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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  Nice road warrior car - 2013 Chrysler 300
  By t4r4me - November 8 - 10:38 am

  I am a sales professional and choose over similar priced competitors. In the low $30k price range this vehicle is the clear winner hands down. The US automakers are closing the gap on the other brands. And what you get in this car and compared to the previous years 300 is night and day. This is a really nice car. It has a great turning radius, power on tap when you need it, decent brakes, it is quiet so you will be able to conduct business via phone and blue tooth if that is your thing. Also compared to the Passat with its V6 and this is still the better value.

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  Garbage - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By alexander88 - October 30 - 11:41 am

  I bought this car 3 years ago with 160000 km on it it now has 195000 and is ready for the junkyard. Pretty much every part that could fail did, also significant rust issues muffler was completely rusted through, skirts and other parts are rusted from the inside out. Automatic transition doesnt work probably. Driving performance is poor, it is almost impossible to keep the car on the road at higher speeds around 160 km/h. All in all the worst car i have ever driven !!

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  My first car - 2003 Chrysler Sebring
  By mike52583 - October 27 - 10:21 pm

  My parents bought me this car in July 2009 for $8252 including tax. It had just over 59k mi. My mother thought the front end was too long. I mainly liked the body style and the power-adjustable drivers seat. After 3 mo, spent over $2k on all recommended maintenance to do at 60k mi + $600 fixing transmission. Later had tie rods & engine mounts replaced timing belt+ water pump replaced at 78.5k mi. Spent at least $4,000 in maintenance in the 38 months I owned the car. It never broke down on me. Starting the car, always heard 2 clear cranks, then engine started. Just sold it at just under 79k mi in Oct. 2012.

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  Awesome 12 Year Old Car Still Going! - 2001 Chrysler 300M
  By briangriffin1 - October 22 - 4:31 pm

  This car is awesome! 12 years old and still going havent seen the check engine light in a year (was on for a oil change overdue). Was in the shop once for a new battery (which was a stock 01). Stock parts excellent acceleration and no road noise 169,598 miles on it. Would buy again and recommend! Nothing but good on this end!

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  200,000 miles - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By duma191 - October 16 - 11:51 pm

  great car but just hit 200,000 miles and have to replace the power steering belt. cant even get near it. oil leaking as well as coolant but neither quickly. no room in engine bay to work and cant drive it onto a ramp because the bumper is so low. i ended up jacking it up and putting the ramp under it but still cant get to the belts. i wish this American built car wasnt mostly plastic.

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  Decent Fullsize - 2000 Chrysler 300M
  By edmundsauto1 - October 12 - 12:54 am

  I just got mine 00 300m not to long ago, 263K miles now has 265K on it, Havnt had to do anything previous owner didnt really take car of it but it is a sound car i have gotton 28mpg out of it! not bad for a full size car alltho if you look at what you save you will have to put it back into it..... all in all seems like a decent car.

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  Nice ride~ - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By dkrogh - October 8 - 5:52 pm

  I bought my Pacifica 2004 brand new. Its a beautiful vehicle and the ride is unbelievably comfortable. If you are driving this vehicle and you dont feel its comfortable then maybe you have cheap tires because my vehicle glides along the freeway smoothly. I absolutely love this vehicle. Sure its has some quirks, front end makes a noise when braking and Ive read reviews on this and many have the same issue but doesnt effect proformance at all. Gas mileage sucks but I knew this when I bought it as I read reviews first. It seats 6 but the rear is mainly for children and their is no cargo space with full load so you would need luggage rack. Ive had it 8 yrs. 106,000 miles

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  Epic Fail om Customer Satisfaction - 2007 Chrysler Aspen
  By chryslersuks - September 28 - 10:57 am

  Long story short, We paid Cash for a new 2007 Aspen and had issues from the first year with the air cond. "freezing up" on us when we drove over 2 hours. We use this vehicle for business travel. After several ( more than 3) attempts to correct the issue we filed under FL lemon law and sent letter in to Chrysler Corp. and they argued that the timeline was an issue. I fought and fought with over 5 "case mgrs." and 3 supervisors about the issues we have with the car for over the past six months in 2012. I only asked for a permanent solution, but after over 6 mechanics and 3 different dealerships, they just want us to keep going back to the dealer to try to fig. it out. To no solution, we are...

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  Amazing - 1999 Chrysler Cirrus
  By 7hefury - September 25 - 10:48 pm

  I got the cirrus as my first car. It is simply amazing, I love the power it has and it looks great. The car has had barely any problems, usually cheap fixes and it has minor rust issues. I got it with about 75000 on it and now its at 80k. Im planning on keeping this car til it wont run any more.

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  My best car yet - 2012 Chrysler 300
  By paco0314 - September 15 - 8:49 am

  I absolutely love this car! In May I took a job in Yuma, Arizona and due to a variety of circumstances I will be commuting weekly between Las Vegas and Yuma for the foreseeable future. Not wanting to beat my Lexus GS450h up on the winding, dipping, bumpy 2 lane 280 mile drive loaded with semi-tractor trailer commerce and lines of traffic, at first I rented. That proved less than satisfactory, so I began looking for a vehicle that was comfortable, good on gas, equipped with spirited engine to pass the big rigs, some convenience features plus a decent sound system and, of course, competitive price. And I was determined to land on made in America.