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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  Great Topless Fun - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By msticks - April 7 - 10:00 am

  This is my fourth convertible and third Sebring. I traded my 1998 Sebring JXi in on a 2001 Sebring Limited (the first one my dealer received). It was Dark Blue with the Cream Leather seats. I was very disappointed in that car. Had serious electrical problems from the get-go and had to have it back to the dealer several times. In addition the very pretty cream interior was a nightmare to keep clean. Got rid of that and bought a 2002 Sebring LXi with Taupe leather interior. MUCH better car. Never been back to the dealer, seems better put together than the Limited was. Very stiff structure and well insulated top makes you forget its a convertible, until you put top down.

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  04 Pacifica - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Coconice007 - April 7 - 12:48 am

  Nice ride, but sluggish on take off. Needs more power and better gas mileage.

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  A trusted companion - 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Fondoondee - April 6 - 6:16 pm

  Ive owned the car since new and havent had a single problem. Driving experience increased immeasurably when I added 4 new high performance tires. Always use manual shift option in automatic and car responds nimbly. Front and back bumpers are poorly made (crack easily) but inexpensive (relatively) to replace. Solid commuter car

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  Poor fuel economy - 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Fred - April 6 - 1:33 am

  All in All car is OK. The fuel economy in my mind is very poor for highway conditions. So far, after 9000+ miles my highway average is 21.5 mpg. I owned a 1990 Plymouth Sundance got 31 mpg highway. Im very dissatisfied with this. I talked with the dealer and their statement was "thats about it". TV commericals states PT gets 29 mpg. Not true,very poor.

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  Beware of Chrysler Products - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Tony G - April 5 - 9:02 pm

  We went from being extremely excited about our new minivan, to increasingly frustrated. First of, this van shows off well. The features, the ride, and its looks we thought set it apart from the competition. It wasnt until we drove off the dealership when the headache began. Driving off and seeing the engine light come on is the most disheartning thing an owner of a "new" vehicle can experience. So now, we are stuck with a loner as we wait and see whats wrong with our new Pacifica. I reached out to Chrysler to see if they can expedite this process (its going to be a week before my van gets looked at the dealership), but they didnt seem too concerned with the idea of one of their products coming off the lot and going straight to the shop. Im hopeful our situation gets better. At this time, I would tell others to beware of Chrysler products.

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  Great Car! - 1998 Chrysler Concorde
  By Sammy - April 5 - 9:19 am

  This was a great car for the money. It looks sleek and rides very comfortably. I am not sure why it is no longer in production but when it comes back, it will be a winner and I would probably purchase another.

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  2005 300C - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By James Smith - April 4 - 12:43 pm

  This is my best car so far. It has been a pleasure to drive. It has needed only one repair in a year and that was done in the first month. I had a seal come loose on the sun roof. I added the uconnect the first month. I will be a repeat buyer!

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  Great car - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By McdinTexas - April 4 - 11:58 am

  I have had this car for almost 16,000 miles and two years and have not had one problem with it. The Pacifica is a very solid vehicle and well built. The ride is what got my attention. This baby is a road cruiser and handles like a much smaller sporty car. This car rides better than my Cadillac. It sits high which is nice for easy entry and exit and view of the road. Five star crash rating brings in that safety factor I was looking for. The car has hauled almost everything from furniture to sheets of plywood with out any problems, very handy. The fit and finish are what you could expect from Benz or BMW. Well done Chrysler. Also get 18 city and 25 highway MPG.

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  The pt - 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By acg - April 4 - 9:43 am

  This is a good car.

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  All Flash - 2005 Chrysler Crossfire
  By catlady - April 4 - 7:29 am

  The Crossfire may be cute and look fun, but underneath the hood there is a significant lack of torque, and inside, the seats are just short of back breaking. I bought the car with 5,600 miles on it and was told the woman who traded it in had a bad back. Now I do too. I had a Nissan 350Z and there is absolutely no comparison between the two cars in performance or comfort. The trunk is useless too. Opening is so narrow its difficult to get anything larger than a shoebox in. Ive also had to have two new stereos put in because of the skipping CD player. Get a Z.