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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  new dodge journey - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By e-mae - December 5 - 1:39 pm

  has all options, love it,great running vehicle,lots of power, people stop me to ask about it, also take pictures of it. finally figured out to get over drive for econ gas. i would recommend this vehicle to everyone.

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  Best car Ive ever owned.. - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By achaeon - December 3 - 11:03 am

  I love it. I look forward to driving it everyday. Its fast, it handles well and its comfortable.

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  Sweet Car - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By j - December 2 - 4:10 pm

  This car out of the box is fun to drive. Thanks to the SRT group for the atfermarket parts such as Stage 1,2,3.

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  2010 Challenger SE V6 5 speed - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Chuck - December 2 - 3:58 pm

  I love this car. I would like to afford the big hemi model, but the base model has everything I need. A comparable Camaro V6 would cost $25,875 (1LT, plus auto, plus spare tire). The base Chally cost $23,460. I wish Edmunds would review a new SE V6 with the new 5 speed instead of quoting old 4 speed times.

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  Amazing alternative to a minivan - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By Harvey - December 1 - 11:15 am

  We love our new Journey! It gets much better fuel economy then any minivan we looked at. And best of all its not a minivan. More like an SUV that handles like a car. The cargo space is quite exceptional as are how easy it is to lie down all the seats (including the passenger seat) perfectly flat. The third row was a must for us and though it feels a bit tight, it is much roomier than any other third row seat option from any other crossover that we tried out. Weve gotten much better fuel economy than its EPA rating would suggest. The cargo compartments can store items like a cooler for drinks and the interior is quite spacious.

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  HONEST OPINION - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By T-FERN - November 30 - 8:04 pm

  Ive owned my 2008 Dodge Nitro for almost 2yrs now, I can honestly say its one of the best vehicles Ive owned so far. I chose to get the 4x4 and I live in upstate NY where we get a few feet of snow every snow fall. The Nitro handles great in the snow, and can really bite into the deep stuff with no issues. I get A LOT of compliments on my Nitro, from the color to the design,to people saying it looks "tough" and I feel extremely safe everytime I drive it in bad weather. I can def see myself buying the same vehicle in the future as long as they continue keeping the Nitro rugged, and aggresive. This vehicle is an suv..and it rides, and handles like one. I love it.

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  You cant go wrong! - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Shawn - November 30 - 3:28 pm

  Purchased my Challenger this weekend. Test drove 10 cars the past 2 months and once I sat in this car I knew it was right for me. Stylish, roomy, V6 gets good mileage but has plenty of pick up for me. Great car! Draws a small crowd whever I park. Dodge picked a winner with this one. Get yours now. And best of all is price!!!

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  POWER - 1993 Dodge Dakota
  By Hunter - November 29 - 5:02 pm

  My Dodge Dakota is a very nice truck for off roading, burning out, and dragging lol. My Dakota has the 5.2l 318 Engine, and she has POWER! That thing can burn down the road if I get on it. Then again I have a K&N cold air intake, dual exhaust, brand new fuel injectors, brand new 2.5l fuel pump of the lower Dakota engine, and platnum tip spark plugs(VIPER SPARK PLUGS). And she maybe makes 300 horsepower. The 2.5l fuel pump cant really keep up with the rpms and some times starves the engine at high rpms. and my fuel mileage is maybe 20 mpg.

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  Ford,Chevy Watchout - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Mopar Guy - November 28 - 7:43 pm

  After numerous hours on the Internet the Descion was a No brainer. The Challenger SRT8 is hands down the Best car I have ever owned, the HP/TQ is Unbeatable all the way up to the redline, the ride was outstanding ,as is the the throw you back in your seat Torque. I am looking forward to long years of Enjoyment with this car......

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  Buy It - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By DRD - November 28 - 12:50 pm

  I was very skeptical about buying this vehicle after reading the review from this website.I am very impressed with the quality of build,exterior looks and comfort of this crossover.I would recommend it to anyone looking for a inexpensive good looking crossover with many premium standard features at a more than competitive price.I have purchased many new cars in my 60yrs and few have made me as happy as this one.