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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  cruise control - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By arladj - March 16 - 7:40 am

  cruise control is very poorly designed it is out of the way and confussing to use. It also in the same location as the directional switch and become confussing when changing lanes

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  Best Bang for Your Buck! - 2007 Chrysler 300
  By Matt - March 15 - 3:51 am

  I bought my Chrysler 300c around 6 months ago with 73K miles. Its by far my favorite car Ive ever owned. The power is good but it is a heavy car. I had a single cab 05 Chevy Silverado Z71 with the upgraded engine putting out 290 horsepower before the 300c and it felt like it put you back in your seat more than the 340 horsepower Chrysler 300c. It might be because the ride is so smooth in the 300c or because the center of gravity is lower. I do a lot of city driving and Im getting around 15 mpg average which is a little lower than the 17 advertised (90% of the time I have my daughter with me and I drive like Miss Daisy) but with the hemi that was expected. What I wasnt expecting is how good the gas mileage is on the highway. If I reset my MPG average setting when I get on the highway it calculates quickly and gets up over 32 mpg. There are major blind spots though so you really have to check twice and know your surroundings. Also the comfortably of the driver seat could be better. It feels like its made for a much larger man. Im 6ft 200lbs and it doesnt hug my back at all. I have a 2,200 mile road trip coming up and Im not looking forward to the foreseen back pain in my future. Im looking at replacing the front seats with Challenger seats with hopes they will be more form fitting. The traction control needs some work. If you give it to much gas when accelerating the traction control kicks in and controls your launch. Ive learned to turn the ESP off every time I start up my car. From what Ive seen on older models when I was searching the market is looks like the clear coat on the faux wood grain on the steering wheel and interior door handles flakes easily. With theses negatives being easy to fix Im planing on keeping this car for life and adding a stroker kit and or a supercharger. If I ever trade this car in it will be for a newer SRT8. Its a little slow on the launch but when you hit 60 is when It really wakes up and gets scary fast. It just keeps pulling! Even at 120 mph you still feel like youre riding on a cloud. Another down side is the speed limiter that is set at 126 mph due to the tires put on from the factory are only rated for 130 mpg. From what I have researched it looks like the actual top speed is 175 mph. Now I know I will never go that fast (maybe once) but it would be nice to brag about being close to super car speed. Putting a speed limiter so low is kinda like a kick in the balls. Handling is great for such a big car. Its a true American muscle car with all the luxury features youd find in your Mercedes, Lexus and BMWs at an affordable price with great reliability. You also wont have to take this car to a specialized mechanic and pay extremely high repair costs. The perfect combination of reliability, luxury, and power on a limited budget.

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  Good Car - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By Mark - March 14 - 3:34 pm

  Car has been good to me since i bought it in 2003. No major repairs, just standard maintenance.

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  Owned 2 years so far - 2002 Chrysler Concorde
  By Tony - March 13 - 10:35 am

  I have owned my concorde limited for 2 years almost and i would have to say it has been one of the best cars i have ever owned. After 2 years and buying it used the only thing that i have had to fix is one tire from running over a nail. Unfortunately the only thing that i could complain about is the trim piece on the hood that has started to weather and the glaze has started to peel off other than that the car is great.

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  Wonderful Car - 2008 Chrysler Sebring
  By mae - March 13 - 10:27 am

  I love my new convertible. It has great get up and go, fully loaded, touch screen nav and radio, drink heat/cool, pleanty of room for my two teenagers in the back seat. Leather is durable for our trips to the beach and my kids clunky backpacks. Im in my mid-thirties and I get loads of compliments. Its wonderful. Great value as well.

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  Problems Problems - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By Sameer Sinha - March 13 - 10:06 am

  I bought this car as second owner with 32,000 miles 8yr/80000 Pt warranty and 3 month 3000 bumber to bumber. I have visor clips break, Trunk release break, Lighter switch break. Suspension is noisy with loud Thuds, Brake is noisy with sqeeks, underbody rattle, steering hardens in clod temperature, Cruise control failure, steering system wearing and all this in 13 months or by 65000 miles. The car is too low to bump the speed bumps in shopping mall parking lots. Speakers are poor quality with sound distortion at 40% volume. REar wheel is terrible to handle in winter with snow, my first and last experience.

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  I wish I could drive my wifes Pacifica! - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Mr. Brunkhurst - March 13 - 2:53 am

  This is my wifes ride but I wish it were mine (and Im only 38 and a car enthusiast!). I am very pleased with our Pacifica (and I thought Id never buy a Chrysler). Since I bought in July 04, I was able to get what I think was a very good deal with rebates and dealer discount. The ride is sporty yet comfortable. The car in silver with Chrome wheels looks great. The AWD really helps when the roads are wet (cant wait for snow) and the Michelin tires are awesome. So far, I am very happy with the vehicle except for tyring to back it up in the dark. The back-up lights are miserably underpowered.

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  We love it - 2008 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Retired - March 12 - 9:01 pm

  Replaced a 2006 3.5 4 spd with this 2008 4.0 6 spd. 06 had a transmission problem that could not be fixed before we had to travel. What a difference. Must faster from the light, better milage on the highway but about the same mpg here in the Arkansas mountain community. Did replace air filter with K&N and use synthetic oil. Rides and drives better than any vehicle we have owned. Can drive 800 miles a day with no problem. Sorry theyre going to discontinue. Guess with the bumper to bumper lifetime warranty well drive it until it wont go.

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  Unreliable - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
  By patelk - March 12 - 7:09 pm

  My car has only 5,000 miles and I have taken it back for repairs 5 times. It occassionally stalls when I put it in drive. The battery died twice, and the stereo shuts off and turns back on by itself. The dealer said there is nothing wrong with it.

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  Nice car for a lemon - 1999 Chrysler LHS
  By bacaloc - March 12 - 2:06 pm

  Heater/AC motor went bad, starter bad, battery hard to get to, timing belt went bad, heated seats dont work, front speakers are no good. Hard to work on, costly to repair.