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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  Best car for the dollar in its class. - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Jacob S. - July 10 - 10:40 am

  Despite the name I love my 2005 Pacifica and without a doubt its more car for the money then anything out there. Just do a Edmunds vehicle comparision and you will know what I mean when looking at 40K SUV/Crossover vehicles such as the RX 330, Murano, SRX and X3. Most of all the Pacifica offers in my opinion the most unique car approach to date as far as being truely a oversized wagon that maintains its sedan like poise, while emphasizing the "U" in both utility and luxury with its room for 6, power lift gate, wood and leather shifter, DVD player, 400 watt stereo, reverse park, 4 heated seats, Blue Tooth, HID lights and cargo capacity. The Pacifica is truely a 6 seater wagon with out equal.

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  Bonnie & Clyde - 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By spruce65 - July 4 - 2:00 am

  Bonnie & Clyde would be proud!! We love our new PT Cruiser!! We have driven a mini-van for the last 10 years -- even though the PT is not as big -- we are having fun driving this cute car around town!! Everyone wants to drive it!! Cant wait to get a Bonnie & Clyde hat to wear while driving our PT Cruiser!!

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  Best chrysler for the money - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By CFHAIR - June 29 - 4:26 pm

  Ive had my PAC5,since 4/2004. The very first one off the truck. It handles better than any vehicle Ive ever owned,Chevys, Fords, Nissans Chryslers. So far hardly any exterior, or mechanical problems, at 8,000 miles. Very happy with it so far.

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  i love it - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By sebring02 - June 29 - 2:00 am

  nice ride comfort roomy great pick up

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  Just the Ticket for Mom - 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By momswagon - June 28 - 1:26 pm

  Bought the 2008 PT Cruiser wagon base model used with 15K miles on it. It had been used as a rental car. Very clean and still looked new. The engine light was on when I bought it, but it was all under warranty so I took it to the dealership and they fixed it right up. I added window tint later. Its been great around town for me,the kids and all of our stuff - were a busy family and I really enjoy the roominess of the cargo area. For the dog, I can fold the back seats up for even more room. The only drawback is the surprising low gas mileage for the base engine, because its not quick. We have to use the a/c all the time (which works great), so thats even more engine drag!

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  Great car - 2005 Chrysler Crossfire
  By Don - June 22 - 2:43 am

  Great handling on the road, 27.7 miles/gal on trips. 19 mpg in the city if you are conservative in take-a-ways at the lights.

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  Sweet dreams, adios - 2004 Chrysler Crossfire
  By manigua - June 12 - 2:00 am

  Like a beautiful but faithless lover. I fell hard for this divinely inspired car, and it was with a broken heart that I returned it to the dealership a month after purchasing it. Like the first 6M transmission, the second trannie popped out of first into neutral frequently and without warning. While I adored driving this swift and agile 2-seater, I became afraid that I would get rea

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  GREAT, BUT SOME SOME MONEY FOR GAS - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By PRIMO21 - June 12 - 2:00 am

  This is the car I was looking for for years, I need the room for work and family, but did not want an SUV. The thrid row seating is great and when not in use the cargo room is perfect for my needs.

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  Early Impressions - 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Towbar - June 12 - 2:00 am

  I have driven this car approximately two thousand miles. I am very impressed with its performance, although torque steer is more noticable than what I expected.

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  Pretty Good! - 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Pretty good! - June 11 - 2:43 pm

  I absolutely LOVED my PT Cruiser until I had a little accident. Apparently, they are very hard to work on due to the arrangement of everything inside. I hit a fire hydrant on the front right side and my insurance company wants to total the car even though it is fixable. The problem is the cost of the labor since its so hard to work on. Other than that, I love the car! Its great for hauling large items since its got removable back seats and its always been really reliable. It was even pretty good on the ice in the winter time out here in Colorado! I would rather have my PT Cruiser fixed than have to try and find a car as good as this one!