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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  Perfection Thy Name is Neon! - 1998 Dodge Neon
  By BC Reed - May 12 - 2:00 am

  This car is fantastic! I have an Iceman cold air intake on it and it gets 30/40 mpg easily with a gain in performance. I am over six feet tall, yet it is comfortable to drive on long trips or around town. I have yet to find a car that combines the power (150 plus HP) with the mpg and the room that this little baby offers. I have had zero trouble with it and I will keep it until it dies. I HIGHLY recommend a Neon to anyone who wants a performance car that has all of these pluses and still runs on regular gas.

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  1995 intrepid - 1995 Dodge Intrepid
  By kencpfs - May 12 - 2:00 am

  Runs good, plenty of power. Repeated transmission problems, Repeated Air conditioning problems, Repeated Steering assembly problems, Continual problems with the stereo/CD player

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  2001 NEON ACR - 2001 Dodge Neon
  By ginpin - May 11 - 2:00 am

  IVE HAD THIS CAR FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, AND IT IS TRULY FUN TO DRIVE. ONLY COMPLAINTS ARE THAT ITS TOO SMALL FOR 2 KIDS IN THE BACKSEAT(WHAT DO YOU EXPEC FOR THE PRICE) AND THAT IT RIDES LIKE A TRUCK. HOWEVER, THE SUSPENSION THAT MAKES IT RIDE SO ROUGH ALSO MAKES THE THING HANDLE LIKE ITS ON RAILS. I RECOMMEND IT FOR THOSE WHO WANT A CHEAP LITTLE CAR THATS FUN TO DRIVE.

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  Nice and good car - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By ptar - May 10 - 2:00 am

  I got this car at 16900 miles. Now it has 33500 miles on it. It has been a very good, reliable car. It hasnt had any problem. Its fun to drive and a very good sound system. But the engine sound is a little bit loud but pretty normal for this size of cars. Overall I like it a lot.

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  Almost 2 years of fun drivin!! - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By Shaner - May 10 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my 2-Dr. Stratus SE for almost 2 years and I havent had one problem. I drive all over the state for my job (in MN). It handles great in snow. The 200 hp V6 is a beauty weaving in-n- out of freeway traffic (I swear it has more gusto than the V8s I owned in high school). Handles corners like a dream. Stylish interior & exterior and a roomy trunk are a huge plus. Fairly easy to get a kid in-n-out of the backseat. Also, probably the best stock stereo Ive ever heard. Overall, a solid, dependable and extremely fun car to drive & own. I couldnt be happier.

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  My 2008 Grand Caravan was better - 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By augrpeters - May 10 - 12:02 am

  I had a 2008 Grand Caravan SXT that I LOVED. It saved my life in a terrible accident. I had a 2010 Journey after the van that I loved. I got rid of the Journey and got a 2010 Sebring that I loved. I decided to go back to a van and purchased a 2014 Grand Caravan SE with Rear Entertainment Package. I liked my 2008 better... I have 6000 miles on the 2014 and the blower is making a grinding noise. I liked the 3.8 in the other van better than the 3.6 I have now. I really wished I would have got another SXT. The SE has nothing compared to the SXT. I do love the mygig radio. Fuel mileage is averaging 24 MPG. I would purchase another van but would never get another SE to save a few dollars.

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  Sharp & Sleek - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Chrissie - May 9 - 11:10 pm

  I really love the body style of this car The R/T is the more sporty of the bunch with the performance and handling, which is why I chose it. The seats are amazingly comfortable I also have the heated ones so that makes for a enjoyable ride. The sunroof also adds flair to it. Im planning on ordering the windbreaker to accent the sunroof. You really should test drive this to get the full extent of the vehicle, I honestly have no regrets on purchasing this vehicle. it rides smoothly and even more so with weight in it. I honestly have no complaints about the car it handles like a dream and I love the character it has it screams Im Ram Tough!

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  Good car but looking for a new one - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By DODGE, here it comes - May 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought my car used two years ago and have had to put a lot of money into it since then. However, the car could have been wrecked for all I know. I do love my car but I have had the check engine light come on and off for the past year. That has caused me to replace all plugs, 2 o2 sensors, and serveral other things. If the car did come out again I would look at buying but only if it had a 100,000 mile warranty. Only AM radio works, unless its the perfect temp outside and Im driving a certain speed. Other than that I have never listened to the FM radio...oh and my alarm has never worked.

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  Is this really a Dodge??? - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Troy G. - May 8 - 3:26 pm

  I really like the car as a whole, especially the performance.It draws attention everywhere it goes. It is very fast and handles well for such a large car (German influence). The performance is equal to the looks.

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  Jazz Blue - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By Will - May 8 - 11:56 am

  Love my Charger! 5000 miles and averaging 28mpg combined since I usually avoid traffic. Dodge did this one right, all though I prefer the 2014 exterior better the 2016 model is very aggressive and sporty looking. I have had nothing but good with this car so far.