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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  Its new and we LOVE it! - 2005 Chrysler Crossfire
  By MrsKeller - September 21 - 2:00 am

  My husband and I just bought this, our first shared car, on Saturday morning, 9/18/10. He wanted a Crossfire since he moved in with me in - 2005 - the same year as the car. We absolutely LOVE it! We got black with a black roof with the two tone gray leather interior and it is so slick looking. Kids on bikes yell, "NICE CAR!" when we drive by. Old men stare at it when we are at a stop sign. The first thing I noticed when I drove it was how tight the steering was. Then I noticed how the car really clings to the road - it is amazing. I have no complaints although weve only owned it for 3 whole days :-) I feel like a superstar when Im driving it!

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  Happy Camper - 2009 Chrysler Aspen
  By GREAT VEHICLE - September 19 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle has so many options that others in this price range dont. I looked at so many trucks & SUVs and am so glad I purchased this one. It can be a lady with its cool vanilla color or powerful machine with an engine that doesnt back down!

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  Love this SUV - 2007 Chrysler Aspen
  By Love my Aspen - September 19 - 2:00 am

  Love this car, I bought it for my wifes birthday and is the best investment weve ever done, the car feels incredibly strong and safe, very luxurious and high quality interior, great sound system, easy setup for kids Britax car seats, effortless towing of over 7000 lbs, quiet ride, headphones for the kids movies so we can listen to our radio stations, very comfortable ride, powerful engine, heated seats for front and middle row seats, home like air conditioner with thermostat so you tell the car to keep the cabin at 75 degrees and it does, reverse sensors for parking and backing up assistance, 5.7 HEMI, easy access to 3rd row seats, auto open back door, bells and whistles.

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  Used car should have kept - 2001 Chrysler Sebring
  By doxen - September 15 - 2:00 am

  We bought this for our son in the military. We liked the looks and it was reasonable had 95k miles. We took it in to AAA garage and they only put in a new timing belt and changed the radiator fluid for a cold climate. I drove it from Phoenix to east coast and ran great. It was also more comfortable than making the same drive in a town car or suburban. The mechanics said should be good for another 1999999 miles, We liked looks so much we are now looking at other sebrings for us. Have owned chrysler lebaron Triumph (biggest disaster) chevy hondas. This ranks in the best.

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  Nice car - 1995 Chrysler Concorde
  By charles crooms - September 12 - 2:00 am

  You will never find a car that is more reliable then this one.I have my car for over five winters and it started with no trouble everyday. And I saw all those other new cars sitting on side of the road and hear i come driving pass them live like i was in some type of suv or something. I have a little front end problems but, cant get no car better then this one. And i love the way it handles.

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  Best car in existence? 300k+ car - 2000 Chrysler Concorde
  By Lincoln Schmidt - September 9 - 2:00 am

  Bought the car in 2001 with 60,000 miles already on it. He drove it mainly back and forth to work everyday (100 miles) So it racked up miles quickly. In 2006 he gave it to my sister with 260k who promptly ATTEMPTED to destroy it, she knocked out the bottom of the windshield washer fluid reservoir, crashed it into a ditch, backed it up into another car, and fried the A/C jumping it the wrong way. I got it in 09 with 280k. I still runs...and sprints, beautifully. People rap on the engine a lot and admittedly mines broke two, and interior rod snapped but that couldnt stop this car. It doesnt have quite as much acceleration as I would like but it is a massive car. It also gets 31 mpg highway..

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  Eye Catcher - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By Art - September 8 - 12:02 pm

  I Know many people are power crazy but I go for looks and performance.Why have power if you cant use it? I have a 2005 base model that is better looking and performs as good as the more expensive models.I dressed it up and thats why it stands out next to the other models.I have a friend who has a C model and when parked next to each other mine is the eye catcher.The slower I drive it the more people see it.

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  Beware of front driver side collision - 2005 Chrysler Sebring
  By starcrestsa - September 5 - 2:06 pm

  I was recently in an accident where the front drivers side was impacted. Thankfully, the driver was safe. Although this was at a low speed, the impact was strong enough to smash the battery. Due to its location, the battery acid made contact with computers, electrical & mechanical parts. Needless to say, it was considered totaled even though the damage did not appear as drastic on the outside. There was other structural/frame damage as well.

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  Fun Little Car - doesnt break the bank - 2006 Chrysler Sebring
  By Chris - September 4 - 1:08 am

  I love my car!I come from a passion for sports cars, but have learned that cars are a necessary waste of money-so the Sebring Vert is my compromise. Its fun to drive, relatively safe, and thieves dont want it. The car was 6 months old when I bought it with very low mileage - and certified for about half the cost of a new one. This was a secret I found out early on, and I am glad I did why throw money out the window? Cars really are a bad investment, but I dont feel guilty about this one. Its not a BMW or Mercedes, but it gets the job done nicely without sacrificing the fun factor or the family factor. I dont drive much or very far so mpg on mine isnt reliable for comparison.

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  A really underrated car - 1996 Chrysler Sebring
  By Stan - September 3 - 2:59 am

  Bought my used 1996 Sebring JX ragtop 2 and a half years ago. The engine had caught fire due to a problem that had been misdiagnosed by the previous owner so I got it cheap. I also made all the necessary repairs. Now I have a good looking (candy apple red) rag top that I can take on 1000 mile road trips and get 28 mpg. I replaced the top (yes ladies, all rag tops leak to some extent and at some point tops will wear out)It handles well and is a very practical car that is a rag top. The Mitsubishi 2.5 V-6 is a much better engine than the Chrysler engine used in later sebrings. It is a tough car to work on though. When my engine finally dies I will replace it with a 3000 GT engine.