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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  Almost as much fun as a Viper - 1996 Dodge Stealth
  By Stealthgirl - November 20 - 2:00 am

  A little cramped inside (but what great sports car isnt?), great power, remarkable fuel economy for its power level, crisp throttle reponse and great looks make this car stand out in a world of pony car clones. The Vipers father makes an excellent sports car for anyone looking for pure reliable performance coupled with great fuel economy.

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  My Used Avenger Experience - 1995 Dodge Avenger
  By voradtralundir - November 19 - 2:00 am

  One major issue during my time with this car: the PCM had to be replaced and took a long time to diagnose. I have driven 80,000 miles on this vehicle since I purchased it used. The previous owner did not take good care of it and even went curb surfing with it. Despite that, the car has been very reliable and resilient. Excellent performance from the 2.0 litre engine and economy that shames some other four cylinders: A personal best of 37 mpg on a 200 mile trip to Virginia Beach. I love this car.

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  Love the Caravan - 2001 Dodge Caravan
  By msweet248 - November 19 - 2:00 am

  We will definately buy another Caravan. It is the best car we have ever owned. Extremely happy.

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  What was I thinking? - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By mommymobile - November 19 - 2:00 am

  I liked it at first, dont get me wrong. Ive had the car for a year. The sunroof has already broken once. My volume radio gets louder when I try to turn it down. The brakes squeak something awful. And whats up with the rattling? It sounds like my used Cavalier I had seven years ago!!

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  My Durango - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By kphillips2000 - November 18 - 2:00 am

  I have loved my 99 Durango in the three years I have owned it. It adapts from traveling to work, to carting kids to the game, to hooking the camper behind and going on a trip. Its never let me down with any sort of maintenance issues.

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  The Black Beauty - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By rangoman01 - November 18 - 2:00 am

  Bought my Rango used in 2003 with 71k miles on it. Had its nicks and dents, but engine and transmission still functioned like new. Looked forward to buying it since about July of 2002 and dont regret a thing. Truck has been nothing but good to me. Only problem was the rear speed sensor going at 76k but I knew what the problem was and diagnosed it myself with no problems. $35 dollar part, spent about an hour replacing it. Absolutely love the truck, forget the Exploder (yes I meant what I typed) and the Tahoe, get yourself a Durango

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  Some problems but I still love It!! - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Frank OH - November 18 - 2:00 am

  I drove my new truck home. I had it towed back to the dealer an hour later. The radiator hose came off in my driveway. Ive had the heater core replaced,it leaked on the floor of the cab. I had the steering column replaced, the tilt wheel lever came off in my hand. Other then these problems I love it. Thats what warranties are for.

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  Fun & Affordable - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By nick - November 16 - 6:06 am

  Before buying the 2006 Daytona Charger, we looked at Mustangs, Corvettes, Monte Carlo etc. but they dont hold a candle to this Dodge. Whoever designed this car must have loved their job! It is unique enough to get admiring looks (the other cars are a dime a dozen), sporty enough to be fun to drive in the "real world" (traffic jams etc.)yet large enough to function everyday (grocerys, kids etc.)For the money, Its the best car Ive ever owned.

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  Good vehicle - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By znn94x - November 15 - 2:00 am

  No problems with my Durango other than the gas mileage, but that is to be expected. Excellent build quality and fun to drive - plus it has the offroad capability if you need it.

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  So Far, So Good - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By fastcpa - November 15 - 2:00 am

  3+ years, 95 mile commute to work, many items hauled and/or towed, and no major problems. Change the oil and go.