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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  My car - 2003 Chrysler Sebring
  By swmpldy - July 25 - 2:00 am

  Love the car and the way it handles. Teriffic passing gear. Only complaint find lumbar seat very unconfortable.

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  My Sebring Convertible - 2003 Chrysler Sebring
  By Mb - July 24 - 2:00 am

  I purchased a sebring convertable a year ago and have fully enjoyed the driving experience. I am slightly disapointed in the ride, not as comfortable as I thought. The "blind spot" right rear area is troublesome but bearable. The heated seats are a plus, the easy up/down top and the cover are terrific. Should have done this ten years ago.

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  after 65000 miles is isnt all that good - 2003 Chrysler 300M
  By R henderson - July 23 - 2:00 am

  The advertised leather wrapped wheel is not leather, its a man made matedrial. Lately the engine seems to have a mind of its own as it adopts the trait of crues control at speeds less than 50 mph and when creus is not on. Dealer cannot find it. Im always ridding the brake. The shifting sensor recently quit. Cost to repair $185.00! and a full day, no loaner either. Heating and air conditioning stinks. Dealer says they cannot clean filter without tearing the whole interior apart. Costly. Smells for 5 to 10 minutes.

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  Wish I had passed on buying - 2001 Chrysler Sebring
  By Topless in Ga. - July 22 - 2:00 am

  This is the worst car I have ever owned,The car is fun to drive and the looks are sharp.The major gripe I have is the fact it has been in the shop 9 different times. Minor being the peeling of the steering wheel center cover to major the AC not working anything else in between also. Two many noises have popped up suddenly.This is my wifes daily driver and the two reasons I still have it is she loves the conv. that is why I bought it for her and second is the trade in and resale is awful. I think I got a LEMON.

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  Nice Commuter Car - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By philip drayer - July 20 - 12:06 pm

  Its a nice car......has some wear and tear on the seats in the interior....lots of little dents on the body...maybe from hail? Its a good commuter car which is why I bought it.

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  1999 Sebring - 1999 Chrysler Sebring
  By Nissan Lover1 - July 20 - 2:00 am

  First Car, very Bad Expierence. Fuel Pump went bad at about 1,200 miles. Brakes have been a nagging problem from 7,500 to present. Engine sensor went bad at 8,500 Miles. Fuel Sensor went bad at 21,500 which shut the engine down when the brakes were apllied. Now have an ugly black tar leaking out from under the doors due to the heat. Should have spent 2,000 extra and went with toyota or nissian. I learned from this mistake but at a cost.

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  All about the sun - 2003 Chrysler Sebring
  By Roxi - July 20 - 2:00 am

  well brand new we purchased and within 2 weeks a fan belt had to be replaced. other wise a good car

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  Great Car, aside from gas mileage - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By J.M. - July 17 - 3:30 pm

  Car is awesome, aside from terrible gas mileage. Fun to drive, real head turner, but gas mileage is worse than i imagined. I have been driving it very calmly and only getting 12 mpg

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  This Concorde Still "Flying" - 1997 Chrysler Concorde
  By Orange County Bill - July 16 - 2:00 am

  Was "gifted" this former company car about a year ago. Has been well maintained with frequent oil changes and preventive maintenance. Runs great and has more pick-up than my 2002 Olds Aurora, with more or less the same size engine ( 3.5 ) I had a prior Concorde ( a 1993 model ) that had more problems including a transmission failure at about 60k miles. A few maint. issues such as the fuel gauge replaced, oxygen sensors ( twice ), and power steering pump. No problem with "drive-train" on this one. Overall, good value for the money.

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  Sebring Fun to Drive - 1999 Chrysler Sebring
  By Mikeyb - July 16 - 2:00 am

  We have owned this car for 4 years now and have had excellent service with one exception. Chrysler seems to have a problem with a computer chip that governs the transmission and it is fairly expensive to replace over $500 and was replaced once under warranty and once outside that i was able to negotiate lower. We also owned a 300M that had the same problem. Other than that glitch, we were quite pleased with the car.