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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  Oil Eater! - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By antrod - January 13 - 2:01 pm

  I love the styling and the third row seat, but that is it! My biggest complaint is that it runs out of oil at 3500 miles. Chrysler claims that 1 quart every 1000 miles is within "normal parameters" and they cant seem to find my cars problem and claim it is "within their parameters". They voided my warranty after 3500 miles between an oil change which is over the recommended 3000 Miles. 3500-4000 between changes should be no problem. Yet this car was almost dry at 3500, 4.5 out of 5 quarts low! They see that a car may have a major problem and will find what ever it takes to not stand behind the vehicle. 3500 and its void and your problem and your cost despite the $2000 warranty we bought.

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  Im Unhappy - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
  By LavandaDolce - January 12 - 8:37 pm

  Forget this vehicle if you live in snow. My Pacifica Touring has 24,000 highway miles. The ABS System is poor. Grinding stops on light wet roads. 2 occasions in which vehicle "sped up" on its own. Poor visibility when looking to back out of a parking space. Sorry that I fell in love with the interior as the car itself is very scary to drive. Its going to dealership to find out what the problem is with the ABS system. Handles absolutely poorly in snow and/or wet roads. Fact is, I refuse to drive my car until dealer proves whatever is wrong is fixed.

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  2nd and last Sebring, Mistake - 2008 Chrysler Sebring
  By CC - January 5 - 1:00 am

  My first Sebring was a 2000 used with 20K miles. Fortunately, I purchased an extended warranty, I needed to use it several times. I swore I would not buy another one, but I did, I have had the 2008 Sebring converable less than 6 months and already have had it back for service 5 times. It needs to go back yet again. Front end noises, leaks, and 2 days ago, it just shut off when I made a right turn. Less than 7K miles. I dont recommend the Sebring Convertable. Wish I would have bought the Toyota Solana convertable. Incidendley, no space in the back seat for passenger legs. I use it as a bench.

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  no help for ENGINE PROBLEMS - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By cmk - January 3 - 8:54 am

  i bought my 2006 300 limited new in 2006. everything worked & i was very pleased until i put about 15,000 miles on it,then i noticed a tapping sound in the engine, thought it was timing gear/chain. dealer said not to worry. engine noise slowly continues to get louder. finaly the dealer admits theres a problem... that was almost 3 MONTHS ago,its been sitting there ever since! at first they dint know what the problem was, then they couldnt get parts to replace the lifters, then they had to get updated parts, then it would not start. now its in limbo & nothing is getting done at all. lousy design & service on a $33,000 car!!! i have no idea how this will end but it doesnt look good.

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  Mixed Feeling - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By BKELLER - December 31 - 8:20 pm

  Not sure what to think. The car ran flawless for 70,000 miles but I had nothing but trouble with everything else. Power windows, heater switch (twice), brakes, seat belt bracket. Every item was covered but still required going to the dealer for repairs. I would not buy another Chrysler until they build a more dependable car

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  Got Oil? - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Lisa - December 31 - 12:39 am

  I love the style of the car and all of the features are wonderful! The DVD/suround sound is also a good feature. Having 6 seats is also an added bonus, but with all of that being said, my car burns more than 1 qt. of oil in about 800 miles. This has been verified twice by the dealership and Chrysler refuses to deal with the problem.

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  First Time Chrysler Owner - Mistake ?? - 2008 Chrysler 300
  By Terry - December 28 - 12:58 pm

  The first six days of ownership were great and enjoyable. Great ride and appearance. Drove the Hemi and 3.5 V6..noticed a heavier fell with the Hemi..but mileage and price for 3.5 was great. Just over a week of ownership, I needed to use the windshield washer and when I hit it, the electrical system died, killing the engine. A immedate release of the windshield washer resulted in a immedate restart, but in a lower gear requiring me to pull off the road. In heavy traffic and at high speed this event could have been a significant risk to us and those that might had been behind us. Dealer has ordered parts yet concerned that circuit board damage was result vs cause. Time will tell.

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  2004 Pacifica..first is worse - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By sternys - December 27 - 1:13 am

  This Chrysler product has been the worst vehicle from the car to the dealer! I owned Jeep products for 15 years but I never had a car I cant wait to get rid of! From the blind spot, the low gas mileage (17mpg), continuous check engine lights, the rear hatch, limited interior room to the dealer that cant fix things, its been a real dog!

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  PT Cruiser - 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Debbie - December 25 - 11:46 pm

  Im disappointed with the power and the fuel economy. I had a 6 cylinder car, so I thought I would sacrifice the power for better mileage, but I didnt get better mileage.

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  Our pt cruiser - 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By JIM LESPERANCE - December 17 - 4:53 am

  The car has been a huge disappointment for us.The gas mileage is much worse than our ford escape.The seats are like sitting on a rock and they are very uncomfortable.The icing on the cake was when the windshield suddenly cracked while my wife was driving. There were no vehicles on the highway at the time. We took the car to a glass place and were told there were no stone chips and they suggested we take the car to our dealer as chrysler may cover the cost of a $900 windshield.They felt it was a stress crack. The dealer told us the warranty for glass is 20,000 kilometers and we were over that so were out of luck.We have contacted chrysler and are waiting for a response.