the last ones.

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  Looking forward to my next Neon - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By LadyLuck - December 17 - 2:00 am

  At 7,000 miles, I took my Neon in because I was leaving a puddle of coolant wherever I went. There was also a knocking in the steering column which was explained to me as some sort of rusted out pin that holds the steering column in place. Since then, wonderful smooth sailing. I hear everyone on the engine noise thing, I test drove a Civic, a Cavalier, and a Golf before buying this Neon new. The Neon was the loudest of them in my opinion, but the dealership gave me the best offer for my trade-in, by several thousand-and they were much friendlier about answering my questions.

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  Nice Car - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By MikeChasser - December 17 - 2:00 am

  I love my stratus, good car and nice looking too.

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  This Car Rocks! - 2001 Dodge Neon
  By LoveMyCar - December 16 - 2:00 am

  I love Dodge Neons! I just love the way the new ones look, and my car is reliable. My only dislikes is that my car didnt come with a CD player, cruise control, or antilock breaks. Other than that, Great car!

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  Nice lookin truck - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By threeer - December 16 - 2:00 am

  Bought after Toyota dealership got stupid dealing for a Tacoma. Love the rugged look of the quad. While the interior isnt 100% as nice as others, its still a comfortable place to do business. Like the wide-open rear doors! CD player didnt work upon arrival, but was taken care of under warranty.

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  Hidden Gem - 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Jeff S. - December 15 - 12:10 pm

  I was looking at Ford TransConnect and decided to give Dodge a look-see. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised by this vehicle. I instantly loved the Stow-n- Go seats. This allows me to quickly turn minivan into a cargo van. Front seats are surprisingly comfortable. The only knack I found was the location of front power window buttons. I keep hitting the back one, even now (just move them all back by 1 inch or so). Gas economy is average. You really get your moneys worth on highway. In the city, I average slightly below 16mpg. After driving the van for 5k miles, the only problem was the squeaking sound rear windshield arm was making but that was fixed quickly.

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  Nice update - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By bhosken - December 14 - 1:26 pm

  We previously owned a 1995 Grand Caravan and because of the great reliability we had and the comfortable drive it provided we decided to stay with this for our next van. We love the features included on the SXT and find Stow and Go indespensible already.