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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  Checking - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Enrique - November 23 - 2:13 am

  As owner I like the car but as an automotive employee the car has a lot of defects. Build quality is not good. The paint color did not match between the fenders and the bumpers. The doors are not align with the body car. The gaps between doors and body are not good. The gap between the hood and the grille is awful. Looks like the hood is open. The plastic parts (in liftgate) did not cover what they need to cover, and other details.

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  We LOVE our caravan!!! - 1999 Dodge Caravan
  By Bud - November 22 - 7:43 pm

  This has been the most reliable vehicle Ive owned in my 46 years of car ownership. The only maintenance other than routine was the left rear wheel bearing went out at 35k miles. The van was a program car never titled with 29k on it when I purchased it in Dec. 1999. It has the autostick automatic transmission which is very nice on mountain roads as you can downshift just like a manual transmission to save the brakes. I have changed the transmission fluid every 30k miles as recommended and the engine oil every 3500-5000 miles and still doesnt use a drop between changes. It is very comfortable and roomy on long trips. I still get 25 mpg on trips with 141k miles on it. Its been a pleasure!

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  Good van for the money - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By N8ECH - November 22 - 6:40 am

  We bought this 05 Linen Gold Pearl SXT to replace my wifes aging 97 Grand Caravan. It was still running strong at 133k, but since we use her van for family trips it was time. Kudos to DC on the Stow and Go. Our 05 was a factory exec car and came with 13k on it. Pretty well loaded except for sunroof and leather which we did not want. Love the power of the 3.8 motor, but the 97s 3.3 gave us 25 vs.22 mpg hwy. Love the power rear door, but the power side doors seem like overkill. Also, 05 was last year for 7/70 power train warranty which is a good thing and influenced the purchase. Pretty darned good for the price. $19k tax and title out the door.

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  A Helluva Car!!!! - 2016 Dodge Challenger
  By Nate - November 22 - 4:01 am

  Well after reading all of the reviews and listening how people were raving over there RT Plus, or Shakers, Hellcats etc, I decided to do a review on the SXT which is what I have. Not everyone can afford $40+k for a car, so I decided to go for the base model SXT in white, with Blacktop package, 20" wheels, black aluminum rims, 8.4" Uconnect with Nav, and premium speakers. First off for being the base model even with just a V6, its awesome. The entire care is white and black which together go beautifully. But the fact that the car is white, rims, spoiler, stripes and fuel door are black, just makes it look amazing!!! Then you have the inside with the huge 8.4" screen, the beautiful instrument cluster, awesome sound system, I mean you cant go wrong. Yeah it is just the base model with extra ad ons, but it suits me just fine!! Im tired of reading all the reviews and how people are slamming the base model saying it doesnt offer much. BS!!!! For someone wanting a muscle car, but who is on a budget like myself, its an awesome model to get, especially if you opt to get some of the ad ons like I did, which kept it at around $31k. The V6 engine at 305hp is nothing to be disappointed at, and realistically where are you gonna use more horsepower than that??? 305 gets the job done for me!!! I wish there was a way I could post pictures of my baby!!! She definitely gets a great deal of looks and compliments, and again, is only the base SXT model which I am extremely happy with!!!

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  Favorite traveler - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Favorite TRAVELER - November 21 - 3:06 am

  I was one of those girls that didnt want to drive anything but a truck. And when I started having kiddies and the gas prices sky rocketed I decided I had to break my pride and drive a van. Well, I will be completely honest here. My kids love it and the ride is relaxing. The space is nice and feels a lot safer. And when I purchased this van I made sure I had rear air. This is a must! It has always started, gets around great in the snow. Its always warm in the winter and cool in the summer with the rear air vents. The thing that I hate about it is that the gas mileage could be better. But I tend to drive a lot in the city. Its still a lot better than a truck or SUV.

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  3.5L All The Way - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Sean B - November 20 - 5:52 pm

  Ive had my 07 SXT for a little over a year, and Ive got to say that Im about as happy as I thought I would be with it. This car is big, mean and downright commanding. If four-doors is the only reason people dont like this car, obviously they havent driven one. Seeing isnt believing, driving is. The 07 has a step on the new models, since they down-tuned the engines to save on fuel, but with 250 across the board, that car has absolutely no problems moving. If youre going to buy one, I strongly suggest finding one with the 3.5L, you wont be sorry.

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  Wow! - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By Sherah - November 20 - 11:28 am

  All I can say is WOW! I have a BLACK BEAST and its awesome! What a beautiful car! I am so glad I waited to purchase a new car. Originally, I had my eye on the Charger but then a friend informed me about the Challenger which I did not knew existed until Spring 09. Then it was love at first sight! The RAM really knew how to do it this time. It has a more comfortable interior than rival Camaro - and to be honest, I feel its better than the new Camaro.

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  Love my R/T - 1999 Dodge Neon
  By scotr - November 19 - 7:58 pm

  Im more than happy with my 99 Neon R/T. It handles very nicely and with regular maintenance has been extremely reliable. I avg around 25 mpg in town and 37 mpg highway (all of which is at an elevation of 3500 ft or higher)on 87 octane reg gas. Head gasket blew at the 3 yr mark but dealer covered it. Headlights dull badly with age but aftermarket polishing helps. Seems to burn out an O-2 sensor every few years and the moonroof tracks have both broken once despite minimal use. Biggest problem (chronic to Neons) is the intermittent failure of the instrument cluster (due, Im told, to poor solder connections). All in all this car has been incredibly reliable, fun to drive and economical.

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  Finally - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By dodged - November 19 - 6:46 pm

  The 2006 Dodge Charger is finally the car Americans fell in love with 40 years ago.Front wheel drive has its place, but true American muscle requires RWD.This car is a hit. It is what Americans do best. The industry will spend 5 years catching up to this superior design, and when they do, Dodge will introduce the next generation. Finally, a car that in 5 years, I wont worry about trade in value(although I suspect it will be strong)because Ill keep it for the next generation of drivers in the family. Safe,affordable, great looking, roomy, comfortable, and a blast to drive.

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  Ignore others slams on this vehicle - 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Anonymous - November 19 - 2:00 am

  Were a growing family, and with another kid on the way decided it was time for us to pick up a minivan. Initially, we set out to buy a Toyota Sienna because of Toyotas reputation. But, we came off feeling a little disappointed with the entry-level Sienna: the interior was very lackluster, you have to upgrade to even get "stain resistant" seats, and the versatility of the interior wasnt what we expected. On a whim, we pulled into the Dodge dealership after a day of test-driving Siennas and a pre-owned Honda Odyssey. We were pleasantly surprised. To us, the entry Caravans beat the Siennas. Opt for at least the 3.8 V6 though. We bought one and after 2 months are super- pleased w/it.