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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  Chrysler Auto Trans Stink - 2002 Chrysler Voyager
  By dadof3 - August 22 - 8:15 am

  Everything was humming along smoothly for three years, until 68K miles. Then the tranny leaves my wife and three kids stranded on a country road. Luckily it was under warranty, but they rebuilt the old crummy tranny instead of putting in a new one. Predictably, a year later at 88K the torque converter locks up 150 miles from home. I have a 2000 Neon with a manual tranny thats one of the best cars Ive ever owned, but I will never, NEVER buy another Chrysler product with an auto trans. Ive read too many bad things about them. I cant trust a company that will not fix a widespread problem on one of its top-selling vehicles. Thats a sign of a company that has contempt for its customers.

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  Don"t buy - 2000 Chrysler Concorde
  By Randy - August 21 - 11:27 am

  I purchased mine used from a dealer after a three year lease was up by another owner. Drove well for the first while. At 74,000 miiles the 2.7 L engine blew, need to repalce or rebuild. After doing much research I found many major problems with this engine. Oil sludge builds up and the parts do not get lubricated. Chyrsler is not accepting responsiblity. Many, many people are stuck with repair bills in the thousands of dollars. I would not buy another.

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  Great Vehicle - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Happy Owner - August 21 - 10:50 am

  I was looking for a traditional SUV but fell in love with the Pacifica. It seats 5-6 comfortably, rides smoothly, and has a very distinctive look. I did a test drive of the new 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe (which was nice) but decided the Pacifica had a more luxurious and quiet ride.

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  Great Car - 2000 Chrysler LHS
  By LHS - August 21 - 8:45 am

  Great car. I have owned it over 5 years and 90,000 mi. It has never been back to the dealer for anything. Original tires went 42,000mi and the second set still have 1/3 of the tread left. One set of brake pads at 65,000 mi. At 86,000 mi I changed the timming belt as preventive maint. No other repairs or problems. It still looks new, gets great gas mileage, and is fun to drive. Great car in every way

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  Dont Buy One!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2001 Chrysler Sebring
  By Robert - August 21 - 2:20 am

  To be honest, I enjoyed driving this car...whenever it wasnt in the shop! Its charms are purely exterior. Under that steel hood lies its glass jaw - The Engine. Mine is toast after 50,000 miles. (Coincidentally it was just paid off 2 weeks ago) This was a maintained vehicle that averaged 10,000 mi/yr, mostly highway & light usage. BTW Ive already had this thing in the shop on numerous occasions to the tune of over $3000 in repairs which they obviously never got right. Dont let the slick packaging fool you, as you can see by the other comments- Sebring=Bad car buy! Also- Larry Roesch Chrysler is just about as customer friendly as snakes on a plane, but your money is better spent at the theater!

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  Run from 2.7 engine - 2000 Chrysler Concorde
  By mt - August 19 - 3:42 pm

  Great car until 2.7 Liter engine goes without notice, the $6500 repair for vehicle with low mileage. Chrysler will not help with major engine design problem.

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  Love it, but way too many problems - 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Sharon - August 19 - 12:06 pm

  Have had my cruiser for 3 years. It has had a rebuilt transmission at 40,000 mi. fog lamp defect wich caused my battery to die. Electrical fire somewhere (not yet been able to be dectected by mechanic). This cracked the top of dash console as well as various lights work and then dont work inside on pannels. Recall for this yr. on power steering pump. And is currenlty in shop as I speak for severe rotor/berrings/central allignment problems. No such thing as front or back problems they are all connected in the middle. Was told by mechanic that this is only the halfway mark to the repairs for this car....Be careful. I will not be buying another cruiser ever. Trading in really soon.

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  Best Looking Car in America - 2005 Chrysler Crossfire
  By Philip Smith - August 18 - 4:03 pm

  I was not in the market for a car when I finally went to see a Crossfire. I loved the way it looked so much, after test driving it, I did not leave the showroom without one ordered which was delivered that same day. Without a doubt the best looking car designed, and wherever I go people ask me about it, point at it on the road. A unique design. All other cars look alike. Crosslfire is fabulous. 32 hiway mpg and 25 average

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  Still Love it after 5 Years - 2001 Chrysler 300M
  By MarkJ - August 18 - 11:26 am

  98,000 miles on the car now and have had it five years and still not a single significant problem. The drivetrain has worked perfectly. The radio was replaced in the first year, under warranty hasnt been a problem since. I plan to keep this car for as long as I can - am aiming for 400,000 miles, and have no doubt it will make it if I keep up the routine maintainance.

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  300C: a "ten" Continental: "zip" - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By cae300c - August 17 - 4:18 pm

  The 300C may go down as a milestone car in that it is a fresh, bold design rarely seen in American cars (European influenced or not) for over three decades. These cars have style, power, comfort and dependability to rival many imports costing up to twice as much. There has obviously been a lot of thought put into these cars ... except for a very important component - THE TIRES! They are so bad that I will not be surprised if an episode similar to the Ford/Firestone issue occurs. There is no doubt that both Chrysler & Continental know that there are several issues with these tires, but there has been no recall or acknowledgement from either. My tires failed inspection at 17k--unacceptable!