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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  confused - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By truclippfan - May 30 - 2:00 am

  well my experience with this car is on a so so basis. because it really is a good car to drive with a slick built of the car. nice power for a small car . but when it comes to maitainace it really dont fit for the price range. you will indeed spend more on keeping the car running then what u paid for the vehicle.so in all i am confused with the purchase of my dodge neon.

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  Best money Ive ever spent (on a car)! - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By BrightApollo - May 30 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned lots of other cars, and the most fun Id had was with the 79 Starfire and 95 Neon, because they were awesome on gas and could put (a little) power to the ground and corner extremely well. The 2002 Neon ACR is the pinnacle of cheap fun. It has 75hp/ liter so youre not shortchanged on power, but it has adjustable suspension so I can set this car up for autocrossing in an hour. People who look at it and think "rental car" usually only get to see my taillights the rest of the way. And I scored it for $11,5k certified used with 1300 miles on it. It pays to shop!

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  Cheaply made and lots of problems - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By Frustrated owner - May 29 - 5:59 pm

  This car is very cheaply made. We got it at a good price but we have had nothing but problems with this vehicle. It uses oil and water but dont know why.

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  an ok car for the $$ - 1992 Dodge Spirit
  By car girl - May 29 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car 2 yrs ago with 106000 miles on it. Its at 124000 miles and starting to fall apart. Transmission and engine problems. I would recommend getting something newer, but its ok if its all you can get.

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  Decent Car, short on power - 1994 Dodge Shadow
  By Pat D. - May 29 - 2:00 am

  Had problems with the 3 speed auto, had to be rebuilt after 60K miles. Also had a blown head gasket at 40K. Base 2.2 is already underpowered (93hp/2500lbs weight not good) and the car probably did no better than 14 second 0-60s new, although it was rather responsive above 60mph in 3rd when accelerating without kicking down to 2nd. Handling also excellent for a cheap car,very little body roll and excellent grip even from puny P185/70TR14s. Radio sucks, speakers are decent sized (5 1/4 inch in the front, 5X7s in the back) but bass response weak, even with aftermarket head unit. Front seats fairly comfortable, back cramped (expected), and styling very nice.

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  better and better - 2003 Dodge Viper
  By lovelife - May 29 - 2:00 am

  this is the 5th viper in my colletion, and the cherry on top of the sundae. absolutely a fantastic vehicle. dodge gets a thumbs up for this concept - an american supercar to go head to head with the best europe has to offer and the $$$ can NOT be beat.

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  Will never buy Dodge again - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By its a piece of crap - May 29 - 2:00 am

  I thought it was a nice car when I bougth it, but after all the trouble Ive had with it over a few years I have regretted buying it. The check engine light is always on, but there are no porblems that they can find and I already spent 3k trying to fix it. The transmission is crap. The torque converter that is supposed to save gas mileage only serves to wear the transmission out.

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  Good Deal - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By SIegfrieds - May 29 - 2:00 am

  For the price this is a very reliable car. I have 40k on my 99 Intrepid ES. The only problems thus far is, 1) the paint job is chipping, the chrome on the dodge stickers are pealing a bit, I had a bit of a slip in the trany when I had the fluid replace but after about 2weeks that went away. So far its been a very reliable car for 3.5 years. Oh, I also had the headlight switch and one window motor replaced.

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  durango - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By durango man - May 29 - 2:00 am

  it doesnt feel to tipsy around corners, incredibly surprising how well it handles offroad, very comfortable, awesome looks and loads of power to get you where you want to go.

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  Dont Buy a Neon!!! - 1996 Dodge Neon
  By dalandra - May 28 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car since 1999, and I am very disappointed in it. I have had to replace the brakes, shocks, struts, rotors, strut mounts, and numerous other parts. Its constantly leaking and now the transmission is starting to go. Also my vents dont work properly and the defrost doesnt work. My paint started peeling six months after I bought it. This seems to be a problem with many Neons. They are also very, very bad in snow, and slide and get stuck very easily. Several of my friends have Neons and they hate them too. I regret buying my car and I am now in the process of buying a new one. DONT BUY A NEON, you will regret it.