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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  best cheap sedan available - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By nski - September 3 - 2:00 am

  Solid, well made, reliable and pretty fun to drive

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  MiniMopar - 2001 Dodge Neon
  By MoparFamily - September 3 - 2:00 am

  My wifes mopar of the trio (a 92 lebaron, 74 charger the others) is the sporty around town cruiser. Not to forget cross country, this little car, packed down with both our lives in the trunk and rear seats will still hit 115 on the open highway with the a/c on! The pick up is slow due to its outdated 3 speed auto (heck even my 74 charger has a 3 speed!!) but once the engine winds up its off. the steering is very precise,No problems with it so far, look forward to getting her an srt-4 in the future.

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  Mixed Feelings - 2003 Dodge Intrepid
  By VBop - September 3 - 2:00 am

  I love driving this car. . . when I can. Its roomy and a great drive. I liked it much better than the competing Bonneville. Looks great and cant say enough about the power. However, 3 days after buying, power steering fluid had all drained away. Fixed under warranty. Also within 1st 5 months: 1) A/C condenser & compressor replaced. 2) Power train computer replaced 3) Transmission pump replaced. Approx. 12 days in the shop. All covered by warranty but what a pain!

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  works for me - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By bubba - September 3 - 2:00 am

  100k miles plus with minor problems. One window motor switch, leaking transfer case seal at 100k, abs speed sensor, ball joints replaced.... no other major problems. used to tow a 25 boat and does it well. i like the car.

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  dodge sport - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By nirvanaman67-94 - September 3 - 2:00 am

  it is nice and comfortable awsome performance black grill and alloys

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  Great SUV - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By toyman - September 3 - 2:00 am

  I Love this truck ,we got a great deal from the dealer ,who was fantastic. I did shop around .We looked at Explorers , those new Chevys and a toyota. We test drove them all, they came with 6 cyl. engines and they were a little more expensive then the Dodge. They just did not have the get up and go and bland styling save the chevy which has a unique if not ugly look. The Durango has the best Base power,excellent room and great styling.

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  New Durango blues - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By amber - September 3 - 2:00 am

  Bought our new Dodge last month. It is a SLT 4x4 model (2003). So far the best gas mileage I have recieved is approximately 13 miles per gallon. Pulling our 23 ft boot only 9.5 mpg. Aweful gas mileage. Our air does not run as cool as it should. We were trying to decide between an Envoy and the Durango and decided on the Durango because of the incentives. Also three days after buying the durango, the gas petal came off in the middle of a highway and we had to pull over to replace it. I now wish I had gone with the Envoy for comfort reasons and interior styling. The only con for the Envoy is that it felt like driving an all wheel drive van.

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  "D" are the best - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Richard Robedee JR - September 3 - 2:00 am

  This is my sconond "D" my Frist was a 2000 it had ovre 56,000 on it stile had the same tires and just did the front braks a week befor i tread it in still like new got new one just for the good deal i got

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  bob - 1997 Dodge Stratus
  By bob998877 - September 2 - 2:00 am

  good car, no major problems, had some work done, but reliable and am impressed with the american car

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  impressive - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By isaac mitchell - September 2 - 2:00 am

  Driving the Dodge Intrepid has proven to be an expected pleasure.The Intrepid not only shares the same chassis as its Chrysler cousins,(Concorde,300 M),but also the sam good looks and ride. Since it seems to be just a little lighter,it does not exibit the oversteering of its larger cousins, but it does have plenty of open road power,especially the passing gear,and its style is very chic and unque ,hence the many compliment I have recieved and the many models I have observed on the road. Chrysler style and looks, for Dodge money.