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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  Second Sebring Convertible - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By Al@MYR - January 31 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Sebring Convertible--I had a 1996 JXI. My 96 had absolutely no problems--zero--in 97,000 miles. My 2004 Limited has 3200 miles on it so far, and no problems have been noted with it either. Unfortunately, Chrysler cheapened the interior. The heater/ac controls look like they were lifted from a Soviet tractor, and the top-of-the-line radio has no combination cassette/CD feature like the old one. The power outlet is also crude, having no cover (even my Dodge truck has this), just a black rubber stopper. The carpet no longer has vinyl heel pads.

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  Reliable car - 1998 Chrysler Cirrus
  By Jim Erickson - January 31 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car new. It has been very reliable. I now have 129000 miles on it. Be careful about transmission fluid on this vehicle. You MUST use Chrysler transmission fluid, or you will damage the transmission. The manual warns of this, and they arent kidding.

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  Not much luck - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By FD - January 24 - 3:33 am

  We waited for our 300C to come in and then turned out to be very disappointed. After five times in the shop all for transmission related problems, they finally found the problem which took 10 days to fix. After 30 days in the shop after only six months of ownership, it was time to say goodbye to this car.

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  Its a winner - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Jerri M - January 18 - 2:00 am

  This has been the perfect family car. It has the functionality of a mini van and the looks of a european luxury car. You can see the Mercedes influence in this car! The one improvement that I would recommend is an upgrade on the interior carpets. Once you drive this car and compare the others you will buy it.

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  MY PT - 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By tommy - January 15 - 6:23 pm

  My family bought our PT Cruiser in August 2002 about 9 months after my aunt had just bought one of her own. Compared to our other Daimler-Chrysler models (97 Jeep Cherokee, 03 Dodge Dakota) The PT has held up the best, gets the best gas mileage and the biggest problem we have had with it is changing the tires at only 20k. Our repairman said that DC has been putting low grade (20k or less) tires on all new models in order to save money.

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  Happy, but not happy - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Pacifica Mom - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Over all design of the car is great. People will stop to look and you will be noticed coming down the street. The comfort of the car is pretty good but the seat is a little short. Right now I am having trouble with the radiator fan, it seems to have a mind of its own.

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  Cute and Fast Dream Cruiser 3 - 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By SandeeW - January 13 - 10:00 am

  I have only had this car 2 months. I love it. It is gorgeous and very peppy. My biggest gripe is the VERY wide turning radius, making it difficult to park. Also, I think the gas mileage could be better. 0-60 is much quicker than I ever thought. It takes some getting used to, to sit so high up in the seats, but the leather seats in this DC3 are very comfortable. I love the hot rod look (low in front) and the chrome trim. Sirius radio is a nice touch too. I guess if I redesigned it, I would want the seats to sit lower, almost like a sports car, but the retro look is what I fell in love with. This car turns heads! Then of course maybe its me?!

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  Value - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By ZGR - January 13 - 10:00 am

  A lot of car for under $16,000. AND GOOD ON GAS.

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  Looks - 1999 Chrysler LHS
  By Art H - January 13 - 2:00 am

  The car looks great. I get comments all the time. Very confortable. Lots of trunk and interior space and fun to drive. Downfalls, Repair cost are very high, A/C condencer 1100.00 dol. Fan replacements 700.00 dol. and it vacates the a/c which you have to recharge. Bad design if you ask me. Electrical gliches with dash dimmer, flicker on its oun at times. Window switch work interminitly. Recommend get a good warrentty and keep it up to date as long as you own the car.

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  my sebring - 2003 Chrysler Sebring
  By hahasaraha - January 13 - 2:00 am

  I have only had it a few months and I love every little bit of it. I wish I would have gotten the V6 for that extra pick-up but with the 4cylinder- it still has good pickup and passing gears. I have driven long distances and it is extremely comfortable. This car has gven me the affordable luxury I was looking for.