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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  About my car. - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By Desirae - October 10 - 4:11 pm

  The stratus was my first car I had purchased, I loved it when I first sat in it, I had ordered it from another State, it travels nice long distances and flies up hill! The only thing that did something really weird is that it would accelerate on its own, almost had me cause an accident! Its done that several times, and the problems with the engine light going on and off, something to do with an oxygen sensor, and whenever you turn the wheel sharp it would make a clicking sound, brakes may need to be replaced already!

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  Loving my new used ride! - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By Kelly Geis - October 10 - 6:48 am

  Used edmunds.com to locate my vehicle and got a great deal!

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  better than I expected - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By ljordan09 - October 8 - 10:48 pm

  Im more of a GMC/Chevy fan. And always had a negative idea about Chrysler. But i cant help but admit, Im surprised. Mostly everything is solid. i love the stereo. It is small but doesnt feel small at all. drivers seat is pretty comfortable but the seat adjustments are awfully placed. Although i love how sporty the car looks, it looks like a chopped-top, its not good for tall people. and my biggest problem with this car: ROAD NOISE!

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  Still Going After 209K Miles! - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Ron Irwin - October 8 - 8:26 pm

  Well, I finally had to put some significant dollars into my van, but much less than any new car I might purchase. Runs like a new one with a factory rebuilt tranny (old transmission had trouble with low gear, but otherwise ran great). Have run Mobile One synthetic oil in the van since it was new, and the oil added 10% to my gas mileage (20-24 MPG with the 3.8L V6). Change oil and filter once a year (20-25K miles). Will keep this van until the wheels fall off! Very happy with the purchase and performance of this vehicle.

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  New 2008 Avenger R/T - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Gary - October 8 - 4:14 pm

  Just bought a 2008 Avenger R/T with all the bells and whistles except the rear seat DVD thing. A little history first: Im 61 my wife is 59. We test drove lots of vehicles. After lots of Internet searching and dealer quotes. We settled on the Avenger (SXT 4cyl). Liked the styling, options etc, drove it for a weekend. Power didnt make the grade (pardon the pun) for us. Went back to dealer, road tested the Avenger R/T and WOW! Hot damn! Now thats what Im talking about. After the usual haggling etc. we got a great price (and trade in) on a Stone White 3.5 HO V6. Have driven it for four days now and I LOVE THIS CAR! and Ive had many in my life.

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  Good,bad and ugly - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Rob - October 8 - 12:15 pm

  I have to say that the styling on the new Avenger blows me away every time I look at It.It looks like a mini Charger and for the price of a base Charger Mine is almost fully loaded. My main problem has been with the nav/radio.This is the third time my car has been in the shop in three months.I am on my second Nav/radio and still have problems.The radio does not respond, or turns off while driving or there is no volume. I also noticed my daytime lights go out when I signal. The ugly has to be the light colored sun visors and roof.I can see the sun visors getting dirty and they must be cleaned often.The front headrests need to be redesigned.

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  So far, so good.. - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By Evergreen - October 7 - 10:54 pm

  Bought this car with some misgivings because of their overall poor reputation for reliability but ours has been pretty sound. We are at 129K miles and only two real problems so far. Changed the engine main bearing seal for about $400. The dash indications go blank about once a week for a few minutes. You kinda know when its coming because the ABS light comes on first. Consensus is its the "Body Control Module" but since its $900 to replace and hasnt broke permanent we havent fixed it. Transmission is still okay. Cant beat the comfort/versatility for a family of five. Took a two week vacation last winter to the grand canyon and it plowed through ice, rain and snow like a champ.

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  Surprisingly Good Car - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By chewmill - October 7 - 7:50 am

  Bought a program car in 2005. 28-31 mpg hwy. Driven for 82,000 miles of its 100,800 and only put money into oil changes and tires. Problem just arose with engine stutter. Probably bad plug wires from the auto store since I replaced plugs and coil assembly already. Body has held up and interior looks great. Not a quiet car at 75 mph. Lots of road noise. The 4 cylinder engine is weak with full load, but fine for 2 people and luggage.

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  Dodge Stratus Coupe - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By LJ - October 6 - 10:35 pm

  I have the 2.4L SXT version, and I purchased it with 32,000 on the clock in June 06. Not once have I ever had maintenance issues with the car. Ive only ever done basic stuff (brake pads, tires, oil changes). The car handles with ease, yet at the same time, feels like a bus in terms of length. You cant see completely over the hood, which attributes to the seat designing. The car can get up and go, but dont expect this to be a high end BMW in camouflage. Its more in a competitors range of Mitsubishi Eclipses, Galants, etc. Solid car, nothing overwhelming.

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  Love to Hate - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By John - October 6 - 7:03 pm

  We bought this off the showroom floor with 10 miles on it. It drove very well, but on the drive home we noticed a problem with the back taillight wirering.Fixed. Then, noisy side doors. Road noise is not fun to listen to. After 7 years and 80000 miles not unsatisfied, just a little unhappy what we have to live with. We had a flat and the aluminum rim isnt straight anymore, mileage and a wobble is still a bummer. New waterpump, tuneup, but no major costs. I am noticing a slower startup and going down road the tack jumps, maybe fuel fiter. The plastic is wearing but the seats are still well made, leather. I will look at this each time I buy from now on. Outside paint is still looking good.