Price
Winner: Chevy
When all new models for 2017 and 2018 were averaged, Chevy came out the winner on price. Though some of its vehicles can be very expensive, like the top trim levels of the Chevy Suburban or the highest-performance Corvette available, Chevrolet also offers several entry-level models, such as the Sonic, Spark, and Cruze, that start well under $20,000.
Dodge offers fewer models, none of which have starting price tags below $20,000. Both of its high-performance muscle cars, especially the 2018 Dodge Challenger, can reach Corvette-like prices when equipped with powerful engines and track-ready accessories.
Reliability
Winner: Chevy
The J. D. Power reliability scores for all new Dodge and Chevy models was averaged across both lineups, and Chevy had the higher reliability score. Neither brand had perfect scores of five out of five, but Chevrolet models in general had above-average reliability scores. Dodge scores hovered around the average mark, and sometimes dipped below average.
Safety
Winner: Chevy
Again, by averaging the scores received by Dodge and Chevy models from independent testing agencies like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Chevy comes out on top. Not only did it have higher safety scores on most models, but it had two perfect 10s: the 2017 Chevy Bolt electric vehicle and 2018 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid vehicle.
Performance
Winner: Chevy
Even with a handful of new-era muscle cars in the Dodge garage, Chevy still wins on average. Chevy has generally higher performance scores for its new vehicles, even subcompacts like the Chevrolet Sonic, and the Corvette was rated higher than the Dodge Viper. The Dodge Charger and Challenger scores weren’t enough to compensate for the mediocre performance of the Dodge Durango and Grand Caravan.
Interior
Winner: Chevy
It’s fair to say that neither of these brands is known for its interior design. If the design itself is well executed, there are often hard plastic surfaces or lower-quality materials used. Chevy did edge out Dodge in this category with slightly better interiors in its lineup, but even high-ranking cars like the Chevy Bolt are rather plain inside.
The Dodge Challenger was singled out for having the highest-quality cabin of all the American muscle cars on the market right now. But even that praise was qualified by the amount of hard plastic surfaces in the cabin.
Midsize SUVs
Winner: Chevy
The redesign of the 2018 Chevy Traverse has lifted it near the top of our midsize SUV rankings. It has plenty of room for families and all the things they bring with them, and the interior features higher-quality materials than you might expect in a family hauler. It’s even got six USB ports, two for each row of seating, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The 2017 Dodge Durango puts up a good fight, with enough room in the third row for adults and more cargo space than most in its class. But the interior quality isn’t as high as the competition’s, and the Durango has fewer tech features.
Dodge also has the 2018 Journey in the midsize SUV class. It’s ranked last in class due to its low performance, safety, and reliability scores.
Large Cars
Winner: Chevy
We’ve ranked both of Chevy’s two large cars, the Impala and the SS, ahead of the Dodge Charger. The Impala in particular received high praise for its spacious interior, large trunk, and great gas mileage. What the Impala lacks in pep, the Chevy SS delivers. It’s sportier and features a standard V8 engine. They are tied for the No. 5 spot in our large car rankings.
The Dodge Charger also has plenty of room for passengers and cargo, but the interior – especially in the base model – has lots of hard plastic surfaces. Although it has an extremely powerful V8, the SS scores higher in our performance category because it handles better. The Charger is ranked tenth in our large car rankings.
Pickup Trucks
Winner: Chevy
Chevy has two pickup truck offerings, the compact Colorado and full-size Silverado. The Silverado ranks near the bottom of our full-size pickup rankings but offers an upscale cabin and excellent towing and hauling capacity. It falls short in terms of performance; its base transmission isn’t great for towing heavy loads. The Colorado ranks near the top of our compact pickup truck rankings and offers powerful engines and plenty of towing capacity.
Technically, Dodge doesn’t feature any pickup truck in their rankings, but it’s worth mentioning that Dodge’s sister company, Ram, makes the top-ranking full-size pickup, the Ram 1500 (formerly known as the Dodge Ram 1500). Ram formally split from Dodge in 2009 and has been a separate brand ever since.
The Ram 1500 pickup truck is ranked highly for having a low starting price and one of the smoothest rides in the segment. It’s as customizable as any truck on the market, with top-end prices comparable to those of other fully loaded pickups.
Although the Silverado is low-ranking, the Colorado is one of the best compact pickups on the market. And because the Ram 1500 is not technically under the Dodge brand, we have to go ahead and give this win to Chevy.
Luxury Sports Cars
Winner: Chevy
The Chevy Corvette continues to be America’s sweetheart – at least when compared to the Dodge Viper. The Corvette has a few trim levels, so price, power, and accessories can be customized. No matter which trim you get, the Corvette offers precise handling and steering without sacrificing long-distance comfort.
The Dodge Viper also has different trim levels, but they all come with a 645-horsepower V10 engine and a manual transmission. That’s comparable to the Corvette Z06’s 650-horsepower V8 engine. However, the Viper loses its composure at high speeds, making handling that much brutish power a chore.
Sports Cars
Winner: Chevy
The Dodge Challenger is available with 707 horsepower and offers a spacious rear seat and trunk. However, it doesn’t handle as well as competitors. The Camaro, on the other hand, is available with very powerful powertrains and handles with ease. The Camaro is a better sports car.
Minivan Rankings
Winner: Dodge
The Dodge Grand Caravan runs unopposed in the minivan category, as Chevy doesn’t currently have one on the market. The Grand Caravan has one of the lowest starting prices in the class and features unique storage solutions, like Stow ‘n Go seats that fold flat into the floor. However, it is ranked last in our minivan rankings due to its low safety score, mediocre reliability score, and short features list.
Other Uncontested Categories
Winner: Chevy
Chevrolet offers more than twice the models that Dodge does, so there are several categories where Chevy wins by default. There are several small Chevys on the market, including the Bolt EV, Cruze, Sonic, Spark, and Volt PHEV. That list includes on all-electric car and one plug-in hybrid, which are two more categories where Dodge doesn’t compete.
The Chevy Malibu and Malibu Hybrid are midsize cars without Dodge counterparts, as are the Chevy Equinox and Trax small SUVs. If you want to supersize your SUV experience, Chevy is the default winner here again, with the Suburban and Tahoe.
The Winner Is …
Chevy
You probably figured out long ago that Chevy was going to win in a head-to-head with Dodge. Our overall rankings and scores of Chevy vehicles are higher than those for Dodge, and when vehicles are lined up one on one, Chevy still comes out on top more often.
These brands are often nearly evenly matched when compared closely, and they both suffer from uninspired interiors. But the fact that Chevy offers more kinds of vehicles, including electrified powertrains, means that more people are likely to find a Chevy that satisfies their requirements.
What Dodge does have is a distinctive exterior design aesthetic, particularly in its muscle cars, that has an undeniable fan base. If retro styling with modern technology makes your heart sing, then Dodge will probably win a spot in your driveway.
More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report
You can learn more about Chevy and Dodge vehicles by visiting their brand pages. Find out how particular models stack up against the competition with our rankings. When it comes time to buy, use our Best Price Program to get the best deal on your new car purchase.
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Which Dealership Should You Head To?
Chevrolet and Dodge have century-long histories in America, which means shoppers bring that history – for better or worse – along to the dealership. There’s a good chance that many people have had a stellar or horrible experience with either a Dodge or a Chevy over the past few decades. But should that cloud our judgement today? If we were to compare only the latest models, who would win?
That’s exactly what we set out to do. We compared Dodge and Chevy models as a whole to see which brand had higher scores in categories like reliability and safety, as well as more subjective categories like interior quality and handling. We also compared models head-to-head in their classes.
Keep in mind that the scores on our site are updated constantly as new expert reviews and data become available. Any scores mentioned in this slideshow may not match the scores in our reviews. Some very new models had not yet received scores from outside agencies; in these cases, the current-model-year scores were used.