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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  I love my Caliber - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By D Smith - June 13 - 6:00 pm

  So far the only negative issue I have had is with the cooler in the glovebox. The latch was not catching properly and I had to have it adjusted. It seems to be working now.

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  steps review - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By stephan - June 13 - 2:00 am

  excellent quality for price excellent choice for people looking for sports look with some of the performance without the price

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  Charger R/T - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By FKS - June 12 - 9:56 pm

  Purchased the Charger R/T about a month ago and drove it now for 1000 miles. I traded for a Ram 1500 Quad. SLT with all the options and 5.7l Hemi. After driving for longer periods I realized how comfortable the Charger was. The handling on mountain roads is exellent. This is a very quiet riding vehicle with outstanding exelleration. It takes a little practice to understand the stereo and GPS system. This vehicle is equipped with the electronics convenience group, the covenience Group II, Sound Group II, sunroof and full map display GPS Nav Radio.The Charger was a little pricey but more comfortable then the 300 Chrysler.

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  Doddge Caravan Really is the Best - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Michelle Kozlowski - June 12 - 2:00 am

  best on road, best mileage, best dealer

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  I love my Stratus - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By ladycook - June 11 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love my Stratus. It is beautiful! I get compliments on it almost daily. And it is one of the most fun to drive cars Ive ever had.

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  good car in the city - 1996 Dodge Stratus
  By todd recker - June 11 - 2:00 am

  ive had this car for a year and have not had one problem. i am the second owner and i bought it w/ 65,000 miles and have 78,000 on it now. the paint quality is awesome with no rust spots. the car still has the original battery after 7yrs. the car is beautiful inside and outside. the 1st owner only had regular maintence plus a new A/C UNIT put on it and a steering pump. NO HEAD GASKET PROBLEM AND NO TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AT ALL!!!!! the only two problems i have is that the door rattles everytime i hit a bump and the tires stink too.

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  a lot of problems - 1995 Dodge Neon
  By Jim Ye - June 11 - 2:00 am

  Constant noise because of windows without frames!! A weird knocking noise coming from the back of the car that no- one ever could figure out. Squeaky brakes. Head gasket went out at 95K, Engine oil leaking at 100K, struts went out at 100K. I run 15K on it, and have spent more than $2000 for fixing it.

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  2000 Intrepid ES - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By jroberts - June 11 - 2:00 am

  Roomy enough for 1 family of 5 - Sporty enough to keep DaD happy, with excellent fuel economy for a large style car. Very reliable, and has been free of any mechanical problems. Only flaw has been the drivers seat which has a weak bolt that can break- and does- but this item has been placed on recall and been rectified. Great car!

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  A pretty good car - 1994 Dodge Spirit
  By emfelter - June 10 - 2:00 am

  Aside from the well-documented transmission problems (Im on my 2nd rebuild in 103k miles!) this is a very comfortable car to drive. It gets good gas milage and is easy to park. At this point in their lives, a handymans special.

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  Never Ever Again - 1999 Dodge Caravan
  By Blane - June 10 - 2:00 am

  80,000 miles and pray it makes it 20,000 more without gouging me to bad. Repairs include: relay switch, three sets of brake pads, one set of rotors, new tires at 22,000, head gasget, broken oil cap, broken trunk release, and new battery. Please put me out of the Dodge Misery. Marylanders, never go to Don Whites.