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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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned! - 1996 Chrysler Concorde
  By Monty - July 8 - 9:56 am

  I bought my 96 Concorde new and have driven it regularly ever since. It has been completely reliable. Ive done regular maintenance, and the few items that have been replaced were due to wear, not failure. I cannot say enough good things about my car. It is now to the point that many components are wearing out, but I dont mind spending the money to replace them. Its been such a good car that I will keep it indefinitely. This is one purchase that has paid off handsomely for me!

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  Better than expected - 2010 Chrysler Sebring
  By Ed - July 5 - 2:07 pm

  Traded 01 Olds Alero. Front seats roomy and comfortable. Rear a bit tight but better than Mustang. With top up and windows closed, much quieter than Olds. With top down and windows up, we were able to have conversations at normal speaking levels. Not much turbulence with top down. Car rides smoothly but tends to wallow a little. Acceleration is similar to 2010 Mustang but not close to the 2011 Pony. Engine is a little noisy when accelerating, but very quiet at steady 70. Car easily pushes to over 80 without whining. Love the trunk space when the top is up. Very simple to raise/lower top: one switch, no levers. Car sat on dealers lot for extended period with no leaks after many heavy storms.

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  Love my Aspen! - 2007 Chrysler Aspen
  By azmomof3 - July 5 - 12:07 am

  We have had our Aspen 5.7L Hemi for 3 years now. We bought it brand new for the lifetime Powertrain warranty. We wanted a vehicle that would tow and boy does this baby deliver! We currently tow a 5500 lb. travel trailer and our Aspen pulls it seamlessly. We pass larger vehicles going up mountains. My husband likes to say, "Yeah, thats my Hemi passing you!" We also wanted seating for extra kids and got the 8 passenger model. Ride is so quiet - after 3 years of living on a bumpy road, we dont hear any rattles, or squeaks at all. Brakes have not gone out in 3 years either. Only thing changed out was rack and pinon steering, after 2 years of ownership. Aspen is a reliable work horse!

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  The car that starts itself - 2010 Chrysler 300
  By big daddy - July 4 - 11:31 pm

  This is my 2nd 300 with a hemi. 06 was great. Wanting to upgrade, I went to a 10 model. A great car but since purchasing in feb., has been in the shop 5 times. First time after hearing noises on sharp turns, found out that the factory had put the wrong rack and pinion steering on this model. Then the fun began. The car started itself in the garage one night at midnight. After a trip to the ownership, was told that it was fixed, it started again in the garage. Detroit told the dealer that if I had AT&T land line or computer, that it would interfere with the electronics. After 2 weeks back in the shop, was given 2 new key fobs with an AT&T blocker on them. As of 1 week, "no Christine"

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  SRT-6 - Muscle Crusher - 2005 Chrysler Crossfire
  By Tommy - July 3 - 8:47 pm

  I took my SRT-6 (no modifications) to the track the other night at my nephews request. He owns a 2009 Mustang Shelby. Pure V8 muscle. Long story short, my quarter mile time was 13.9 at 103 mph. His time was 14.78 @ 94 mph. I also raced a Dodge Challenger SRT-8 and crushed that too. My times were consistent, the SRT-8 ran a 14.6 at 97 mph. There is just pure fun and excitement driving my SRT-6 on or off the track. It looks good, it turns heads. I will admit that I wish there were more interior features like a n MP3 player, but then again it was a 2005 model. I got my SRT-6 for half the price, brand new with only 63 miles. I was in the right place and time and glad I was.

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  93,000 mile report card - 2000 Chrysler Voyager
  By sunjet74 - June 28 - 1:34 am

  Bought new in Mar 2000. I own the base 2.4 L auto with no options. I have never done less than 20 mpg. Average 24 and have don 29 mpg on highway. Its simple, do a service on the auto tans every 30k miles. Do Not shift abusive, use the trans. gently. Also, thats how to maximize the MPG. I live in the very congested SF Bay area and still achieve these real MPG as stated. This is not an exciting vehicle to drive. But when I realize that Ive not even replaced the orig battery, that the orig tires went to 65K miles, and not a single light bulb has even been replaced. How can a vehicle be more reliable than that? It did have a rear brake job and all sched maint. done on-time. A++ van!

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  World Class in Every Way! - 2010 Chrysler 300
  By Chrysler Man - June 27 - 11:30 am

  My recent "300" purchase made for my ninth Chrysler product in a row and this is by far the best vehicle I ever owned. I trade every three years and never thought I would get over parting with my Vanilla White Chrysler PT-Cruiser Turbo, another gem. Once I adjusted to the larger, 300 Touring Special Edition, I was thrilled with my decision to acquire this extremely roomy, powerful, compliant, well executed and stately sedan. The metallic blue I choose is stunning and turns many heads. If not for the simplification of the PT- Cruiser, I would have bought another and not realized how appealing the 300 is. I cannot wait for the all new model due out fairly soon, yet the 10 is tried and true!

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  Good Car - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By Dale - June 26 - 1:54 pm

  After reading about the 2.7 V-6 issues I ran motor flush through the engine and replaced the oil with full synthetic. Purchased in a 5 qt container, the price isnt much more than if I purchased standard oil. The car is quiet, very comfortable to drive, handles curves far better than Chevy Malibu, and gets good fuel mileage. Id recommend this car to anyone looking.

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  Owner - 2007 Chrysler Pacifica
  By joe deleo - June 26 - 4:07 am

  Super vehicle - Roomy, comfortable, quick, great look in and out. Very reliable.

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  I Love this car! - 2001 Chrysler 300M
  By tallnsexy4545 - June 23 - 11:38 pm

  I bought my 300m back in July of 2007, it had 90,000 miles. I Loved it then and still love it now. Very low maintenance since the day I bought it! The Interior and Exterior of the car are wonderful! Only negative thing I have to bring up is the stereo system,other than that Its a great car!