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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  Pacifica as compared to - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Glen Craft - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I owned a Dodge Durango that I traded on this Pacifica. Th durango more resembled a truck than a car.I get better gas mileage in town with the pacifica , than I did on the road with the Durango

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  Complaints - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Lorna - September 11 - 10:00 am

  purchased 10/03.the rear sits too high and back corner panels block vision during backup. huge blind spots. front passenger seat sits too high makes it difficult to get into for tall person. gas milage terrible. comfy cruiser for long trips but would not buy it again.

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  2005 Chrysler Pacifica Touring - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By ScottAijo - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my Pacifica in June of 2004 and have been delighted with it ever since. I took it on a trip to Canada to visit family and the mileage was almost 28 mpg. With Canadian gas at roughly 4 bucks a gallon this meant a lot. It is a good looking car thats fun to drive. Its got some head turning looks, too. My only complaint is that the rear window should be wider.

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  Chrysler Convert - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By dc-in-Colorado - September 11 - 10:00 am

  My wife loved it the first time she saw it, up to now you couldnt pay me to own a Chrysler. We went on vacation in June and the Pacifica was available as a rental. I figured wed drive it for a couple of weeks and that would get it out of my wifes system. Then we could get on with buying something worth owning; like a BMW or a Mercedes. I have to admit we both liked it, It just seemed a little plain. We held off till August to look at a 2005. The dealer was able to get us everything we wanted; color, interior, nav system, dvd, air-bags, etc... Weve put 5k on it so far. The ride is great, performance is good, I like it more every day. This cars a winner

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  Signature Edition is a real bargin - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By EDinFW - September 11 - 10:00 am

  This is my second 300 and I an very pleased that most of the problems with my first 300 have been resolved. The Signature edition is a "no brainer" , where else can you get free a GPS.

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  Sebring - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By Dan - September 11 - 7:57 am

  This car is no fun to drive. The four cylinder version has absolutely no pick-up, although the RPMs always come close to redlining. Overall, a sad car to drive.

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  Best car that I ever owned. - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By Tommy White - September 11 - 2:26 am

  My wife fell in love with the Chrysler 300 from the first time she saw one. After doing research on the vehicle for several months, we purchased the 300C-- 5.7 liter with Hemi. It is a fun car to drive, handles great, and is more fuel efficient than I expected for a car with the roominess and engine size.

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  Best car I have owned...love my Chrysler - 2006 Chrysler Sebring
  By Michele Hurchla - September 10 - 7:01 pm

  I have owned nice cars but this car is the top.I have owned my car for about 4 years. I love my 2006 sebring touring. Fantastic car, i love the size not too big or too small. Runs like a charm with normal relacement of parts. Its actually really good in the winter. Safety has airbags all around car. I live in the country and drive mostly highway 22-25 miles per gallon. Cant really find any negative. I just hit 170,000 miles and this baby is like the energizer bunny. Im not kidding. My daughter keeps saying mom why dont you get a new car. I said because I dont need one. I love my car. She sees all the fancy cars out there. What the difference is they have 400.00 car pymts and i dont. I havent had a car payment in over ten years. So I have to laugh when I was younger always thought I needed new car at 70,000 but my Chrysler has proved me wrong. Chrysler please make this same model car again.

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  A Really Good Car ! - 2000 Chrysler Concorde
  By A Really Good Car - September 8 - 5:48 pm

  To support our retirements fixed income in May 2004 we paid cash and our 93 Jeep Cherokee for a dark-red Concorde LXi (tan interior) with 49000 miles. It was a great choice. With its peppy 3.2L V6 its a good looker and (even for me at 72) fun to drive. Its now 9 yrs old with 72000+ miles and hasnt given us any problems whatsoever. When we bought it we chose to replace its battery and tires, tinted its windows and have changed its oil every 3000 miles - nothing more - and today it still drives like a new car with reliability and very good fuel economy! The sole criticism is a higher level of road noise than it should have on an interstate. Other than that its a really good car.

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  Beautifully Engineered - Not - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By fdknowlz - September 8 - 4:06 pm

  Have owned this for 2 years, love the car but have had problems with power drivers seat (motor replaced 2x- even now the plastic that goes aginst my calves is not properly installed - mildew odor when driver window opened - back 3 or so times - finally found clogged drain but smell continues - had problem with front end (think it was tie rod) but due to way car engineered needed to replace drive shaft (?) for $800.00 - of course not under warranty - replaced brakes - rusted and warped rotors - latch that allows entrance to the trunk storage and jack snapped - so I was unable to get access to jack - I knew about the blind spots but did not expect it to be so bad - bad wind noise