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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  Was love at first sight, but then... - 2015 Dodge Durango
  By zoomzoomn - January 21 - 4:57 pm

  We traded in an awesome 7 year old Nissan Armada with over 150,000 miles on it. Our needs have changed a bit we were looking to downsize. Priorites were comfort (including the 3rd row), capability and and gas mileage. The V6 pulls strongly enough and the 8 speed trans is nearly flawless. Gas mileage has been spot on at 19.6 overall in its first 4000 miles. Sadly, the love affair went awry a week after we bought it when I was left stranded 2 hours from home. The car was repaired. Eventually. Now, though, I find myself nitpicking every flaw of which there have been more than Id like. Unfortunately, my initial experience has left me with reservations about recommending this SUV.

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  Great Car to drive - 2014 Dodge Charger
  By joelyjoel03 - January 20 - 12:13 pm

  After driving the car for 9 months now, Ive been able to greatly assess the vehicle. What it lacks in acceleration it makes up in top speed. Its a very quick muscle car. My car is fairly "factory" on the mechanical side with the exception of an aftermarket K&N Air intake system. This simply added 2 or 3 horse power off the line and a more muscle sound from under the hood. The car has great handling on the high end, since being a bit more heavy than usual sedans, while the car is going slower. Its a heavy car (5100 lbs not including the gas and passengers) so you feel it greatly when trying to maneuver quickly. Lets just say I smoked a V8 Mustang with all the bells and whistles.

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  2015 Journey Crossroad - 2015 Dodge Journey
  By dunbarre - January 17 - 11:42 am

  Our recent purchase was after much research. I admit being a Mopar fan, I lean towards Dodge but try to keep an objective outlook. With just 1000 miles, the 3.6L, V6 AWD is giving 20-21 MPG around town here which is a pleasant surprise. The average MPG bar display keeps me conscientious of my driving habits. The seats are comfortable and there is plenty of room for my 6 frame. I like the size of the Crossroad with the 3rd row seating, the storage, the adjustable telescoping steering column and front and rear climate controls as well as the key-less entry and starting. The entertainment and sound system other controls are easily accessible and I find them intuitive to operate.

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  78K and still no problems - 2011 Dodge Journey
  By journeyguy - January 15 - 2:04 pm

  I bought my Journey brand new in 2011. This vehicle has been great so far. I too have had some of the same issues that I see here. Had to replace tires at 30k this is not unusual do your research all manufacturers put cheap tires on new cars. I did replace all 4 brake pads and rotors at about 50k n new problems. This vehicle is comfortable, safe and affordable I would recommend one to anyone. I cant wait to get another one in 2 years....

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  Great car for the money! - 2014 Dodge Dart
  By jasonhawk61 - January 14 - 8:46 pm

  I was leasing a 13 Silverado, and it was costing me so much money in gas. I work at a Dodge dealership, and wasnt a big fan of the dart until I saw one with the Blacktop package. It adds the gloss black 18" rims, black mirrors and grille. I had one of our sales guys find me a black one with the 8.4" touchscreen, 500W Alpine system, 6 speed manual, and it looks awesome. The black on black looks so good on this car, and Ive gotten tons of compliments on it from random people. Super fun to drive, decent amount of power for what youre paying. Handles great, and Im averaging around 30MPG.

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  Hemi problem with blue (oil) smoke - 2014 Dodge Durango
  By cherden721 - January 3 - 9:59 am

  I had 1500 miles when I noticed every time it was started it would leave me engulfed in a cloud of blue smoke. Took back to dealer and they replaced all the valves. Next day, same issue with the smoke. Following week 2 new heads we installed. Finally, it doesnt smoke. Customer Care stated that the oil dip stick is too short for the hemi and the wrong oil pans have been installed but NO recall will follow. Found the same issue for others on the Dodge forum website. I was lucky that my dealer replaced the heads. More buyers are not as lucky, Dodge tells them there is NO problems. Have lost all faith in the Dodge line. BEWARE HEMI OWNERS!!

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  great mid size with heart of a full size - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By daveydoo - January 1 - 5:37 pm

  Perfect size for urban areas. Has 4.7L with 5 speed transmission with normal maintenance is still strong. Returning 16.2 combined driving. With 138631 miles I had to replace front shocks and rebuild front suspension due to feeling floaty and steering no too crisp. Interior is perfect for four full size adults.

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  to many times to shop for repairs - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By dds_dodgedart - December 30 - 11:20 am

  purchased October 2013 sxt with auto thought how good it looked and electronics were top notch most advanced as advertising said not to be the case pairing of phones for texting is not possible yet for Samsung galaxy s5 even today in 2014s or 2013s many service events to replace minor parts .uconnect customer no service is one of the worst even dealership stated they were hard to work with on service end when car is running correctly and not in for service I really like it I bought extended warranty thank god but wish I bought ford fusion instead co worker bought same time I bought dart and not once in for repair and smartphone connection to handsfree has been flawless voice and text

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  2002 Durango R/T - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By ronniechoate34 - December 28 - 12:22 pm

  We bought our Durango with 126,000 miles on her. The transmission needed replacing, the heater hose and the upper and lower radiator hoses all needed replacement. The radiator and the thermostat were both shot. The front brakes, the power booster and master cylinder on the Durango needed replacement and so did a wheel hub. The brake hoses had been replaced by the previous owner in the two years prior to my purchasing the vehicle. There are still problems with the heater as the rear of the truck only blows cool air from the vents. Not too great in the winter time. There were other minor problems with the truck, but after sinking a small fortune into it Im hoping it will hold up for years.

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  Had looked, now own - 2012 Dodge Durango
  By usmc1811 - December 26 - 8:36 am

  Very happy so far with my Durango R/T AWD. The V8 Hemi is a solid engine to have in this size vehicle. Plenty of power when you need it. I have yet to tow anything, but from the feel and performance of the V8 engine so far, towing will never be an issue. The AWD is a solid feature to have in the NW when it does snow. Be sure to buy one fully loaded if you can. Even if you think you may not need the extra goodies, you will find a need or want later.