Overview & Reviews

Chrysler is generally considered part of the Big Three, a title that refers to the traditional triumvirate of domestic automakers. The current accuracy of this classification is open for debate, but there's no debating the fact that Chrysler has experienced a revival of sorts over the past few years.

Chrysler Corporation was founded in 1925 by Walter P. Chrysler, a noted machinist; he'd purchased the Maxwell Motor Corporation of Detroit and used it as the foundation for his new company. The automaker quickly earned a reputation for advanced engineering. In 1928, Chrysler Corporation expanded with the purchase of Dodge and the creation of the DeSoto and Plymouth divisions.

The 1930s saw Chrysler boldly looking toward the future with the introduction of its revolutionary Airflow. Powered by a front-mounted inline-8, the car was one of the first to be designed with aerodynamics in mind, and featured swooping lines and a prominent grille. Perhaps a bit too ahead of its time, the Airflow was a flop with the public. Chrysler was able to survive the lean years of the Depression thanks to strong sales of its entry-level Dodge and Plymouth brands, whose vehicles boasted more traditional designs and much lower price tags.

Chrysler shined postwar. For a period in the late 1940s, it even surpassed Ford as the No. 2 U.S. automaker. The company's storied "Hemi" V8 engine debuted in 1951. Offering 180 horsepower, it was a significant improvement over Chrysler's previous 135-hp V8. The Hemi engine was meant to trounce the V8 offered by Cadillac, Chrysler's rival, and it kick-started Detroit's horsepower race of the 1950s and '60s. The '50s also saw the debut of treasured Chrysler classics like the handsome Town and Country and the sleek 300C.

By 1961, Chrysler had trimmed its line of brands by dropping the DeSoto nameplate. New technologies were also afoot, such as unibody construction (Chrysler was the first of the Big Three to introduce it) and the replacement of generators with alternators for a car's charging system. In the latter half of the '60s, Chrysler was heavily involved with NASCAR and producing performance-oriented cars.

At the same time, however, dark clouds were gathering. As with other domestic automakers, the 1970s proved to be a difficult decade due to the oil crisis, new government regulations and changing consumer tastes. A costly and ineffective overseas expansion further hurt the company's bottom line. By the late '70s, the company was in such financial disarray that it petitioned the government for $1.5 billion in loan guarantees to save it from bankruptcy.

Thanks to impressive public campaigning by then-chairman Lee Iacocca, the debut of the well-received K-car platform and the creation of the modern minivan, sales had improved dramatically by the mid-'80s. The government's loan was paid off seven years early. The picture further brightened in the late 1980s with Chrysler's purchase of American Motors Corporation (which netted the company the Jeep brand) and a joint venture with Mitsubishi known as Diamond Star Motors.

Success continued through the early 1990s. In 1998, German-based Daimler-Benz merged with Chrysler to form DaimlerChrysler. At the time, this deal was presented as a merger of equals. But it quickly became apparent that it was more of a purchase, with Daimler being the dominant partner.

Less than a decade later, that merger was no longer, as Daimler sold Chrysler (and Dodge) to a private equity firm in 2007. However, that merger had borne some worthwhile fruit, most notably in the form of the Chrysler 300 full-size sedan. The latter shared some chassis components with an older Mercedes-Benz E-Class platform.

As such, the 300 was a highlight for Chrysler that had a pleasingly solid feel to its driving dynamics that was further sweetened via an available powerful V8 engine. But soon after the split, America's economy slid into recession. Due to poor sales and debt, Chrysler had to declare bankruptcy and the federal government intervened with bailout loans. Eventually Chrysler came under control of Italy's Fiat.

Today, the lineup has been pared down to a pair of sedans, a convertible and a minivan. However, after years of having lackluster entries in the very important midsize car category, Chrysler made major improvements in the performance, design and quality of its midsize sedan entry, the 200. The latest 300 also stands as a prime choice for a premium full-size sedan. Still, it remains to be seen as to whether this and future product releases will be enough to restore the company to its former glory.

User Reviews:

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  Unhappy with the company - 2007 Chrysler 300
  By needrefund - August 15 - 6:51 pm

  I am an owner of 2007 Chrysler 300. I got stranded 3 yrs ago. I cannot shift my gear to reverse position and was told that 2006 Chrysler 300 had the same problem. The spring inside the shifter was defective. Up to this time, I was waiting for a recall just like the 2006 models. Unfortunately, my car was broken into 6 months ago and my receipt for the repair were among the things taken. I was about to get a copy from the dealership, but they went out of business. I was frustrated to know that the main plant in Detroit does not have a main database for all record of repairs done for cars that they sold.

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  freakin great ride! - 2001 Chrysler Concorde
  By joe436 - August 4 - 9:44 am

  My concord has 350,000 kilometers on her and she purrs like the first day she was purchased. regular fluid changes and minor undercarridge replacements, other than that, its very quick for a large car, best car I ever had, hope to make it to 500,000 ks at least.

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  fantastic car to drive - 2012 Chrysler 200
  By pierre11 - July 26 - 5:21 am

  I have had this car for 2 months and love this car,s handling and options. The engine is fast and effortless when accelerating. Feels like i am driving a expensive sport car. The sound system and navigation is fantastic and easy to use. I store all my cd,s in the hard drive. they are all automatically filed in different categories in the hard drive. The sound is fantastic. Great car for the money. I am fully satisfied with this car. Traded in a Lexus es 330 and enjoy driving this car a lot more than my Lexus that I traded in.

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  Exceeds All Expectations - 2012 Chrysler 300
  By chrisg75077 - July 20 - 2:04 pm

  Mopar....to those children of the 70s it conjures up the cream of all muscle....then....KABOOM! The whole thing goes to hell. K-cars, Omnis, and the rest of the K-rap. Then....the new 300...and in 2012, the 2nd generation. All I can say is value, beauty, quickness and all wrapped in a luxurious package. Sure...it doesnt get the looks of my Jaguar...but hell it runs every time, so I am impressed. I love this car. Period.

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  2002 300M Special (Berline) - 2002 Chrysler 300M
  By pitmanoeuvre - June 1 - 1:01 am

  I would recommend this car , and I would also buy another one. Off the top , the car has been a welcome change - where "I" dont have to adjust to the car - "it" adjusts to me. I like that the most. Engine performance is very good , and fair on fuel , with its 3.5L / 255hp (dual exhaust) application. In my opinion , there is nothing more "boring" than a car (its engine performance) , where you are repeatedly confined by its lack of power. I dont like driving vehicles that practically drive themselves. "Boring". If I want that , Ill ride in the passenger seat. The overall design is very good , while its overall functions , are not limited to "driving". These are valueable.

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  4000 miles in one month: one amazing car! - 2013 Chrysler 300
  By tigerbangs99 - May 27 - 8:50 pm

  Picked up my new 300 with thew Popular Equipment group and Navigation in April, and have already done an 1100 mile round trip in the car with 3 people and all their luggage aboard. Cruise Control set at 75MPH, and the Chrysler got an actual 31 MPG on that trip. I didnt believe it, but the return trip yielded the same result. The 300 was quiet as a Monday Morning Church, and power to spare, and the passengers couldnt believe how comfortable they were , and how little fatigue they experienced, on the 9+ hour car trip. The 300 was an effortless joy to drive, and the gas mileage was nothing short of amazing.

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  American Steel - 2013 Chrysler 300
  By freddiegee - May 21 - 1:31 pm

  The 300C Lux is absolutely a great driving machine. If you are looking for a yuppie-mobile or pretty-boy car, go elsewhere. This car oozes American masculinity. Excellent road manners, extremely comfortable and quiet and loaded with the tech goodie youll want. This car is roomy and has a large presence. I bought mine with the Hemi, but the Pentastar is a great engine for those wanting better mileage. You couldnt even think of buying a 5 series, E Class, Lex or A6 unless your just after the badge. And willing to pay 10-25 thousand more for equivalent equipment with less room.

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  Amazing car - 2001 Chrysler 300M
  By holly25 - May 18 - 8:59 am

  I finally had to get rid of this car at 162,000 miles due to general mechanical failure. However, I feel like this cars "death" was well-deserved and reasonably timed and I couldnt be happier with how it served me over the last 12 years. I never had any major issues at all with the car until 120,000 miles. Drove super well, no complaints. These days I feel Chrysler has gone to much cheaper quality with some of their sedans (ie Sebring). This 300m is one of the great ones. Quality was wonderful inside and out. In its later years I did experience some condensation in the headlights which god knows annoys the crap out of me, but not a big deal. Most comfortable seats youll ever sit in.

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  Great Car! - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By junoghonk - May 18 - 4:45 am

  I bought my 04 Sebring convertible limited brand new in August 2003 and it has been a truly fantastic car since. With just over 108k miles, the only significant repair required was a transmission solenoid pack (or something like that) that started leaking at around 45,000 miles but was covered by the powertrain warranty. I also replaced the original 2004 stereo so I could have bluetooth and all the modern audio ear candy. Bottom line, if you maintain this car, it will last you a long time and you will have a blast driving it.

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  A classic in waiting - 2010 Chrysler 300
  By carsidrive - May 11 - 11:07 am

  I couldnt be happier with the overall experience of this car. Just over 38k miles now, its still brand new in every way. Power on tap is un-limited! Extremely quiet, ride is "sporty" for such a big car. Never feels heavy, really nimble actually. You do get jostled a bit, but when hitting curves, theres a sense they arent even there. Talk out there in blogs has this model pinned for being collector car worthy in the future. Chrysler got it right on this one. The re-style is nice, but not comparable to this last beauty produced. Romp on it under an overpass with sunroof open and hear the twin pipes roar like a muscle car. Its a luxo freeway cruiser in supreme-sublime style and function.