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:

• 

  02 Stratus SE V6 - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By moparenthusiast - December 6 - 2:00 am

  Bought my Stratus SE V6 in Jan. of this year with 18,--- miles on it. Performance is definately more then most people expect it to be, so its fun getting on the gas. After about a month of owning the car, my interior brake light kept comming on and my brakes made a moaning noise. Took it to the dealership and they said "nothing was wrong". Recently took it back to the dealership and they determined that my rotors needed to be replaced. Also, now my transmission leaks. I still have about 6,000 miles left on my warranty so Im sure the Dodge dealership will tell me my transmission doesnt leak for another 6,001 miles. Wont buy another used dodge.

• 

  Love my Mopar - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Lines44 - December 5 - 4:03 am

  My 98 was totaled in an accident but no one was hurt. I bought a new SXT and its great. Fun to drive, peppy and good economy. Lots of little features. Noticibly quieter than the 98.

• 

  From Cherokee to Charger - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Tulsashag - December 5 - 3:10 am

  17mpg in town is hard to obtain when something is this much fun to drive. I average something closer to 15 - 16mpg. With 4 doors and a huge trunk, my wife and two small children have plenty of leg room.

• 

  SRT-10 2004 - 2004 Dodge Viper
  By alex655321 - December 5 - 2:00 am

  Car is very fast, a handful to handle (vs. my z06) and overall I like it alot. Puts out alot of heat, but stays cool inside, so far. It requires a good driver to drive it fast.

• 

  No problems so far... - 2000 Dodge Caravan
  By Mountaineers - December 5 - 2:00 am

  We purchased the Sport edition due to the curvy mountainous roads we have to travel, and have found the handeling to be very good for a vehcile that weighs two tons. In almost four years, the only time weve been back to the dealer was due to a loose connection at the transmission fluid cooler. They did acknowledge that it was fairly common to have to tighten those. No engine or transmission problems, and no complaints. We have taken the van on the 2,000 mile round trip between home and Florida several times without incident, but the seats are not all that comfortable after 10 or 12 hours.

• 

  MY DURANGO - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By ROTHMI - December 5 - 2:00 am

  WELL EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT AND IT IS ALWAYS THERE FOR ME WHEN I NEED IT. IT HAS BEEN THE BEST THING THAT I HAVE EVER BOUGHT AND I AM HAPPY WITH IT.

• 

  Great vehicle - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By mart328 - December 5 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this vehicle for less than a week, but so far I absolutely love it. It is a very smooth ride, and living in pothole ridden NYC that is very important. It handles the road very well.

• 

  Dodge SRT-4 - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By dekeama - December 4 - 2:00 am

  The car is a blast to own and drive. Lots of looks and fun to play with. I sell EVOs and I would rather have the SRT-4 even if the EVO was $21,000.

• 

  1998 Grand Caravan LE AWD 3.8L - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By Jeff - December 4 - 2:00 am

  Excellent running and driving vehicle. Even though used with 75,000 miles runs like my brand new truck.

• 

  a great car for aworking family - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By carrieoki - December 4 - 2:00 am

  this car has been very dependable it rides very smooth and handles well even in the snow