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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  Very pleased with selection - 2012 Chrysler 300
  By wsandman - March 13 - 8:39 am

  Overall I am very pleased with my purchase. My dealer experience was a bit heavy handed in sales approach and the addition of a worthless $1000 package for exterior/interior protection and a couple of other things. But I will not fault the vehicle for this. Nice well appointed interior, excellent U-connect features. Performance seems very adequate for a vehicle of this class considering it is the standard equipment drive train offering. Only about 300 miles on it so far so I dont want to rush to my observation about fuel mileage yet, but Im at around 22 mpg so far. Already received 3 comments from strangers about how nice the car looks. Vehicle has the Luxury Package + Nav. system.

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  A true American Can - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By arhashim78 - March 11 - 5:14 am

  With this car Chrysler put the American car on the map again. It is an example how an american car should be. Big powerful engine, rear wheel drive, appealing exterior, roomy interior with reliability and a lot of luxury. This car is such a phenomenal car. Although it is an 05, yet it is an eye catch. with its beautiful chromed rims, spectacular front inspired from the 1958 300C. Also, my car is black so I think that adds more elegance to it. It had 112000 miles on the odometer when I bought it and today it has 124000 miles yet I havent spend any penny on any kind of reparations.

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  Chrysler Sebrings: The rich peoples car. - 2005 Chrysler Sebring
  By jen_love - March 3 - 1:15 pm

  I have 2005, when I first got it I was so happy. It feels luxurious. I thought it was the closest thing to a fancy car I was going to get being a student and low income. It has been nothing but a nightmare. To replace the battery, you have to remove the front wheel. To replace spark plugs you have to remove the upper plenum and intake. I havent even gotten into whatever else I will have to do. But let me say, it is expensive to do the smallest thing with this car and I am poor! If you have money to drop 100, 200, 300 for every little thing - this is the car for you. If not, then dont buy it. I know I wish I never had.

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  Great car the first seven years. - 1999 Chrysler Cirrus
  By moparman65 - February 25 - 1:28 am

  We bought this car in January 1999 and have had no major problems with it. Over the years it has given us dependable service with minimum cost. It has lots of spunk and pep and handles well on all roads. A pleasure to drive on the interstate at max speed. Comfortable seating for four. Could have had better cup holders.

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  2000 Chrysler Voyager 4-cyl, automatic - 2000 Chrysler Voyager
  By elurael - February 15 - 1:46 pm

  This is the basic model (Base), and I bought it new in February 2000. It has a large 4-cylinder engine, which allows for pleasantly surprising acceleration, yet 22 miles-per-gallon performance over all. However, I did have to pay to add cruise control and a roof rack. It does have an automatic transmission, which I also prefer.Everything else is manual (windows, door locks, etc.), but that is what I prefer. Aside from what I mentioned in suggested improvements, performance and function have been reliable and pleasing. At 70k miles, the brake pads have had to be replaced once and as well as the battery (at 10 years). I do try to keep it serviced regularly with 5 quarts of synthetic oil.

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  Great Value - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
  By dimealik - February 9 - 10:26 pm

  I am seeing a lot of negative reviews and it all sounds pretty bad. I bought my 2007 Sebring with 48k miles and it has been great. I drove to Atlanta from Michigan and back with no problems. The engine stalls when it rains every now and then but Chrysler is going to fix that for free. If youre going to buy this car I would make sure the dealer has taken care of said recalls and that the engine is in good shape, from there just maintain it well and it will be a great value!

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  Chrysler 2006 Shudder Transmission Problem - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By mrsshudder - January 28 - 11:16 pm

  I bought this car in 2005. I love to drive it and love the way it looks, however, I have had many problems. 2 months after I purchased the car I brought it in for shudder problems between 30 - 40 miles per hour. Going on year 7 the dealership never fixed it or could repeat the problem. They know this is a problem. They are screwing people. Now, I am out of warranty, have 170,000 miles on the car and continually get told that I need a new transmission. I am taking this to a lemon law lawyer. I also had to take the car in continually in the beginning for electrical issues such as, back window not rolling down, EBS always on. I have never broken down but feel the car is not dependable.

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  Enjoying since 2007 - 2002 Chrysler 300M
  By rish - January 12 - 7:53 pm

  When I was looking for a car in 2007, a chrysler 300M was not even on my shopping list. I was looking at a couple of Pontiac Grand Prixs when my eyes caught this beauty. This car stood out in a room filled with more than 50 cars at a local dealer in Toronto. After road testing it with a couple of friends in the back seat, who by the way found the back seat to be ultra comfortable with support for the back of your knee, I instantly fell in love with this car. The performance from the engine was surprising awesome for a 3.5 lt V6 in a full sized sedan and so was the handling. Every time I take this thing out for a spin, I am very confident while taking turns that it wont under or oversteer.

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  GREAT CAR BAD GAS MILEAGE - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By lshobird - December 12 - 10:01 am

  This is a great car for a big fam.. but beware of very bad gas mileage!!!

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  Chrysler 300 2011 - 2011 Chrysler 300
  By vol9 - December 7 - 7:56 pm

  Purchased this car new August 7, 2011 and on Nov. 14, 2011 the transmission went out with 5800 miles. This is Dec. 7, 2011 and I am still waiting on a new transmission. It seems that Chrysler does not stock this transmission and you have to wait 2-3 weeks to get it. The dates of delivery that the dealer gets are not accurate and as the owner I cannot talk to anyone with Chrysler that knows any thing about when the parts will arrive. We love the car, the ride is like air, has plenty of room, got 28.5 mph on the last road trip.