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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  cash for clunkers - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By erin - September 5 - 10:31 pm

  I guess compared to driving a 1998 Jeep wrangler for 8 years a moped would seem more economical. Im not knocking my hot little black convertible it was just time to put it down. And it came at the absolute perfect time. With 218,000 miles I traded that Jeep for a brand new 2009 Dodge caliber. I got 3,500.00 for the clunker and then Dodge matched it with an additional 3,500.00. Best deal ever! I love it. I have air conditioning, speed, good gas mileage, and its so quiet. I have to admit, I did cry when I had to give up the first car I had ever bought with my own money, and I still have the key, but what a difference. It really makes me appreciate the road. I love my new caliber

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  Great Car - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Great Car - September 2 - 10:50 pm

  This car is great,style a true muscle car the deal I had gotten on this car was fantastic over 7500 off plus another 2000 for my trade and only 100 miles The car looks and rides great I average anywhere from 31 to 36mpg on the highway all the downfalls that Edmunds has said are not true I often catch myself cruising at 75mph with out even realizing interior is nice and very accessible my 14 year old son thinks the car is awesome and wants it in 2years when he starts to drive overall a great value I drove the honda accord and chevy and this is much better for room and performance

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  Great looking, fast, fun and comfortable - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By noj - September 2 - 8:07 pm

  The Magnum is an relatively amazing. It does haul, stuff inside, trailers, and ... It gets great gas mileage, 18 city/24 hwy MPG, for such a big vehicle with so much horsepower. You can take it to the drag strip and run the 1/4 mile anywhere from just under 14 to 14.3 at around 97 MPH stock or run it on a road course. 4 people can easily ride comfortably, 5 if needed. People frequently compliment the car when I am out.

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  This Avenger is Great! - 2009 Dodge Avenger
  By Mike W. - September 2 - 6:09 pm

  I bought this 09 Avenger SXT at the end of June. I was trading in an 03 Intrepid that had been great for me but it was time to go new. And I was ready to go back to 4-cyl. The car looked great and handled the test drive much better than what I had read about its performance. No complaints at all two months later. Love the satellite radio! Love the interior room! Love the easy handling! Love the smoothness! Have figured out the blind spot issue - no problem at all.

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  amazing car for me - 1995 Dodge Avenger
  By draney - August 31 - 10:40 pm

  I got this car oct 9 2008 and sadly wrecked it a month later all my fault though. In the short time though I drove the car over 5000 miles. I loved it. When I got it it had over 199k miles on it and the motor was still strong.

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  Perfect - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By Jaeger - August 31 - 9:49 pm

  I bought my 96 Dodge Intrepid at Stans Auto Sales in Kearney Nebraska and absolutely love it. It dies every thing you would expect and more. It doesnt have all the usual 90s Chrysler drawbacks, The paint doesnt fade, the seats are in perfect condition, etc. This car is just about perfect. I would strongly recommend a Dodge Intrepid for anyone.

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  Great Small CAR - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By HappyTBAmerican - August 31 - 8:16 pm

  I was looking for a small car for by wife and test drove several. All most bought a new Chevy HHR. Went by the Dodge dealer and saw a program 07 Caliber. This vehicle had the most comfortable seats and drove better also the most fun to drive. I bought a 07 Sebring as well which is a great car but I like driving the Caliber more. It has more of a fun factor. The seats are a lot more comfortable as well. The CVT tranny makes the 2.0 quick of the line. The CVT is different from a standard automatic but that is not a bad thing. Road noise is about average for small car. The MPG is good. My friend bought a new VW Rabbit and he likes the Caliber better than his new car. I recommend this car.

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  Mr. - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Al - August 31 - 3:30 am

  I have the 4.0 Liter. It is very smooth and powerful. The ride is a bit sporty which I like and the phone interface is great. I had really wanted the Chrysler limited but I couldnt justify the extra $$. About the only thing I dont care for is the fake leather seating which is mediocre vinyl.

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  Great choice for us - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By seveninavan - August 30 - 6:36 pm

  Overall, I have been very happy with my decision to purchase the Journey. I traded in a Dodge Grand Caravan and initially planned to get another one, then I saw that the Journey held seven passengers---a must for us since we have five kids. Except for one small trim issue, everything works well. I mainly drive to work, soccer games, and boy scout camping trips. Got the SXT with roof rack and Sirius out the door for $19,600 and 0% financing--- about $12,000 less than the Ford Taurus X. So far, Ive been quite pleased. Morning carpools are easy, and when I need to haul stuff it is great to have the ability to stow the seats flat so quickly. I love it!

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  Has been a good vehicle for me =) - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By Arianna - August 29 - 11:42 pm

  Bought my 2006 Stratus last summer and Im glad I did. I have had no problems with it yet *knock on wood* and its been a very enjoyable car. I recently went on a road trip and I didnt even need to fill up the entire way there and back! Its amazing the gas mileage you can get with this car. I definitely dont waste time at the pump aha! The 4 cyl engine is good, but I can see why the V-6 would be better for the size of this vehicle. It didnt handle amazingly well last winter (in NY) but considering I live up on a huge hill, what can you really expect from a car? I cant really complain about it, Ive had a good experience with this car, and it makes me want to buy Dodge again.