The Dodge Vehicles With The Highest Ratings Of All Time

Late in 1900, John Francis Dodge and Horace Elgin Dodge, the Dodge brothers founded the Dodge Brothers Company. They started as an assemblies and parts supplier for automakers in Detroit. However, in 1914, the company started building complete automobiles under the “Dodge Brothers” brand. After the death of the brothers, the company was later sold to the Chrysler Corporation in the year 1928.

Chrysler introduced the Dodge Caravan in the 1980’s. In addition to saving Chrysler, this vehicle also ushered in a new market that remains well known to this day (the minivan).

All through the 80’s and 90’s, dodge was unofficially known as Chrysler’s sporty division. This is because of the series of high-performing, model cars with aggressive styles that were released during this period, which includes the Daytona, the Lancer as well as the mid-sized 600. Dodge presented the Viper in 1992. It had an aluminum V10 engine as well as a composite body, and it was able to propel the Dodge’s sports car lineup higher.

Fiat, the Italian automaker formed an alliance with Chrysler in 2009. This partnership became a full merger in 2014, through the introduction of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The company is presently based in London. In 2004, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced that Dodge would begin to focus only on performance vehicles, placed between Alfa Romeo and Chrysler. The following are the most influential and highest rated Dodge vehicles ever made:

• Dodge Caravan
• Dodge Daytona
• Dodge Viper
• Dodge Charger
• Dodge Challenger
• Dodge Caravan

The Dodge Caravan

The Dodge Caravan was first introduced in the year 1984 and ushered in a new market in automobile production (the minivan). Before the Grand Caravan was introduced, large families had limited options, so they had to manage with station wagons. With the Caravan, Dodge was able to introduce a better option for transporting people, providing a better option for sport teams, families, and anybody who desires to fit in more than 5 people in a sedan.

• MSRP: 2017 model, priced at $23,595
• Fuel Efficiency: 21 for cities and 28 for highway
• Safety Features:  ABS brakes, Front airbag
• Performance: 2.6L engine which comes with a high theoretic speed of 98 mph
• Competition: Mitsubishi Chariot, Dodge Colt, Nissan Prairie
• Strengths: Great gas mileage for such a large car, can seat 7 people comfortably
• Weaknesses: Poor visibility, lackluster style
• Special Features:  Bucket seats, automatic transmission, 3 seating rows, sliding door

Dodge Daytona

The Dodge Daytona was produced from 1984 and 1993, replacing the Dodge Challenger which was Mitsubishi-based. The Daytona name was derived from the Dodge Charger Daytona, and it derived its own name from Daytona Beach’s Daytona 500 Race in Florida. The Daytona was actually a two-seater sports car, with 3 doors, which was designed for the masses. At that time, very few automakers offered affordable sports cars, which increased the Daytona’s appeal.

• MSRP: $10,447
• Fuel Efficiency: 22 for the city
• Safety Features: ABS brakes, Airbags
• Performance: 2.2L engine coupled with 96 horsepower
• Competition: Chrysler Laser, Toyota MR2
• Strengths: Affordable, fun to drive, excellent gas mileage
• Weaknesses: Inadequate power, small interior
• Special Features: Front-wheel drive, hatchback, optional turbocharged engine

Dodge Viper

The Dodge Viper which was introduced in 1992 propelled Dodge into the supercar league. Its V10 engine was the Viper’s centerpiece. The Lamborghini Company which was owned by Chrysler at that time, used aluminum alloy to construct the block and heads.

The Viper was not created to be a luxury sport car for the rich; it was designed to be used by car lovers who enjoy speed. The Viper had a very Spartan interior, with just the basic furnishings. The Viper had no exterior door handles, neither did it have side windows or a roof. Although a soft covering could be bought, the design of the Viper was for storage. Dodge introduced new options like a fiberglass roof, air-conditioning, and adjustable suspension for buyers in 1994.

• MSRP: $58,100
• Fuel Efficiency: 12 for cities and 21 for highways
• Safety Features: Active seatbelts with 3-points
• Performance: 8.0L engine with 165 mph top speed, 0-60 in 4.5 seconds
• Competition: Ford Mustang, Chevrolet
• Strengths: Fun to drive, fast, aggressive style
• Weaknesses: Roofless, Spartan interior
• Special Features: Low profile, aluminum engine

Dodge Charger

There are not many cars with the history and pedigree of the Dodge Charger. The Dodge charger which was introduced in 1966. It was a two-door car with four back seats, and fastback design. Its base model came with a 5.2L V8 engine including 3-speed floor shifter transmission. A lot of people feel that the original Dodge Charger was the best muscle produced by Americans in the 1960’s. Its style is one of the reasons why the Charger is so popular because similar cars did not sell so well during this period.

• MSRP: $3,122
• Fuel Efficiency: 10 for cities, 16 for highways
• Safety Features: Seat belts
• Performance: 5.2L V8 engine with a horsepower of 230
• Competition: Plymouth Road Runner, Pontiac GTO
• Strengths: Powerful, fun to drive, attractive design
• Weaknesses:  Difficulty getting into the back seat, poor fuel efficiency
• Special Features: Bucket seats, fastback design, hidden headlamps

Dodge Challenger

The Dodge Challenger was introduced in 1970 as Dodge’s response to the Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang. The Challenger came with an array of engine options, giving customers the opportunity to pick practically any engine from Chrysler’s inventory. The interior of the Challenger was more luxurious compared to that of its rivals, complete with plush seats, bells and whistles. The Challenger was Dodge’s introduction into the “ponycar” scene created by the renowned Ford Mustang.

• MSRP: $4,056
• Fuel Efficiency: An average of 10.5 mpg
• Safety Features: Seatbelts
• Performance: Option of picking from practically all the engines in the Chrysler inventory
• Competition: Chevy Camaro, Ford Mustang
• Strengths: Fun to drive, luxurious interior, powerful, lots of engine options
• Weaknesses: Poor fuel economy
• Special Features: Luxurious interior, lots of engine options, longer wheelbase compared to the competition

The Dodge brothers, who started out as auto parts suppliers to automakers in Detroit, swiftly expanded their company, becoming full-scale manufacturers of automobile. Despite all the partnerships, acquisitions, and changes in ownership that they’ve been through, Dodge has maintained its commitment to performance. Dodge also created the minivan, which is one of America’s most popular automobile.