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:

• 

  Id buy another - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By cts4ba - August 15 - 2:00 am

  This is our second Neon and, for the price, its worth the investment. You get a lot of car for the money when compared to what Honda, Toyota and Nissan has to offer. The incentives and rebates make Neon the top choice in my book. Ive found that dealing with a 5- Star dealer is a definate plus.

• 

  Best Vehicle I Ever Owned - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By Gary Ciborowski - August 15 - 2:00 am

  With 36,000 miles now, I have never been stranded, its never stalled and it gets 17 mpg. Easy to drive, great visibility and very, very safe. More affordable than Chevy and Ford and does all they do, and more, with the fold down 3rd seat. Cold front and back A/C, decent CD system and nice ergonomics inside. I would buy another one if the price was right.

• 

  Engine & Sensor PROBLEMS - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Brenp - August 14 - 2:00 am

  I was very happy with my car UNTIL I had to start replacing sensors and now my engine is gone. It seems that Ive taken to this car to have something repaired way to often! I have 85,000 on the car and have been told by several mechanics that they have heard of many problems with this engine and was suprised that my engine hadnt gone before now.

• 

  Her Car by kevin - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By kv - August 14 - 2:00 am

  We purchased an ES model with 24,000 miles 10 months ago. It now has 55,000 on it and not once back to the dealership. We just love the car. We bought it for the roominess as we need to fit 3 car seats. I would not have bought a car this size without the larger engine. We traded in a Stratus so we were use to the blocked rear view and the low nose. I also think the value is there. The blue book even with our extra mileage deduction, is still around what we paid. Maybe used is a better value than new. I am also impressed with the quality or this wouldnt be our 3rd Dodge. Im glad my wife chose the Intrepid.

• 

  60K miles trouble free..awsome - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By JD_in_Montana - August 14 - 2:00 am

  Styling, ride characteristics and superb reliability have been the hallmarks of my Durango. Very very low maintenance / repair. Worst was front driveline (under warranty) due to worn u joint (my fault, BTW!!). Other than that...NOTHING in repairs have been required. 4.7 engine is exquistely simple to maintain (no rotor, distributor, plug wires). And with the HO Cams this truck is QUICK!!

• 

  good 5 years - 1998 Dodge Avenger
  By tonyquinn - August 13 - 2:00 am

  The Dodge Avenger is a great car to commute in. The gas milage is good the sterio system rocks the seats are comfortable the engine has the power you need to get in and out of traffic the motor runs cool under hot conditions with the air on climbing a grade.

• 

  Good 4 the money - 1999 Dodge Stratus
  By MikeI - August 13 - 2:00 am

  its my first car and of course I will always love it, but it had its flaws: replaced brake tubes that go into calipers, replaced transmission sensor and recently replaced brake disks and calipers. Other than that, I like everything, especially when I paid 15300 for it brand new! Its also very solid car! For this price I recommend it anytime.

• 

  Good Car for the Dough - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By Stain - August 13 - 2:00 am

  For the price it doesnt get much better. Comes with a very high top speed for smaller car. Very fun to drive. Only complaint is thins are starting to raddle at 13000 miles.

• 

  Love Affair with my Van - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By musha - August 13 - 2:00 am

  I just love my caravan...Love to drive it and everything else about it...I can not say enough good things about the Dodge Caravan....I will never go back to a car again...

• 

  WHAT A GREAT SUV!!!!! - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By powenby - August 13 - 2:00 am

  I LOVE MY DODGE!!! I have had my Dodge for about a year. It has the 5.9L/360 engine which causes mileage to not be too good, especially when you are in town and not on the highway. The ride is comfortable and the handling is AWESOME! I have had NO problems with my Dodge. I would buy a new one in a heartbeat!!