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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  99 Avenger ES - 1999 Dodge Avenger
  By Vonto - February 15 - 2:00 am

  reliable engine with the right amount of TLC spacious inside comfortable seating. Acceleration a little on the sluggish but gets up to speed quickly handles corners superbly very quick steering response this car stays well planted on the pavement outstanding body design very handsome car and fun to drive

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  Great Family Sport Sedan - 2003 Dodge Intrepid
  By Ccuesta - February 15 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. It is not the old image of what Dodge was in the past. the Intrepid may be a sedan, but it is sleek,good looking, and fun to drive.

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  Damn Durango - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Home B-Z - February 15 - 2:00 am

  great piece of machine

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  Good Looks, Bad Brakes & Gas - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By Pmcd - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Had Chevy before and Dodge rides rough compared to GM truck. Springs squeak when making sharp turns at low speeds and brakes seem to grab from time to time. Looks great but rides luck a dump truck.

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  Great - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By kdrp - February 15 - 2:00 am

  A great compromise between fullsize and compact trucks. Can tow 6,600 pounds which is more than enough for most people. Gets fairly good gas mileage for a V-8 which is very powerful. I cant say enough about mine!

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  Plan to keep it! - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By circpro - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Not a bad price with rebates, but does not hold its value. Looks really sharp. Electrical problems with flashers 3 times. Eats way to much gas. Engine runs rough at idle (currently 14k miles) Has appeal for a young crowd!

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  4 DR Hatchback - 1992 Dodge Shadow
  By mandy20 - February 14 - 2:00 am

  It is so much fun to drive. Very reliable and good mileage. About 21+ in the city. Excellent exterior quality and comfortable seats.

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  Money Pit - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Upside-Down - February 14 - 2:00 am

  2.7L engine has a knock and needs to be replaced. Mechanic thinks its a bad rod/wristpin. Air conditioning wont hold freon and after $1200 in parts and labor I give up. Brakes required every 30,000 miles, power windows constantly need repair. Resale on this POS is so bad that I owe 2X what its worth. I wish id spent the extra couple of grand on a Honda.

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  best family car - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By mariofloresg - February 14 - 2:00 am

  I believe this is the best family car you can find, It has a lot of space everywhere (trunk, back seats and front), is comfortable, and safe. In addition, it has greak looking (compared to other family cars), good power, and fun to drive.

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  look elsewhere - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By 1cjkn - February 14 - 2:00 am

  I use this vehicle as service rep.and carry lot of tools. Seats are uncomfortable after 15 minutes, at highway speeds it wanders, hard to keep in lane.poor air-conditioner, poor heat.No storage space, to keep things from floating around. Sun visors are the poorest ever in a car.Brakes worn out at 25000 miles, engine spark knocks, wheels were warped on first rotation