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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  Very satisfied with our new Dodge GC Crew - 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By oregonfamily - December 21 - 7:29 pm

  Our intention to drive what had been a very satisfactory 2002 GC beyond 150K miles ended when it was totaled in a rearend collision. We didnt expect Dodge/Fiat would be on our short list, but it drove much better than a Toyota LE, the 2011 update almost remakes the car (we drove a 2010 rental, and wouldnt have bought that), and we could get a Crew GC equipped exactly as we wanted for $3-9K less than less well-equipped competitors during the May minivan sale. Odysseys had very limited availability and frustrating packaging of options; Sienna LE had vague steering and inexplicably felt "too long" parking (rearview camera was a must); the Quest was tempting in some ways, but weird.

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  B5 BLUE CHALLENGER 5.7 - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By BobH - December 21 - 9:14 am

  I have had 2 Mustangs Gts 2005 & 2007. Also 2 Corvettes 2006 & 2007 Lt3 autotrans. My wife and I also have two streetrods, a 1932 ford Deuce Hi boy Coupe and a 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe , both with late chevy running gear . So we wanted a driver that looked good, was easy to get in and out of and had a reasonable performance package . We looked at the new Camaro and the new Mustang but after seeing and driving the new B5 Blue Challenger R/T we decided to sell off the Vette and bought the new 2010 R/T and have never looked back . We also bought the optional Dodge "life time warranty at the time of purchase.

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  Dodge Intrepid 99 - From a 18yr old view - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By RedLine - December 20 - 4:06 am

  Brakes went 2 times, After Driving it harder then 6 cars put it one, Floored on Every STOP LIGHT, Brake Usually last minute, Hard Surfaces, Stop Go Driving - CAR IS GREAt, Dont tell my dad bc he thinks the car sucks bc brakes went 2 times, but its really my fault, Started driving carefully now though, hope it lasts cant let it die early..

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  2009 dodge challenger - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By Dan - December 20 - 2:01 am

  The only reason I rated the performance a 9 instead of 10 was the manual shifting should not have the skip sifting from 1st to 4th. It wants to do it when I am going around a corner and the speed is not enough for that.

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  very good bargain - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By navy jim - December 18 - 10:50 am

  I reviewed this vehicle in early 2005. Now have 69,000 miles and nearly 5 years later on this vehicle. I am just as impressed with it as I was then. Normal maintenance is all thats been required. Get 23 to 25 miles on the highway and 21 in town. I am more than pleased with it in all aspects. Its been a cheap, dependable, fun car to drive. I take good care of it and maintain it regularly.

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  DURANGO FEVER - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By FICA - December 18 - 10:00 am

  MY WIFE AND I TRADED A 2000 DURANGO ON A NEW 2004 DURANGO. WHAT A DIFFERENCE 4 YEARS OF ENGINEERING CAN MAKE! THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS HAVE THE BEST HEADRESTS ON THE MARKET.SECOND ROW SEATS RECLINE FOR THOSE LONG TRIPS.THIRD ROW IS STILL COMFORTABLE FOR MOST ADULTS.THE 8 SPEAKER SUROUND SOUND SYSTEM IS AWSOME! AND IF YOU HAVE KIDS YOU MUST HAVE THE OVERHEAD DVD PLAYER WITH THE WIRELESS HEADSETS.YOU WILL NEVER HERE "ARE WE THERE YET" AGAIN! YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK!

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  I love this car! - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By Kathy - December 17 - 3:30 pm

  In November I went car shopping, tried this car & loved it. After I bought it, I read the 2009 reviews & thought what have I done. This vehicle is very roomy & comfortable. The price was right and gas mileage is good. Very quiet & comfortable ride.

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  The Bomb! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Melissa & Josh - December 17 - 8:26 am

  My husband just bought me the Charger R/T for Christmas and I love it! It passes other cars with ease. I love the autostick. It is great for passing others! I would highly recomend others to buy this car. I guarantee you will never regret it!

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  Built Farm Tough - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By Farm Tough - December 16 - 2:04 pm

  Bought this truck new in 2006, a great truck with around 180,000 miles on it. Had to have right tie rod replaced at 10,000 miles. This truck is a heavy off-road vehicle and a moderate highway driver. It is used to pull daily, with trailer loads up to 8500 lbs. This truck has taken a beating and yet still runs strong. It flooded over the 2008 summer and it sat halfway under water for 2 weeks. This is a true farm truck

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  FUN, FUN, FUN - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Mike - December 15 - 10:28 am

  I actually had this car as a rental for a week while I was out of state. I must have had ten people during that week stopping to ask about the car. Its fun, comfortable and looks great!!! Good performance from the base V-6. It was quiet and really held the road good (even at triple digits).Now I want one...