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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  Really like it but!!!! - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By David Large - February 23 - 2:00 am

  Basically I am very pleased with the Pacifica except for one very disappointing imperfection. The suspension is noisy. Minor imperfections in the road, parking lots etc. produce near continuous background knocking or "thunking" noise from the suspension. As roughness in the road increases so does the noise to where a moderate bump can, but not always, produce loud "thunks" for lack of a better word. Only on the smoothest roads is the suspension quiet. Do others note this condition???

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  oldie but goody - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By deville04@msn.com - February 18 - 10:52 pm

  bought 2004 in 2016..............good fun car for Florida, parts getting hard to find now, go to independent service over any Chrysler dealer however. v6 are good engines, 4 cyl are verboten! never buy Chrysler 4 cyl in any vehicle.

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  Retiree - 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By CruisingAgain - February 18 - 10:00 am

  I bought it as my retirement gift to me and I love it. Its fun to drive, responsive, looks cool and comfortable to drive locally.

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  Great Car/Bad Gas Milage! - 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Shed - February 18 - 10:00 am

  Smooth ride but the worst Gas milage. I owned an 84 Chevey Citation for 7 years before I bought my 2004 Pt. Cruiser. The Citation had better Gas Milage by 40-50 miles.

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  A Let Down - 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Chuckles - February 16 - 10:00 am

  This is a fun car to own. Cruiser owners seem to be somehow linked once on the road. It is common to exchange a "thumbs up" when passing a Cruiser. I am disappointed in the performance and the gas mileage to the point of wanting to sell the car although I will be holding on to it.

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  Beauty is a beast - 2008 Chrysler 300
  By Jon Film - February 11 - 2:08 am

  Bold styling I like, smooth ride, fits lots of stuff in trunk, decent acceleration. Lack of visibility because of high back dash and short windows. Planning on selling/ tradingbecause of this(after two fender benders). Reliability has been excellent at 89000 mi.

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  no complaints - 1997 Chrysler Sebring
  By mray - February 2 - 11:55 pm

  I bought my car with 17,000 miles on it and have put 50,000 more on over the past four years. After an initial problem with the air conditioning pump, the balance of the miles have required only routine maintenance, brakes and a new set of tires. Highway mileage of around 30 mpg with the six cylinder engine, about 24 in mixed driving. Not a performance car, but it is a capable cruiser.

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  If you have a big butt like me - 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By musemgr - January 29 - 11:26 am

  Then this might not be the car for you. I traded in my luxury car for this due to the recession and I love that its dependable and economical re gas, service and repairs. Its a little noisy (but I admit I was spoiled) but the cost differential makes up for it. Oh and dont go without Cruise control. I hate that Im missing cc.

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  Drive it youll likel it - 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By PTGT - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I test drove several small wagons and SUVs, the PT fit the bill for my needs as far a space and the turbo made it fun to drive, really fun to drive. Sometimes I intentionally take the long way home from work. Although it is no pickup, you can fit nearly anything you want in the back and/or will seat 4 adults comfortably. The Turbo, w/the heavy duty tranny and sport suspension make it a ball to drive. I test drove the auto (w/slapstick) and the manual, maybe I am the last American male to choose a manual transmission, but the turbo just calls for it.

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  nice car - 2015 Chrysler 200
  By Terrence L. Terflinger - January 24 - 8:52 am

  Yes I got a 2015 Chrysler 200 with 5178 mi on it valet red $15,995 we Enjoy it very much .