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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  great car for the money - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By yaacko2 - July 31 - 2:00 am

  this is my first time buying a dodge and so far im very impressed.i traded in my 2001 nissan altima gxe and i must say that this car is much more spacious ,and much more fun to drive.ive gone a tad over 100 miles and i figured id check the fuel effiency and it tok but 3 gallons to fill back up as where my altima would be on 1/2 tank by this time.fit and finsh not up to standards of camry or accord but its also thousands of dollars less expensive.have to wait and see on the reliability but everyone ive talked to whos had one didnt complain .peppy lil 4 banger does fine pulling my 6ft5 300 lb self around with no complaints and i live in a hilly area.

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  14,000 - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By cowlover - July 30 - 12:20 pm

  I got my dodge journey for valentines days last year traded my 05 magnum sxt in low miles mint cond. to get this car and have nothing but issues. Tomorrow they are replacing lifters and other things on the engine to take care of my ticking noise. And in Dec I took it in for routine oil change and was told I had 80% left of brakes now 2200 miles and 3 months I have 10% left. I asked mgr what the heck? He said has not heard of any defect and just it is how I am driving but in the next sentence tells me that they revised the pads. So I asked what happened to my 70% he said tech must have read the pads wrong in dec. The mileage is bad also I am lucky if I get 13-miles per gallon .

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  GOOD TRUCK - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By CPB - July 30 - 10:00 am

  THIS THE 5TH ONE I HAVE OWNED - ALL HAVE BEEN GOOD. I WILL CONTINUE TO BUY ONE EVERY 2 YEARS. JUST SIGNED A DEAL ON A 2002 YESTERDAY.

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  best value - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By danieldkk - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I only had it for a week, but so far, its the best car I ever had in my life.

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  ultimate crusier - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By tommyboy - July 30 - 10:00 am

  sit back an set the cruz an sail away in this smooth riding gem,test drove all of them nuttin is sweeter

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  Great little car - 1997 Dodge Stratus
  By DualStratuses - July 30 - 2:00 am

  In my family, we now have two Stratuses, both 97s, both 2.0L and five-speed stick. Mine is Forest Green Metallic and my fathers is Light Silver Fern Clearcoat. They are great little cars, cheap, peppy and safe. My father has 230,000 miles on his, and hes only replaced the infamous head gasket, the rear main seal (and consequently the clutch), and a left wheel bearing assembly. His car still gets 35-37 MPG on the highway. I just bought mine today, well see if mine turns out as well as his has.

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  Multiple repairs - 1996 Dodge Stratus
  By jmcg - July 30 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle in 1999 as a 3 y/o with 36K. I have since replaced the head gasket (at 37K), power steering rack (at 56K) and now the AC at (57K). Not to mention little stuff like the interior trunk release doesnt work and the display on the radio went out at 40K. Overall a disappointment in reliability. I am unlikely to own another Chrysler product based on this experience.

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  Dodge-ing Problems - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Goldavid - July 30 - 2:00 am

  Like others, I have had a bad speed sensor and the driver side window motor has gone bad. Right now my car is in the shop with a bad evaporator. On the plus side, it is very roomy, great trunk space and fun to drive. . I have had no problems with paint as others seem to have had. Glove compartment is very small. Keyless entry is iffy - I recommend getting the battery replaced more often and go to Radio Shack - cost is 50% less than dealer. Concerned about the next big problem - can anyone say "Transmission?" As of today, my car is at 55k.

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  Intrepid review - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By anne - July 30 - 2:00 am

  I love this vehicle. It has plenty of space in the back seat and the trunk is huge! I like the sleek design and the way it drives is so smooth. It has plenty of power and will get up and go. I have had trouble with it not switching out of gear and it was some little wire that had to be replaced. I also had both fans to lock up and they had to be replaced $550). Other than those two things, I havent had any trouble from my car. I have truly enjoyed the large trunk. We got the car so that we could fit my mother in laws wheelchair in it.

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  Stratus coupe is fun to drive - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By MikeinPgh - July 30 - 2:00 am

  The Stratus coupe looks great and is fun to drive. I have gotten several compliments on the car from strangers. Power from the V6 engine is great for getting on the freeway and going up hills.