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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  No Lemon Here! - 2011 Chrysler 200
  By chrysler200 - July 12 - 12:51 pm

  After reading some of these reviews, I have to say I must have a properly assembled 200 convertible. I purchased the 2011 new, drove it to the mid-west and back to California and it performed beautifully. Loved the comfort level with the seating. I still have it, have done the proper services and it has had absolutely no issues what-so-ever. Nothing. The interior is actually quieter than my previous convertible. Almost 40,000 miles later, it still feels like a new car. Oh, it is a 4-cylinder, so great gas mileage. It has been reliable, comfortable seating/roomy, Good trunk space, and interior buttons easily assessable (on steering wheel AND on front console.

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  Nice little car - 2011 Chrysler 200
  By bobntina - July 3 - 9:31 am

  This car came to me with my new bride. She bought it new and it had 3,500 miles on it when we met. It now has about 30,000. No real problems. The breaks squeak when backing up, plenty of life left on em. Were fixing to replace the tires, just worn out. Mechanically sound, very reliable. The only thing I hate, the chrome around the clock is a wicket reflector at certain times of the day. I have to throw a shirt over it. BLINDING!

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  Best Bang fot the BUCK!!! - 1999 Chrysler Sebring
  By dcumba - June 28 - 12:22 am

  I purchased this car 6 months ago for only $900. I have driven this car daily since the purchase. 2 weeks after purchasing it, the transmission went into limp mode. I spent $300 purchasing a used transmission and another 300 to have it put in. I have not had any problems since then. There are other mechanical things that I need to fix, but these are things that were wrong with the car when I first purchased it. This car is amazing. I have not had a car that has been as economical, fun to drive, and reliable as this has been. The two mechanical problems that I spoke of earlier are the lower control arms for both driver and passenger side. There are no other problems with this car.

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  Love the car, hate the mpg. - 2012 Chrysler 200
  By jcp03 - May 24 - 10:55 pm

  This car is beautiful inside and out. It is really, really fun to drive. I would say it is a cream puff. However, the part that is disappointing is the mileage. The mileage is terrible on this car. The very best we did on the highway was 22mpg. It seems like for a smaller car the mileage should be much better.

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  Ok for the price but beware. - 2012 Chrysler 200
  By jamcas2 - May 23 - 9:13 am

  My car was bought in Jan of 2012. Since then I have kept the car well maintained. Having an oil leak I thought the people that did my oil changes messed up the oil plug. It turned out to be the engine oil seal. The dealership told me this is a common problem. Also at 26K miles my tires went bad. For this car being able to get tires with warranty at 100K miles this is bad. I was told the tires were not balanced. They were factory tires but are not covered. Also make sure you check your alignment often as this destroyed my front tires. I can now see the quality difference between Chrysler and Toyota. I owned my Toyota Corolla for 8 years no problem. Can not say the same about my Chrysler.

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  I LOVE my Sebring! - 2005 Chrysler Sebring
  By maggiemae129 - May 19 - 10:40 am

  I have had my 2005 Touring Edition for nearly ten years. I will be selling it now to put some money towards the SUV that I really needed for my lifestyle. I had hoped to keep both, but my finances wont allow it. I will miss this little convertible dearly. Cons - none. Things I have fixed/replaced - window motor (due to water getting in the door too many times), rear tie-rod ends, engine light has been on for like two years due to O2 sensor (have not fixed). Tune-up/flushed all fluids, etc at about 100,000 miles. Car has 139,000 miles and I believe it will go many more.

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  ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT - 2013 Chrysler 300
  By matt71667 - May 6 - 9:49 am

  This makes 12 months I have owned this car and roughly 14,500 miles in my first year of ownership. I cant say enough good things about the quality and reliability of the 2013 Chrysler 300S. I test drive the Hemi, which was my preference at the time, and decided the difference in power from the V6 was so negligible that it wasnt justified. I actually had to ask the salesman if he was sure I was in the V6 at the time because of how well the power delivery was. Plus the 31mpg highway rating is a conservative estimate. I quite frequently get 34-36 miles per gallon on 7-8 hour trips between Texas and surrounding states. My driving Around town stays around 22-24 mpg.

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  Excellent purchase - 2013 Chrysler 200
  By j_carr - April 19 - 12:08 am

  Love my new 200. Was an excellent purchase. The 3.6l is amazing, and the transmission can keep up, although you do get an occasional jerk. The car rides amazing and the interior options are great. Lov the Uconnect system a lot!

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  Fast & Smooth - 1999 Chrysler Sebring
  By miamah - April 5 - 11:34 pm

  I bought a JXI in 2008 and it has run beautifully in all sorts of weather. No snow, I live in the Sunbelt. Can cruise at better than 75 mph and still get over 30 mpg. For those that have problems with their dash lights, gauges, etc. I solved it easily by waiting for to warning bells to go off before cranking the starter. A few extra seconds and never had the problem again. Yes, I had to replace the trunk lift shocks, rear window motor, struts & bushings but for a 15 yr. old car I shouldnt complain. The car has beautiful styling and the original paint is as NEW!

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  1998 Concorde LX - 2004 Chrysler Concorde
  By swent - April 1 - 4:09 pm

  I bought this car new in 1999. I have 168,000 miles on it and the only problems were ceramic brake pads are too hard and warp the rotors. Easy fix. Drive belt tensioner had to replaced twice and the exhaust valve seals needed to be replaced at 155,000. I just drove 1800 miles across country and got 29.5 mpg. Thats not bad for a car that has over 150,000 miles on it. Oh the standard tape deck is garbage.