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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  CH300M - 2002 Chrysler 300M
  By lcouture - December 25 - 2:00 am

  Great car. Handles well, has plenty of power, no performance problems at all. The auto-stick feature allows the car to be driven like a sports car with a four speed transmission. Great for driving in the mountains! Chrysler issued a fix for the sound system at my insistance that something was wrong. Initially, little or no bass response, but after the fix, no problem! Id highly recommend this car to anyone that wants a European styled sedan, at an affordable American price.

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  Chrysler Concorde Limited is a sleeper - 2004 Chrysler Concorde
  By Roger the Dodger - December 23 - 2:00 am

  Traded 1999 Lincoln Continental and got a lot more bang for our buck in features and performance. Ergonomics far superior and everything like driver seat memory adjusts easier, faster and stays adjusted. V-6 is much peppier than previous V-8 and corners flatter.

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  Powerful 300M - 2004 Chrysler 300M
  By BJG - December 23 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive, automatic or stick. Large interior, with leather and all power interior. Pound for pound, its hard to buy more car for the money.

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  High Performance with a Touch of a Style - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By Jenkendan - December 22 - 2:00 am

  Great car for the money! I bought this car as used in 2001. I only had to replace brake pads & a starter...which went out on me after 3months. Besides that this car has been running beautifully. Design doesnt look outdated...actually still looks better than lot of other new cars in the market. The handling is awesome on this car. It corners like as if its on rails like rollercoaster without any bodyroll effects! My friends had doubts for me when I bought an American car & even more when they saw that it was a Chrysler. But I have no doubts that I got an excellent car for tens & thousands less than what they had paid for with their imports!

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  great car - 1995 Chrysler Sebring
  By shottizle - December 19 - 2:00 am

  very fast, i love it

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  100,000 perfect miles - 2000 Chrysler 300M
  By Jimstack - December 18 - 2:00 am

  Turned 100,000 miles this morning. I love this car and I hope it lasts forever. I drive over 45,000 miles a year and this is the best vehicle Ive ever owned. Nothing and I mean NOTHING has gone wrong with this car. It still looks great and it still turns heads. It is also very good (and predictable) in snow (northeast US). Fast and comfortable, handles great and has all the goodies.

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  Luxury with sporty feel - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By William1 - December 17 - 9:00 am

  I have enjoyed the 300c more than any car I have ever owned. My wife has a Lexus 430 and I would much rather drive the 300c. It handles great, has plenty of power and the look of a much more expensive car. Besides all of this - Its fun to drive!

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  Thet Hit It Out Of The Park! - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Robert Busse - December 17 - 4:10 am

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  Even after 5 years, its a great car - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By husker1 - December 17 - 2:00 am

  After five years and 120,000 miles, I still love this car! Reliability has been excellent. The power, comfort, luxury and room has no match in this class or price range. Why DC decided to end the run is a mystery.

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  Amazing! Top of the Line - 2015 Chrysler 300
  By Mariah B - December 14 - 11:18 pm

  I bought this car after my 2015 Dodge Durango Limited was totaled by a drunk driver. My number 1 necessity was to feel safe in a vehicle again.. The Durango save my life, my husbands life, my 1 month old sons life, my toddlers life and my best friends life. I really wanted another one but at the time these were still new so there were no used Durangos and I did not have the same amount of money to put down that I had previously. So I had no choice but to take a higher payment or get a cheaper car... so I chose to buy the 2015 Chrysler 300s -V6. Let me tell you.. this car does not even compare to any other sedan out there! I have driven Nissan, Toyota, Honda, Chevy, BMW and Mercedes. This car is by far more comfortable and smooth than any of the vehicles listed above!! I miss my Durango every day especially because we have 2 kids, 2 dogs and the 2 of us. We manage to squeeze all of us and the dogs in our 300 but it would be nice to have the SUV again. I have contemplated many times over the 10 months that I have had this car on trading it in for a used SUV. But the amount of money I paid, my car payment and the luxury this car has does not compare to the cars I would qualify for. I AM NEVER TRADING THIS IN! I get pretty good MPG, although my Altima got almost 10 more MPG in City and Highway. I do wish the backseats had a better AC vent system. They are behind the center console so when its 110 degrees outside it takes a minute for the back to get cooled down and when someone is sitting in the middle their knees will freeze off before either sides will feel air. This car rides like a cloud, the stock speakers are better than regular (Beats Audio), I have tinted windows and I get so many compliments on my car. I highly recommend this car to anyone! I have the V6 and in sport mode I have raced a street bike, a Lexus sportscar, and a couple others. It has speed, comfort-ability, luxury, and it is one heavy vehicle! I feel safe in this car and I have confidence driving down the road. The remote start and trunk lift are really awesome! The only flaw is sometimes when you turn the car on with the key and open the trunk from the inside of the car the truck wont close, it pops back up until the car is put into drive, which sucks if youre alone. It is a mechanical/safety concern but it was a glitch and I have not had a problem since. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR IF... if you want space or have 3 car seats! The backseat is large but the two side bucket type seats are perfect for car seats, the middle is too narrow. All in all, this car is a 5 out of 5!