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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  180k and still going - 1995 Dodge Stratus
  By 4Man - August 5 - 2:00 am

  Im glad I picked the SE with the Mitsubishi V6. After 184k Ive only had to replace the water pump and AC compressor. The only other problems include inoperable power remote on the passenger side mirror (drivers side is still OK) and a broken air recirculation selector knob on the heat/AC console (stuck in the outside air mode). 95% of the miles have been highway and I use only Mobil 1 synthetic. Even the receptionist at the dealership seemed amazed to find a Stratus still kicking with 150+k miles on it. Hmmm - makes one wonder. Overall, this has been a very good value.

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  Absolutely the worst car Ive ever had! - 1998 Dodge Neon
  By JMc - August 5 - 2:00 am

  Absolutely the worst car Ive ever had, and the worst dealer/factory service Ive ever experienced...! Problems too numerous to list here. Quality control, vehicle integrity, and customer satisfaction are NOT Chrysler strong points. Premature failure of the automatic transmission at 8,000 miles. After several repeated repair attempts over 15 months by the servicing dealer, the transmission problem(s) were never corrected. A plea for assistance to DCX Canada was brushed off by a form letter boasting about how qualified their dealer service personnel are to solve technical problems. Not true. Chrysler has yet to learn the meaning of "customer satisfaction".

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  Nice - 1995 Dodge Intrepid
  By Happy Man - August 5 - 2:00 am

  I just this car and it drives great, with a pretty powerful 3.5 liter engine. Overall a great car.

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  What a deal! - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By Trux - August 5 - 2:00 am

  I have had nothing but a positive experience with this vehicle over the last 50K miles (since new). Mechanically it has run like a top except for a slight (and I mean SLIGHT) oil leak that has never caused problems. It easily has enough space to take the family (kids and dog) on long trips and enough room so that people arent all over each other

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  Caravan redefines poor quality - 2002 Dodge Caravan
  By Krysler Krap - August 5 - 2:00 am

  What a piece of junk. The body work is simply awful. The sheet metal is too thin. The hinge that holds the front door broke free from the body of the vehicle. The Air Conditioner keeps breaking.

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  Best Small Truck - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By mettech - August 5 - 2:00 am

  Very pleased with the truck. Now looking to get a full size quad cab.

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  Fun to drive/watch your speed! - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Frank Walton - August 4 - 10:06 pm

  My previous vehicle was an Audi A-4. So, I was quite apprehensive about getting into a Neon! One drive and I was hooked. The SRT-4 actually has more interior room than my A-4 did. However, gas mileage suffers because of the performance characteristics of this particular model. Ride quality is quite harsh around town but is very reassuring at speed on the highway.

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  good reliable car, and cheap. - 1993 Dodge Shadow
  By Darkness - August 4 - 2:00 am

  Bought car for bout 1400 off someone on college campus, so its now a 3rd hand car, has no history problems, and the only thing replaced by the former owner was a set of tires, and brake pad. Car makes some engine noise, but its a reliable car, and ive no problems for the past few months. I intend to keep it for the next few years until i have a real job =)

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  Im finally selling it - 1990 Dodge Shadow
  By Quickag54 - August 4 - 2:00 am

  Im the original owner of an 89 Shadow 4 door 2.5L non turbo. Lets face it, this car has been about as much fun to drive as a shopping cart. But fun is sometimes secondary to what a car should be about. Unlike other Chrysler made vehicles that I have owned, the Shadow has been an icon of reliability and stallworh dependabilty...under all types of conditions.

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  What Gas Mileage? - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Moz - August 3 - 3:10 pm

  I bought the R/T fully loaded, with chrome rims. The car is great for those who are practical. It is not a luxury car. So dont expect it to be. I use it to go snowboarding in VT (live in NYC) and itÂ’s perfect. The engine has weak acceleration and is loud but that is a 4cl engine Gas mileage is 28mpg at 55mph, 23mpg at 70mph. The gas mileage gauge is useful. Who drives 55 on the thruway? So who ever says this car has good gas mileage, stop!