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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  Pretty to look at, expensive to repair - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
  By 5shumates - April 13 - 10:47 am

  I bought my AWD Touring Pacifica in February 2006. The AWD system had to be replaced after only 13 months. The transmission had to have major repairs at 15 months. Also had a throttle sensor replaced at 15 months. This repair work was done under warranty, so it didnt cost me anything (thank goodness!). Replaced rack and pinion steering system at 45,000 miles. This was $1200 repair on a 2 year old car. Have also replaced the headlight lamps 2 times each. This is the first and last Chrysler product that will be purchased by me.

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  What Happened? - 2000 Chrysler Voyager
  By NJGal - April 11 - 4:04 pm

  Have you ever driven on a hot day and see other Chrysler vans with their windows opened? I do all the time. My A/C broke and I was told was unrepairable. The kids in the back are so hot and with the windows open creates pressure on the eardrums of the driver and passengers. I think its a flaw in the design. I used to love this car, I have 108K on it and the inside is still beautiful, the body and paint is great but the overall engine quality is shoddy. I have a leak of transmission fluid and the repair would cost so much the mechanic told me to just keep replacing fluid its cheaper. Bummer, I didnt want to get rid of it yet but I WONT ever by Chrysler AGAIN!

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  Love my PT - 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Scalhoun - April 11 - 12:40 pm

  My PT has been a great car. No mechanical problems at all. My only suggestion would be to make the headrest more comfortable. It tilts forward or isnt the right height for my height. Its to tall. This makes me lean forward the whole time Im driving. Its the only complaint I have about this vehicle at all.

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  Lotta car, little price - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By bestpilot - April 11 - 9:56 am

  Three years and no problems. My gas mileage is better than EPA rating and Im a lead foot; I get 22 city, 29 Hwy with automatic. Quality is on par with Accord or Camry (Ive owned Hondas and Toyotas) and the car cost me ten grand less, about 15K new. The mini-limo back seat gets rave reviews from family and friends; we always use this car for road trips. I would buy again without hesitation.

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  most important feature - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Country Girl - April 10 - 9:13 pm

  I never expected to write a review, but after the accident I am a #1 fan of this car. Say what you want about gas mileage, rear visibility, or repairs, this car is built like a tank. A driver ran a stop sign and hit me square on the left front drivers side. His car was a total loss, I had major (but fixable) damage to the fender, headlight, and bumper. The hood was undamaged due to the height of this vehicle. The car was still running even after a major impact and my young daughter and I got out without a scratch. I had reservations about driving such a heavy car when I only need to haul more than 4 people on an occasional basis, now I am a true believer in the 5-star safety rating!

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  jay ks cruiser - 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By lottoman12 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Gas milage and acceleration could be better. I just cant wait to drive my PT Cruiser since it is so fun to drive. The interior is deceivingly roomy and comfortable. When I shopped for a car, I had no intention to purchase a PT Cruiser. I am extremely glad I checked it out.

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  Blue Turbo Drop Top from the 40s - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Zhen - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Wow! 180hp with 210lb torque! This is such a hot car. I have had this car for less then 2 days and already have had 10 people tell me how much they love the styling. I have the Electric Blue with Dark interior. It is so hot! This car isnt the GT, but it has so much power. I wish the tires where higher performance with better grip because I have smoked the tires four times from start to 40 and once while going 20 and hitting the gas.

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  Not for me... trading in for a grand caravan GT. - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Paul - April 9 - 10:31 pm

  My wife always leased a town and country and we have always loved them. Well Chrysler decided to kill off their best selling car and replace it with this and I knew I should have just bought out of old van. First of all, we do a lot of traveling. The town and country had overhead storage bins that we used all the time and it also had halo lighting like a limo above our heads. It was pretty cool. I was already disappointed that they dropped that feature. Another feature I miss from the town and country is the power vented 3rd row windows. This van cost so much more money and it already is missing 2 features I frequently used. Next, the 9 speed transmision (which I already know is a disaster) is awful. It will be totally fine for a day then the next it is shifting all weird and hard. When this happens the car literally will jump forward and it scares the daylights out of us. Have taken to the dealer 3 times for this and they tell me it is 100% fine and there is nothing wrong with it. This is very aggravating because I do not trust this vehicle on a long road trip or even driving in general. Also, another thing this van is missing is the 3rd row tailgate seats and flashlight from my old van are missing. I dont understand why they dropped some of the best features from the old van. The uconnect system works ok, but freezes every once in awhile which is aggravating. Also I dont know what they did for this van but it is not nearly as insulated as the old town and country. I hear every road noise, every chip, every sound on the outside. Its almost like you cant even enjoy driving it because its so loud. I do know about the active noise cancellation but it truely does nothing. I had the dealer look into this too and they told me everything is working as it should and it is normal for Pacificas to have "some road noise". Its like they admitted this car was loud inside. And reading about the sunroof letting in all the noise is absolutely true. Its terrible. I basically do not like this car at all. Even the way it looks is ugly compared to the town and country. Now for the good: the sound system is great despite the loud noise while driving. If Im on break at work I like to sit and listen to music in it and it does sound pretty great. Also the ventilated seats are nice in hot weather. It is nice to have a big touch screen compared to the smaller one on the town and country. And having a 3rd row charging port is great too. Also having a button to move the driver seat forward for stow and go is very convenient. Second row seats are very comfortable also. Overall, this car feels like an expensive downgrade from my town and country. My wife wanted another town and country because we have never had any reliability issues with them and we also like the look and features much better. We were disappointed to find out they killed it off. I did complain to the dealer about this car and they did tell me many people are going from the town and country to grand caravan because its not for them. I just dont like the huge bulky look of the Pacifica either. I know its a minivan but they really could have done better with the looks on it. I am taking a huge loss but I would rather drive a grand caravan then this van. Ordered a grand caravan GT and should have it by early spring. Cant wait to get away from this vehicle.

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  Chrysler LHS, good luxury sedan. - 1996 Chrysler LHS
  By Keith V Stracchino - April 9 - 1:55 pm

  Very pleased with this big luxury sedan, very good performance and comfort, huge trunk. If I could go out and buy a new one today,(April 9 2009),I would be down at the dealers right now. Surprisingly good fuel consumption for this large, powerful car, my long term fuel economy is 20.1 mpg over 105000 miles. mixed city and freeway driving. The power steering rack failed early, but was replaced under warranty by the dealer at no cost to me. The car went though a series of coolant pumps until we discovered that there was a design or manufacturing error in the timing belt tensioner mounting. Addition of a spacer (~0.25in thick) between the tensioner and the mounting flange cured the problem

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  W82tite - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By TITE1 - April 9 - 10:33 am

  I really enjoy driving the car.It is very roomy and comfortable. It handles very well for its size.The price is unbeatable.