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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  Ahh, the scent of lemons! - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Michelle - April 22 - 2:29 pm

  I loved the car when I bought. It is definitely a safe car to drive, but it wreaks havoc in your wallet. Does anyone want unexplainable stalling? How about heat when the blower motor and resistor go out? Or the best of all experience shaking in the front of their car because you have to replace the outer tie rod and nut set? Dont forget about 10,000 miles later you have to replace the inner ones one more thing dont forget to add a new set of tires about every two years. Suggestion invest in an extended warranty or get a second job.

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  Cheap Parts - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By My Chrysler - April 18 - 6:09 pm

  We bought the car 7/06 and in the first year the I have already replaced the tires, the paint is chipping off the handle on the drivers side the leather is already cracking in the drivers seat and the engine lights is always on, not to mention that brake light, dealership claims they cant find the problem after the third time they said they needed to replace the thermostat, why I dont know, I just think this car shouldnt be doing anything the first couple of years,especially when you buy it brand new, we are very disappointed for the money we paid for the car, I just think all the materials are cheap

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  Stay far Away - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
  By Naomi - April 15 - 4:33 pm

  I saw this car I thought wow this is a really nice car I like this. I took it for a drive I seemed to really like the feel of the car and was really impressed with the car for the price. What a mistake. I have had nothing but trouble. I have had 4 water leaks in my car, and I dont mean little I mean about two inches of water in there. After the fourth time of this they think they have it fixed. My air conditioning has gone out twice and my blinkers blink even when they are not in use. My windshield wipers are tearing up my windshield for the third time as well. I know you are thinking oh she just got a lemon well the dealer said this is about the 15 car with the same problems.

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  Pacifica review - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
  By nate - April 11 - 6:39 pm

  It has been very dependable we had a trailer hitch installed and it has pulled a trailer over 200 miles one-way to our cabin with no problems.

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  Did I buy a good car? - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
  By johnboy4134@msn.com - April 9 - 7:37 am

  I have had this car for about 4-6 months & have had it to the shop a lot for electrical problems & broken seal on the radiator overflow. It is still under factory warranty as it only had 19,000 miles on it when I got it. Carfax had no bad reports on it at all. I am concerned about the electrical problems as they have had to replace the battery & 2 different electrical modules with the low number of miles on this. I am wondering what else might happen. It was a one owner car from Alaska & there are no records to see what problems they had. Do you think I might have a lemon? John

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  Disappointed - 2001 Chrysler Sebring
  By TCSebringLXi - April 7 - 8:32 pm

  Right now probably isnt the best time for me to write this review because I just found out I need a new engine. But Im on this site trying to find a better built vehicle. When I first purchased this car I loved it. It has pretty good power/acceleration and the leather interior and chrome rims are nice. But, my car has been in the shop far too much and I dont think I can take it anymore. I think its ridiculous that with 112k miles the engine is going. I heard from a mechanic that these engines stink so I wouldnt suggest this vehicle.

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  Troubled - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Liz - April 4 - 8:39 am

  Bought the Pacifica when it was just a year old. 36,000 mi and already have ABS light on and some kind of leak from evaporator tank to gas tank. The only way to find this problem was through dealership because dashboard computer system "so sophisticated" my trustworthy mechanic wouldnt touch it. Also tends to speed up when I brake, hard choppy braking, sometimes feel like Im driving a Suburban with a trailer and boat attached. I live in a hot climate and AC does not cool enough. Hear a clicking in the steering wheel column. Very uncomfortable getting people into third row seats. No storage when all seats taken. Im a single mom with two children and this car is worrying me.

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  Lemon - 2007 Chrysler Aspen
  By JimM - April 2 - 2:42 pm

  This is an excellent SUV for the Price. The limited has all the features other similar SUVs have at a lower cost. Unfortunately the vehicle has been in the service department 4 times because the engine malfunction light comes on and causes the vehicle to have drivability issues. I have been to 2 different dealerships and nobody can find the cause of the issue which has caused a serious safety issue. Be cautious about buying this new model

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  Bad car - 1996 Chrysler Sebring
  By teresa - March 21 - 2:15 pm

  I bought this brand new put over 115,000 miles on it in 6 yrs before the engine caught fire. Not to mention right after warranty expired the AC froze up and tore up the serpentine belt rendering us helpless on Interstate in Arkansas..the LED readout for mileage went out in year 2 and the convertible leaked horribly from year 4.

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  Upset!!!! - 1999 Chrysler Concorde
  By pissed - March 20 - 12:08 am

  i had bought this 1999 chrysler concorde 3.2 a lil over a year ago, and i brought it to someone to look at and everything came back good so i bought it. About 3 months after i bought the car i had put over way to much in to it! i had to put a new battery, timing belt, water pump, head gasket, head cylinder, new engine. Then i have problems with the lights in the car, pass window motor went out, driver window went off track more then once, trunk wont stay open had it fixed 3 times, the gas millage is sooooo bad! Then only good thing about the car is it is roomy and the body looks nice.