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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  my blue lemon - 2002 Dodge Caravan
  By mike &jess - June 10 - 2:00 am

  I leased this van because of its affordability. I have three children , all under the age of five. The van has been in the shop six times for the same problem, the emergency brake will not disengage, and causes the rear brakes to lock up. I need to use the emergency brake because my driveway is on a steep incline. I was only given a rental vehicle one time, they cant seem to fix the problem. Chrysler even came out with a procedure for this specific problem and it did not work!!! Im currently looking ino the lemon law. Anyone have a similar problem???

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  00 Dakota 4wd - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By HLC - June 9 - 5:13 am

  Good

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  Great car for the money - 1996 Dodge Stratus
  By bfulmer - June 9 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my Stratus ES for almost 4 years now and I absolutely love it. Even though I had to put a new tranny in it at 115K, its been extremely reliable. I put at least 25K on it a year driving from MD to Cape Cod several times a year plus to clients as far as 150 mi. per day. Its strong, great in the snow and the Auto Shift is awesome. Very spacious inside, room enough for 5. I have 171K on it now and its still going.

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  Doge Siprit - 1994 Dodge Spirit
  By mitull86 - June 9 - 2:00 am

  Its a ok car

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  Maroon Durango - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By Beckster - June 9 - 2:00 am

  I use to buy a new vehicle about every year. My 98 Durango is great. Ive had no mechanical problems, ride is comfortable, this is the only vehicle Ive ever owned where Ive been completely happy with it, even after 5 years (my main reason for holding on to it so long).

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  Sportster - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By bakerstalder - June 9 - 2:00 am

  I like the car...husband should have thought twice before getting it, we have two young toddlers. No room!

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  "Maggie" is the Best - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Jenn - June 8 - 8:33 pm

  I love my 05 Magnum. I nicknamed her Maggie. I had a lot of problems with the dealership but Maggie made up for it. The room is great. And the handling is awesome, you would think with such a big car your turning radius would be horrible but she whips right around those corners better than my husbands Accord. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone that wants a lot of room and still look good. Its such a sporty grocery getter!

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  First Impressions - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By champ198 - June 8 - 10:00 am

  I just picked up my new Durango Ltd AWD with the works. (5.7, AWD, 3.92 rear end, LTD package, sunroof, DVD, heated seats, etc.) I was not impressed with the paint job. The finish had some contamination under the paint and you could see this when the light is not directly shining on the vehicle. Seems to be limited to one side. Also not impressed with the seat hinge for the 2nd row seat as it protrudes out far enough to scrape your lower back as you enter/exit the rear seat. Of course I knew the gas mileage would be bad with the hemi.

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  The good, bad, and ugly. - 2001 Dodge Viper
  By brett_summerer - June 8 - 2:00 am

  Bought my car 4/02. Took 3 months to wipe the grin off my face. By 9/02 it had been in the shop more than 30 days, and Ive now filed for the lemon law. Build quality and comfort are atrocious, but I still love driving it every now and again. Loved owning it, cant wait to get rid of it.

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  Durango X Two - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By vavi - June 8 - 2:00 am

  THis is the 2nd Durango I have purchased in the past 4 years. Compared to my 1999 Durango Slt, the 2002 Durango SXT is quieter, has better gas mileage (14/15 city and 17 Hwy) The overall comfort is great, for a person with severe backproblems this is a great car to get in and out of. The ride is smooth and it handles well. As usual with the Durango, it has lots of space for lugage and assorted items that you could not put in a regular or smaller SUV.