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 first luxury vehicle - 1997 Chrysler Concorde
  By Paperdemon - March 21 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this car from a low end dealer with pretty low expectations. it was a 1997 with 145000 miles on it. only paid $3500 for it, and for the price i couldnt ask for a better car. i havent had any problems with it, other than i will have to replace all four tires in the near future. oh, and the CD player stopped working a week ago or so. other than that, its a beauty. im positive it will go to 200000 and beyond.

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  Five place Porsche? - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By JV from Cal - March 21 - 2:00 am

  Well...perhaps.If Porsche were to build a sports sedan,it might look like the 300M.Handles twisties well(but not like a 911 or Boxster,of course),great on the highway but wind/road noise more than it should be.Infiniti sound system takes the edge off of that.HP and torgue well balanced for this car,so plenty of power for passing and on ramps.Plenty of room in all seats and trunk..and just plain looks good from all angles.

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  grnmans concorde - 1999 Chrysler Concorde
  By Grnman - March 17 - 2:11 am

  Love the features such as the self dimming mirrors the on/off botton for the air system, the big back sits.

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  A fun car to drive - 1997 Chrysler Sebring
  By redalert - March 16 - 1:15 am

  This car has proved 5 years of reliable service and has only had minor problems including repair of the CD player. Other problems have been minor. The car handles and rides well and is a good vehicle priced reasonably for a convertible in this size class.

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  LOVE IT - 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By IGGYPOP - March 15 - 6:00 am

  Bought a 2007 touring, mars blue color with 23k miles on it (was a rental car), rides great, inside pretty comfy, love the blue dash, fun as heck to drive, 2.4L has good pickup, wish glove compartment locked and had the chilling feature like the Caliber, my gas w/local driving is 14.6-14.9 with no change in 1 month so that is terrible. My dad would have loved the 50s feel!!

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  Fun to drive/poor electrical components - 2002 Chrysler 300M
  By 300Mike - March 13 - 9:19 am

  This car is fun to drive, but I need to find out if Chrysler has solved all the electrical problem on this model before I buy another.

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  Love it when it works - 1998 Chrysler Sebring
  By Paul G. - March 13 - 12:49 am

  fun car however, have had some problems with fuel pump, major steering assembly repair, and ignition/electrical issues.

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  PT is the best bang for the buck in NYC - 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Wallstherb - March 12 - 3:23 pm

  I love my little tank. It takes the streets of NYC without fail and the only problem in the gas. For a little car it drinks gas in traffic. I love the fact it is little for parking and the room is great inside. For the money I love it in Brooklyn, NY and with the cost so low I can get the bumpers re-painted from everyone hitting me when parked. A++ for anyone in NYC who wants a car!

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  sexy - 2002 Chrysler Prowler
  By jay wilson - March 7 - 12:38 pm

  very comfortable buy it

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  So far, so good - 2002 Chrysler Voyager
  By claywaterfill - March 6 - 4:29 pm

  It is very quiet and rides very smoothly. I would definitley recommend this van to anyone. It is not a great van for families on a budget as Edmunds says (I guess they mean its okay if you cant afford more?), its a great van for anyone. Space is a little tight if you have more than 2 kids, but its fine otherwise. The Voyager does not offer rear air but, the air vents on the dash are huge and push a lot of air to the back. I had no complaints last summer.