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:

• 

  2011 Convertible - owned 15 months - 2011 Chrysler 200
  By dave1974 - June 17 - 11:01 pm

  Bought this car in November of 2011 - white S convertible with V6-drove it about 13K miles. In response to other reviews: -Headlight distance is fine high or low beam -Handling (except torque steer) is great -Hard to soft accelerate from start -Convertible top itself worked well -Gas mileage was only 17 in town and 28 highway at best -Torque steer is HORRIBLE -Windshield visibility limited due to heavy bracing on header and sides -Convertible top operation good -Transmission started bucking at 2,800 miles - never fixed on 4 tries - know 2 others personally with this problem - had to file lemon law on them and make them rebuy this car

• 

  Its all about the drive... - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
  By cadillacjack1 - June 12 - 11:13 pm

  Ive owned my Sebring for about a month now. The ride quality of this car is among the best I have experienced. Where the rubber meets the road-where handiling meets performance, this vehical is solidly built. fun to drive Economical to own. I removed my factory plastic hub caps and opted for a set of stainless steel snap on covers. Painted my grill black- tinted the windows,and removed a section from the air inlet and have increased my horsepowersuprisingly, and it only took about a minute. The Sebring is a bit of a plane Jane as looks go..but with a bit of flash-she stands out nice in any crowd. As I understand from reading many reviews. a good car to own.

• 

  dad always said "dont by a Chyrsler" - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
  By allysam - June 11 - 9:07 am

  Bought this car in 2010 used with under 40K miles (Ive had it for 3 years). Already had to replace the breaks 3 times (also, they give off a TON of break dust) . Shifter got stuck in park dealer told me it WASNT the recall. Check engine light has come on for several things including O2 sensor and cylinder misfire. The recirculate door for the AC flaps for 60 sec upon hitting the button. Just recently encountered "rumbles in idle, drops below 500 RPM" problem required wiring to the O2 sensor to be replaced. Trunk latch is faulty and will sometimes pop open when going over railroad tracks or speed bumps. Sometimes radio panel doesnt come on have to hit it. Dont buy it. Dont.

• 

  Follow-up - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By dale330 - June 10 - 4:11 pm

  Its been a couple years since I posted, so I wanted to do a follow up. My car now has 93,000 miles on it and has lost considerable fuel mileage. Ill have it tuned up this year, but stay away from Bosch Platinum+4 plugs. I used those in my last tune up and lost 3-4 mpgs. Other than that Im still happy with my car. The engine is clean, no sign of sludge and I still run full synthetic oil through it. Ive been doing a lot more driving with it over the last year and have no qualms with the reliability of my car. My car, by the way, is actually an LX, but with the V-6 engine. Edmunds doesnt include the V-6 option with the LX.

• 

  Nice, but depends on your preference - 2012 Chrysler 200
  By tman24 - June 7 - 12:39 pm

  I have had the car for a year now, and mine has 26k on it. I like the design and standard features of the car(especially for $18k). I havent had any real problems with it, and it still drives like it did when I got it. I will say that the transmission is rough, but I am a car person, so I looked up the gear ratios and noticed how far apart they are from first to second gear and that seems to be the reason. This should only affect the 4cyl because of its lower power. My fiance has a 4cyl toyota corolla which does the same thing, so I think it is normal. I would have rather gotten the v6 for the power, but everything else is good.

• 

  A decent car - 2013 Chrysler 200
  By robcat20 - June 1 - 5:45 pm

  I traded in my 2009 Ford Taurus SEL for a 2013 Chrysler 200 S Touring Sedan today. My first impression is overall positive. I have never owned a 4 cylinder engine before, and I am noticing a huge difference in power and speed. I brake tested the car by slamming the brakes at 45 mph. The vehicle did not loose control, but the stopping distance was sluggish. The vehicle is no comparison to the new Ford Fusion or some others in its mid-sized segment, but the overall value is far superior. I chose to save money and go for the chrysler. The interior is comfy and spacious which was a concern since I am a large guy and I traded in a much larger vehicle.

• 

  2002 300M Special (Berline) - 2002 Chrysler 300M
  By pitmanoeuvre - June 1 - 1:01 am

  I would recommend this car , and I would also buy another one. Off the top , the car has been a welcome change - where "I" dont have to adjust to the car - "it" adjusts to me. I like that the most. Engine performance is very good , and fair on fuel , with its 3.5L / 255hp (dual exhaust) application. In my opinion , there is nothing more "boring" than a car (its engine performance) , where you are repeatedly confined by its lack of power. I dont like driving vehicles that practically drive themselves. "Boring". If I want that , Ill ride in the passenger seat. The overall design is very good , while its overall functions , are not limited to "driving". These are valueable.

• 

  Forget Korean and Japanese - Thank you Detroit - 2013 Chrysler 200
  By ak206 - May 30 - 7:13 pm

  I picked this car up a few days ago and I am very happy with it. Fit and finish are excellent. Very smooth and quiet ride. Great fuel economy. I chose the 4 cylinder with the auto 6 speed. It feels like a much stronger 6. Not sure why anyone would buy a Hyundai, Kia, Honda or Toyota. Great value for the money. Paid less then 19K out the door. Shop around, there are good deals out there now.

• 

  It gave me what I wanted - 2003 Chrysler Voyager
  By kingofkings288 - May 29 - 5:16 pm

  Bought it with 130,000 on the clock, and would still be driving it if it wasnt for Hurricane Sandy. For a minivan, it did what I wanted: hauled my family and stuff in reasonable comfort for a relative minimum of maintenance hassle. Watch that underside-stowed spare tire: it rusts harder than granite. It drove less than confidently in snow. Had to have the exhaust manifold replaced at about 140,000, but otherwise required no serious work. Overall, it gave me what I wanted.

• 

  4000 miles in one month: one amazing car! - 2013 Chrysler 300
  By tigerbangs99 - May 27 - 8:50 pm

  Picked up my new 300 with thew Popular Equipment group and Navigation in April, and have already done an 1100 mile round trip in the car with 3 people and all their luggage aboard. Cruise Control set at 75MPH, and the Chrysler got an actual 31 MPG on that trip. I didnt believe it, but the return trip yielded the same result. The 300 was quiet as a Monday Morning Church, and power to spare, and the passengers couldnt believe how comfortable they were , and how little fatigue they experienced, on the 9+ hour car trip. The 300 was an effortless joy to drive, and the gas mileage was nothing short of amazing.