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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  Best car ever owned - 2005 Chrysler Crossfire
  By Dennis - September 15 - 2:06 pm

  the best handling car I ever had. I had it up to 150 mph and it was as smooth as going 40 mph

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  A Beautiful Ride - 2009 Chrysler Sebring
  By Tetonka One - September 15 - 12:19 am

  We purchased the 09 Sebring Sedan, Limited. It has all the options that are available. Unlike Edmunds review, we found this car beautiful inside and out. The seats are soft leather. I could find nothing that looks cheap or of poor quality. We have had several complements in regards to the style and accessories. Prior to this purchase we test drove six other cars. The Sebring was the most fun and best looking. It reminds me of a grown up Crossfire. The sound system is fantastic. The GPS, radio, CD, Telephone are operated from a touch screen. Easy to learn. The V6 is responsive and fast enough. The gas mileage isnt as good as the Ford Focus but we are pleased with 27 mpg.

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  Piece of junk - 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By SCGURL1974 - September 14 - 9:40 am

  I have never owned a car that has had so many issues! I bought this vehicle almost brand new and in as little as a year I already had issues with the fuel pump and a year later my power steering has gone out. Of course it is no longer under warranty so I have had to pay all this out of pocket. The dealership mechanic told me he sees the cruiser all the time. I should have kept my Kia!! This vehicle is a piece of junk and I am stuck with it. Chrysler should be ashamed and I will be writing them a letter.

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  Excellent "Sports Tourer" - 2007 Chrysler Pacifica
  By 3.8L - September 13 - 5:58 pm

  Owned the Pacifica for a while now, and still love it! Wanted the base model so we would only have two rows of seats. Engine performance is very good for only 200hp and a 4,400lb curb weight. Really powerful around town, breaks the front tires loose easily. Passing power (45-70) isnt that great, but not too bad. Handles curves very well considering larger size. Surprisingly, its a very good tow vehicle. Hardly can tell the trailer 2,000lb trailer is back there. Interior has held up well, but the seats get dirty very easily. Regardless, interior is beautiful and well put together. Love the sleek exterior, the car gets many compliments. I average 22mpg. Around 18 in the city, 25 on the highway.

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  It Eats Oil - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By dontbuy - September 11 - 8:44 pm

  Dont Buy! I bought this car w/ 27kmi & from beginning it consumed oil. They denied it was a problem for yrs. Had to change oil at 2500mi or it would run dry. Struggled w/ Chrysler to fix for years. Finally, at 80k, w/ a lot of screaming at manager. threats of attorneys, & 50 posts printed out of others w/ same problem, they looked into it further. Consumed 3/4 quart oil every 500mi after the first 1000mi. Finally they replaced engine. Mechanic said it was written all over engine. 3 broken motor mounts, exhaust leak, computer malfunction all not covered under top Chrysler extended warranty. $500 each repair. At least warranty paid for engine. Just dumped the car for a more reliable Toyota.

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  DO NOT Buy This Car!!! - 1996 Chrysler Sebring
  By lallaw - September 11 - 5:11 pm

  This car is garbage. Hard to say what DOES work. Poorly designed, poorly manufactured. No wonder Chrysler needed a bailout. These cars have all kinds of electrical problems. In 18 mos. Ive been through 3 batteries timing belt distributor replaced the top serviced the AC (twice). And Im told the previous owner took care of it! I hardly drive it and every time I do I am afraid of what will happen next. Now it just stalls in the middle of driving along. On a freeway going 60 mpg you lose all power. Battery works but you become a glider. You pray you make it to the side of the road before being killed. This is a COMMON problem that makes tech scratch their heads. Towed 4 times in 4 mos.

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  Fantastic Ride - 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By pita - September 11 - 12:46 am

  I purchased a 2007 PT Cruiser vehicle because consumer repots show it to be economy friendly. The driving performance is amazing. It really holds the road well. I live in the country so most of the roads are 55mph and higher. The vehicle takes a curve with total smoothness and comfort. I have found nothing that I do not like about the vehicle. I purchased it for price, consumer rateings and gas usage. It is extrmely good on gas. My father has a 2007 expedition and the PT Cruiser feels just as smooth of a ride as his 35,000$ vehicle.

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  Should of done the research first! - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By billfari69 - September 10 - 10:06 pm

  We bought our Pacifica used in 06 with 28000 miles on it. Too good to be true.At 34050 miles The oil was completely gone, and there was one oil change done between that time. Good thing we bought the extended warranty. WRONG! Chrysler claimed it was our fault for not checking oil every time we bought gas. After months of fighting with Chrysler we had to give in and purchase a new used engine for $5500. We are now stuck with this car, we are so upside down its ridiculous. Do yourself a favor and upgrade now before its too late.

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  Great Vehicle for the Money - 2009 Chrysler Aspen
  By Stan in Texas - September 10 - 8:17 pm

  We actually wanted to buy a Tahoe, Yukon or Expedition. However, a comparably equipped Chrysler Aspen was about $12K less. Thats a lot of money, so we went with the Aspen. Ive never been a Chrysler fan, but I am willing to give them a shot. I think Edmunds was too hard on the Aspen in their review. So far (2100 miles) we LOVE our Aspen. This is a leftover 2009 model and the dealer ship was REALLY dealing. They knocked $11K off the sticker price and gave us $3K more than we owed on our 2007 Explorer.

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  Loved this car, but hated turning radius - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By SuMo - September 10 - 6:13 pm

  I was just in a wreck and totaled my car after 5 years and 55,000 miles. I can speak from experience - this car did wonderfully in a front end collision at 50 mph. I walked away unhurt. Now to the car itself: This car was reliable, never in the shop for any major repairs. I loved the leather seats and seat warmers. The top is so easy to put up and down - I commonly did it while waiting at a stoplight. It had decent trunk space and could easily accommodate 4 passengers. My major complaints with this car were the poor gas mileage (mid/high teens in the city) and the worst turning radius of any car I have ever driven. The car also had some pretty significant blind spots when the top was up.