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:

• 

  Best value for $15,000 - 2001 Dodge Caravan
  By mikey - June 19 - 2:00 am

  We have put almost 50,000 miles on this vehicle with no problems besides regular oil changes and maintanence and the change of the front brake pads and 4 tires. The minivan is comfortable and drives fine. We have the no frills model, with only essential options like ac and tape deck.

• 

  Love my Durango - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By Sommer - June 19 - 2:00 am

  I absolutely love my Durango. I am not a big fan of dodge but, I love my truck. It is perfect for a family, it has plenty of room but its not too bulky. It doesnt drive like an SUV. I am very comfortable in it.

• 

  gas - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By onetrueme - June 19 - 2:00 am

  i have a 2002 SE neon and i love the car. i only have a problem with the amount of gas the car uses. it seem like every 3 days i have to but gas in my car.

• 

  Love my Miss-RT - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By midge - June 19 - 2:00 am

  Bought my car a little over 6 months ago and have no major issues. Great "pick up and go." The Infinity stereo system is awesome. Have the same issue as a previous post though the CD player does skip some, but only if Ive left a cd in it over night then started playing it the next day. Simply ejecting the disk and putting it back in fixes this problem. The biggest irritant is the odometer is off by about 3 to 5 percent. It is gaining miles faster then I have traveled which is shortening my warranty and lowering my trade-in value. But I normally keep a car until it has very little value left anyway, so this is not too big an issue.

• 

  Mamas Hot Rod - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Jennifer Williams - June 18 - 6:26 am

  I have been eyeing this car since its debut last year and fell in love on my first test drive. I test drove over 20 different cars and kept coming back to the Charger. I travel extensively and drive several differnt rental vehicles- I am always excited to get back into my car at the airport and get to drive it. Nothing on the road compares to this expereince. The power, the looks and the room to put my three children in the backseat. Two big "boys" each over 6 tall and a carseat fit just fine. I have the Road and Track R/T that has the 10 extra horse power, dual power buckets and upgrade exhaust system that the Daytona R/T features.

• 

  BEEN HAPPY SO FAR!! - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By mpiiijlp - June 18 - 2:00 am

  Bought used with 27K on it, now have 57K. Drivers window motor replaced, pinging (as others described) is obvious with mine too. Now have ABS light on?? Overall, Im happy with the truck 11MPG (5.2L) all South Florida city driving. Im just ready for something bigger, too bad Dodge doesnt make anything, their loss.

• 

  Visibility - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By slogal - June 17 - 10:20 pm

  We enjoy the car, but wouldnt recommend it to anyone in the 50+ age range due to visibility. Lane changes are heart-stopping in fast-moving traffic. We added back-up sensors to help with parking. On the positive, our 20ish children have no problem driving it.

• 

  dodge durango battle weary beast - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By clayton english - June 17 - 10:00 am

  Great SUV, great driving performance, however, rough ride, definite truck feel. compared to the GMC Yukon Denali or Toyota Land Cruiser, this vehicle shapes up as brute force vehicle (better/similar to Yukon Denali) without subtle comforts (Land Cruiser).

• 

  Dodge Grand Caravan is the best - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Im4rays - June 17 - 10:00 am

  Smooth ride and maximum comfort. I feel like Im in a luxury car.

• 

  Very Nice - 1990 Dodge Spirit
  By ThespianDave - June 17 - 2:00 am

  This was my first car that I bought a little less than a year ago and I have not had any problems at all. When I bought it, it only had 55,000 miles. The A/C is awesome and the only maintainence I have needed has been a normal oil change.