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 Durango compared to older model - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Frank Mize - January 20 - 10:00 am

  The 2004 model year is much larger than the older models and rides much smoother. The older model would get a little squirly on dirt roads. The large V-8 Hemi has loads of power, and can tow most anything the average pereson would wish to tow.

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  Very reliable - 1993 Dodge Spirit
  By angelkitty69011 - January 20 - 2:00 am

  I bought my car with 169,000 miles on it, now ive got more than 200,000 miles. I have never had a problem, mechanically. Of course besides regular oil changes, and tires, brakes and things like that. This is the most reliable car I have ever had.

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  Hate it!!! - 1995 Dodge Neon
  By melann0331 - January 20 - 2:00 am

  Wouldnt do it again

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  Still have it and I still love it! - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Gutsy - January 20 - 2:00 am

  Purchased my 1999 Intrepid NEW at the dealer. I still own this car and I still love everything about it. I only had one problem which was taken care of... 1 electronic fuel injector went bad... thats it. Light in dash went on... took to the dealer, they fixed it. I plan on keeping this car for a long time.

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  Bad Engine!!!!! - 1998 Dodge Intrepid
  By Kristina - January 19 - 2:00 am

  We have a 98 Dodge Intrepid with 66,000 miles and the engine blew up! We paid 10,000 for it a year ago and now were lucky to get $2000. To replace the engine it will cost between $5000-$7500!!!!!! I will never buy another Dodge! We ran a CarFax report and there were no problems. It has had regular maintaince and oil changes. The Dodge intrepid recieves a "9" for looks but a "0" for overall reliabilty! By the way there is a 99 that looks exactly like ours with the same engine in the trading post with the same problem, a bad engine!!!

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  1990 Dodge Dakota LE - 1990 Dodge Dakota
  By Allen - January 19 - 2:00 am

  This truck is a top quality truck. Its not quite a compact truck and not quite a full size truck, therefore its a mid-size. It can haul more than my friends 1998 Ford F-150 and its more reliable. The only bad thing about it is its transmission. Its transmission went around 74,000 miles and now i have 80,000 miles on it. I would recommend this truck because its fun and reliable.

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  Great Car - 1996 Dodge Caravan
  By MCSE - January 19 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my 96 Dodge Caravan for going on 8 years and have had no problems with with that required it to be in the shop. Changed tires, brakes, and did normal maintenance and it has been the most reliable vehicle Ive owned.

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  Great All Around Useful Vehical - 2000 Dodge Caravan
  By EllementDave - January 19 - 2:00 am

  The van has been great for all around use. From hauling bricks and lumber for home projects to carrying kids for the little league team. Mini-Vans get no respect, but for all around use this Van would be hard to beat. 26k on road during family trips with loads of room. The caravan handles better than the bigger grand caravan and unless you need the added room it seems to perform better all around. The 6 gives it enough power.

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  Awesome little car! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Debbie - January 18 - 8:10 am

  I drive 150 miles a day to and from work at an average of 70 MPH. I still get at least 28 MPG! From a big Ford P/U to this little gem was quite a switch, but well worth it! A little too much plastic, but otherwise a sweet car. Ill buy another one in a couple years if theyre still around.

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  Smart Car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Scott - January 18 - 5:00 am

  I love that the mechanical design is simple. Its easy and cheap to maintain. No timing belt/internal water pump to worry about. I can change the spark plugs or fuel injectors in 20 minutes. Well planned. The car is very composed on the road and easy to drive. It seems well-balanced and feels lighter than it is (3,000lbs). Steering is sporty, acceleration is adequate with the 2.0L but wont win any races. I have a creaking drivers seat, but the dealer should fix that. Also my knee runs into the center console. Other than that, no complaints. I recommend this car. It has a lot more character than anything else for $16,500.