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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  300M Needs a motor @ 62K miles - 2002 Chrysler 300M
  By Disappointed Dave - June 1 - 10:57 pm

  Great car until srevice engine light came on. Oil 1 quart low, take into dealer to find car needs a camshaft positioner, get that fixed and dealer then shows me oil puddles below intake manifold and cylinder heads plugged with sludge. Car need new design cylinder heads, valves, etc $2500. Chrysler says "out of warranty, sorry for you" 1st and last Chrysler product.

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  2001 sebring drives - 2001 Chrysler Sebring
  By carl payne - May 16 - 9:07 pm

  The 6 cyl is sluggish when compared to the Mitsubishi Galant 6 cyl I owned before this. The sebring is comfortable on a long trip. I now have 83k miles and average repair bills, although more than the 1994 Plymouth Grand Voyager I bought new which now has 149k miles.

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  Excellent Car for the Money - 2000 Chrysler LHS
  By Mike Rosso - May 12 - 4:54 pm

  The only complaint I have is that the ride is a bit too rough. Performance is good. Standard Option Package sold me at time of Purchase.

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  I Will Never Buy One Again! - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By Haley - May 10 - 5:36 pm

  This car has been nothing but trouble since we bought it. It has been in and out of the shop for breaking down on the freeway. The dealership quit charging us when we brought it in because they dont know what is wrong with it. To add to it, the electric windows stopped working. As soon as we can get rid of it we will. I will never buy another Chrysler.

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  Not a great purchase - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By John - May 2 - 4:46 pm

  I have had this car for 3 years and have had a lot of problems door seals replaced 6,000 miles Horrible fuel economy from day 1 15 mpg city 18 hwy premium fuel dealer said would improve with driving 21000 miles now and no better new stereo 8000 miles new wheel bearings 19000 miles has been in shop often Chrysler does not offer rentals either pd 34,000.00 very loaded Inferno Red Gorgeous car they said it was not a high end model like a 300M or Aspen or Crossfire just a PT Cruiser Chrysler no help either Took to another dealer same excuses now just parked till lease up have 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe company car excellent gas mileage and very reliable Hyundai honors their warranty

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  Practical but costly - 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By dpatern - May 2 - 4:23 pm

  I have had the car since new and alway serviced at the dealer. I have 43000 miles on it and way to many things have gone wrong. Tie rod ends, water pump, air conditioning and transmission lines. The car rides good and is super practical to own. The amount of items you can haul with the seats out is remarkable. I am just tired of Chryslers bad reliablility. This is the only car I ever got an extended warranty with and I am glad I did. Oh yea, small 4 cyl with little performance and lousy gas mileage.

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  1993 Chrysler Imperial - 1993 Chrysler Imperial
  By NY3UVL714 - May 1 - 6:16 pm

  Big luxurious 1980s style American boulevadier. Quiet and comfortable on smooth roads, rough pavement causes abrupt and harsh ride. Poor handling, and lots of super floaty motions on quickly undulating freeways. Spacious, first class looking, fully equipped interior Impressively roomy rear seat legroom. Disappointingly, the first class interior styling is betrayed by average contstruction and assembly. Rattles in doors and dash occasionally sour the luxury ambiance. Powerful but boomy 10 speaker Infinity Ultimate Sound system. Overall a nice blast from the past available for bargain prices. Imperials do not stand up well to abuse or neglect, watch out for well maintained examples.

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  Just OK... - 1998 Chrysler Sebring
  By Chris - April 25 - 3:18 pm

  I have been happy with this car mechanically....but....too low in front, bad turning radius, rattles in glovebox and sunroof, exterior cladding fell off, stiff ride(but enjoyable). I have owned it since new. I would not buy another one. It has been an OK car and decently good looking. The cab forward design was interesting for looks but practical it is not. The newer models dont look as good, and the redesign doesnt even look promising. I wont recommend this car used unless you plan on adding a lot of aftermarket styling and equipment...should be cheap. It isnt even worth what edmunds or bluebook says it is worth.

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  Beautiful Car with Add-ons & Issues - 2015 Chrysler 200
  By Unhappy Chrysler Owner - March 29 - 12:39 am

  I purchased this car thinking that the bells and whistles of the vehicle would make up for the quality I had in my Dodge Charger. Within the first 30 days of owning the vehicle the transmission seemed to be shifting really hard and the radio would not work when I attempted to change stations, etc. We took it back to the dealer and they "flashed" the radio and then applied some update to the transmission. Within 2 months I was back again with the same issues, the same repair attempts were made. Two months later we were back again and they replaced my radio this time, then applied the same updates to the transmission. Every since then the transmission has continued to get worse with the shifting but the service department indicates that Chryslar has to tell them what to do with it. The radio has started having the same issues and had to be repaired again as well. I understand some of the issues that are beyond the manufacturers control, like the component to the radio that seems to frequently fail but the transmission issues have almost caused me to be hit by another vehicle. This is no longer an issue but it is a safetly concern at this point. As of today the service department has submitted a request to Chryslar for guidance - we will see if anything comes from it.

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  dont waste your money - 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Tiffani - March 2 - 4:56 am

  I HAD ALWAYS wanted a PT Cruiser... until I bought one. I bought mine. Transmission Blew out at 50K on the way to vegas. Me and my kids were stuck in the desert. Car has FAILED on me about 3 times now... NOT safe for a Woman and kids. I love the style and am stuck with the PT... it has over 100k now that I have have thousands of dollars in repairs.