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 3rd Durango - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By bgffl - November 5 - 10:00 am

  Having owned a 00 SLT and a 02 SLT Plus I was anxious to try out the newly designed 04 Durango. I purchased a Deep Molten Red Limited with the 4.7 and although I just passed the 1000 mile mark, I am very happy with the ride, handling and overall performance. The interior seems like it could use a little more trim to dress it up. I really like the design and function of the dash air vents but there is an over abundance of uninterupted gray plastic.

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  Sweet!! - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Corman - November 5 - 10:00 am

  Excellent ride for such a big vehicle. Driver sits up high and is very comfortable. Nice sound system. HEMI rocks!! Pulled my 3 horse trailer without any trouble. Still got 13 mpg with the horse trailer. That is not too bad!

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  Car is great all around - 1992 Dodge Stealth
  By ntc12919209 - November 4 - 9:35 pm

  I bought my Stealth over last winter. Was not running when bought but quickly found out that it was just a bad crank sensor. I got lucky with the condition of the car, as it was BONE stock when i got it. When i replaced the clutch at 172000 miles i was surprised to find the original clutch disk still in there. Since then i have done a few upgrades (cone filter, cat delete with megan racing down pipe. full 3" out the back, also put a stage 3 clutch in and couldnt be happier. car is great and love the sound of the turbos spooling.

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  Awesome! I love it! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Vicky - November 3 - 9:30 pm

  Traded in my 2004 Ford Mustang GT for this car. Im now the proud owner of a black SXT CVT, fully loaded, sunroof, MusicGate, and (after market) tinted windows-black in the back. At first, my friends thought I was totally insane until they rode in it one day on the way to lunch. Much more room on the inside and more practical! Even my husband likes it because of the room. Not very good on acceleration, but hey, Im used to an 8-cylinder Mustang! I absolutely love this car! Inside and out, shes awesome. I had wanted to eventually trade in my Mustang for an SUV and this car will tie me over for a couple years hopefully.

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  Dakota Quad Cab 4.7L - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By Mike7642 - November 3 - 9:06 pm

  I first bought this truck out of practcallity. Room plus towing. After a few simple mods I found myself with one powerful machine. Its hard to keep the foot off the gas with such a sleek truck with power to spare. I have since bought a 2009 Laramie and while totally impressed with it, I miss my Dakota.

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  Best Car I EVER Owned... - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By MoJo1491 - November 3 - 6:21 pm

  in 50 years of driving including U.S., Japanese & English, all expensive to maintain & needing major work. On advice of mechanic, bought 2000 ES w/2.7L engine. Have NEVER had a major problem. In 10 years & 126K miles, have replaced one power steering pump & put new bushings on inner tie rods. Preventive maintenance is key brakes, tires, check up & detail every 6 mos. Use 100% synthetic oil. No kids, no smoking, no food in car. Around town and in trips between TX & CA, routinely average 33 mpg. Hauled 5 adults & 2 tons of rock & made 4 household moves. Shes still cherry inside & out. Will get another 200K or 10 yrs from her. Just bought a 2nd 2000 Intrepid cuz they dont make em anymore.

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  fun to drive - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By danielle - November 2 - 8:53 pm

  i love this car its fun its comfy and roomy i love the u connect feature i love the slide out floor in the trunk area makes it easy to get to stuff in the back it holds a ton of stuff as a soccer mom trust me it holds alot i love this car so does the family

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  Love driving this car - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By JerryK - November 2 - 7:43 pm

  My first new car since my 98 Grand Caravan. This car impressed me right from the test drive. The reviews mention a slow response of the CVT. Hogwash,the 2.0L w/CVT moves like a jack rabbit. My previous Mopars had lousy headlights, backup lights, and brakes. All are improved on this car. I can finally see the road on a rainy night. The SXT model is nicely equipped. Great car to take back and forth to work everyday. Very comfortable.

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  This car is alright - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By jhill2456 - November 2 - 2:00 am

  I got more than I bagained for with this vehicle. I tried looking for all that I wanted with the Civic, Corolla, Focus, and Jetta. It gave gave me all of that with a nice price. Yeah there is noise but it is awesome to drive.

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  This is a great car - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Blade - November 2 - 2:00 am

  We just baught a new durango sxt yesterday and it is great. Our Cousin is the person who told us about his durango, and he has had his for 4 years with no problems. My dad works at the new jeep plant in toledo and only likes non-foriegn cars(expecially Dodge). We love our new durango. Hopefuly from reading this you will think of buying a Durango too. Thanks! Blade Buchholz