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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  Good car for 3 years only - 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By eugne - April 12 - 7:23 am

  I was driving PT cruiser since they first appeared in 2001. I loved this car. Utility, fun to drive, look, everything is good. Except reliability. After 3 year and 15,000 miles I replaced rack and pinion. At 30,000 replaced computer, engine harness and other details. If you want this car, you must buy extended warranty, or better yet, keep it for only 3 years. I paid too much for not having extended warranty and Chrysler corp does not care. Finally got rid of it and no more Chryslers for me. Only imports.

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  Eye Catcher - 2005 Chrysler Crossfire
  By ldhio - April 10 - 10:00 am

  With only 12,000 of the 20,000 made each year in Germany imported to the US, you really get the looks on the road! Love the handling, quiet interior and quality feel of this car. Great suspension for a sports car.

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  This is a good car. - 1998 Chrysler Sebring
  By Tim - April 2 - 1:08 am

  I bought this car as a previous salvage with low mileage. I put over 50K miles on it in two and a half years and only replaced the starter and the battery. When I bought this car I heard of the trans problems so I made sure to maintain the trans every 30k, if you do this I dont think you will have any major problems. Overall this car defines reliability.

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  10 years old and still going - 1996 Chrysler Sebring
  By Alex - March 31 - 9:58 pm

  I own a couple of cars, the Sebring is my daily driver. I like the gas milage it gets, last check was 28 mpg in town. I also like the sunroof and quality leather seats. I havent had any transmission trouble yet (108k). the steering is all kinds of messed up. It jerks all over, but only when touring. The cup holder (yes, there is only 1) is in a weird place. I have been battling a leak of antifreeze for a while. The passenger side lower outside door panel is loose and will probably fall off shortly. I have seen a few with the same problem. Overall its a good car.

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  Back For Seconds - 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By ptlover45 - March 29 - 8:38 am

  I bought an 02 PT base, 5spd, ac, non-turbo with 11K miles, drove it for 33K miles. Replaced wiper motor under warranty. Traded it in on a new 07 PT base Auto. trans., ac, Sirius radio, non-turbo. Replaced camshaft positioning sensor under warranty. Currently has 25k miles on it. Never added oil to either PT in 58K mile of driving. Gas mileage for both was 18 (city) and 35 ( highway) Great retro styling and plenty of room. Excellent visibility in all directions.

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  Please run away from this car! - 1998 Chrysler Concorde
  By Scotch&Cigar - March 16 - 9:43 pm

  In 2006, if youre looking at a used Concord or Intrepid with the 2.7 engine, run away very fast! The engine was totally mis-designed and the interior parts dont get enough oil to keep them lubricated. My Concord had 72,000 miles on it and it just up and died. $5000 to put a rebuilt engine in it! Unheard of at 72,000 miles. Again, dont walk - RUN!

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  Too Much Plastic - 2004 Chrysler Crossfire
  By CWT - March 15 - 2:00 am

  This could be a really great car except there is just too much plastic in it. The door handles should be metal; the side vent accents should be metal (the plastic really cheapens the looks which in turn reflects on a lack of confidence in the product); this car also needs to have a "moon roof" option. Do all this and then you will have a really great car and sales volume would go up directly!

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  I love my Sebring! - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By Bill Warren - March 14 - 1:30 am

  I really like the way my Sebring handles ... a good, solid feel of the road corners really well the 4 cycl. provides more than adequate pep very good braking really like the seating ... supportive and yet comfortable ... a bit on the high side, which I prefer ... good view of the road spacious & comfortable back seat, as well only negative ... the transmission occasionally jerks when I let off to gas while accelerating.

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  rptcruser - 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By hendershot - March 13 - 2:00 am

  like the style and ride of this car. The room inside is quite useful with the seats folded or removed

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  Domestic with European appeal - 2003 Chrysler 300M
  By Ryan Janicki - March 9 - 11:56 am

  I owned this vehicle for about 2.5 years. The most appealing features were its large size, sporty feel, and look. It met and exceeded my expectations in all categories with the exeption of quality. At about 40,000 mile it developed a leak from the transmission lines that needed replacement - $200 to fix - just as the vehicles warranty had expired. Secondly I had falures with the vehicles Air Bag system that were replaced under warranty after 10 visits to the dealership. I cannot be certain if it was the mechanics working on it or the parts they used, but 10 visits to the dealer on a 2 year old car seemed extremely excessive! The ABS system was fixed under warranty though.