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:

• 

  Suprisingly Solid and Fun - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By MWD - April 6 - 5:36 pm

  I have owned my 2006 300c for about a month now. Initially on a trip to Las Vegas, while driving around town the car had some fairly serious issues that turned out to be a faulty fuel sending unit. The dealership fixed the car quickly and other than that, it has been an awesome car. Very quick and solid and plenty of fun to drive. Around town fuel economy is about 14-15 and on the freeway I get a suprisingly good for a car this powerful, 23-24mpg. In my opinion nothing can beat this car when it comes to bang for the buck. It is a great value and well worth every penny.

• 

  Great review - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Lemke - April 6 - 9:16 am

  I am totally satisfied with the Pacifica and comfort, performance and overall qualtiy and design. It seems like they thought of everything for the driver. The only down side is all the small buttons on the radio, cd etc...however after some time you get use to them. Having the radio controls under the steering wheel is just great. You can keep your eyes on the road and still control volume and change stations. The ride is great.

• 

  If you want an EGO BOOSTER buy one - 2005 Chrysler Crossfire
  By Bill Golding - April 5 - 3:43 am

  Owning one is like being a celebrity. Ive owned my Black Crossfire for four months and Im still not used to all the attention I get when Im driving it. Ive had people stop me in parking lots and ask about it. Ive had a man pull up next to me at a stop light and ask " How much fun is it to drive that?" My answer "Its like driving a rocket ship" My wife has a new Black Mustang GT Convertible and I get four times the comments she does. My Golf clubs fit just fine...once you learn how to get them in. I even got two sets of clubs in. The GPS Navigation System is like having an Automatic Pilot, works like a charm.

• 

  This is a good car. - 1998 Chrysler Sebring
  By Tim - April 2 - 1:08 am

  I bought this car as a previous salvage with low mileage. I put over 50K miles on it in two and a half years and only replaced the starter and the battery. When I bought this car I heard of the trans problems so I made sure to maintain the trans every 30k, if you do this I dont think you will have any major problems. Overall this car defines reliability.

• 

  Its a hoot! - 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Nick The Fish - April 1 - 2:00 am

  I had been considering the PT for a year or so, but the test drive in the 2003 GT sold me. The responsiveness in handling and engine response were way beyond expectations.

• 

  liz loves car - 1999 Chrysler Sebring
  By liz - April 1 - 1:23 am

  Best car ever! the only bad thing about this car is getting a little wind-blown on the way to work.

• 

  10 years old and still going - 1996 Chrysler Sebring
  By Alex - March 31 - 9:58 pm

  I own a couple of cars, the Sebring is my daily driver. I like the gas milage it gets, last check was 28 mpg in town. I also like the sunroof and quality leather seats. I havent had any transmission trouble yet (108k). the steering is all kinds of messed up. It jerks all over, but only when touring. The cup holder (yes, there is only 1) is in a weird place. I have been battling a leak of antifreeze for a while. The passenger side lower outside door panel is loose and will probably fall off shortly. I have seen a few with the same problem. Overall its a good car.

• 

  The Best Money Can Buy - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By Q - March 30 - 8:13 am

  I love it! I live in MD and I purchased the car in NC I got an AWESOME deal and the drive coming home was wonderful. The navigational system brought me all the way home.

• 

  Back For Seconds - 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By ptlover45 - March 29 - 8:38 am

  I bought an 02 PT base, 5spd, ac, non-turbo with 11K miles, drove it for 33K miles. Replaced wiper motor under warranty. Traded it in on a new 07 PT base Auto. trans., ac, Sirius radio, non-turbo. Replaced camshaft positioning sensor under warranty. Currently has 25k miles on it. Never added oil to either PT in 58K mile of driving. Gas mileage for both was 18 (city) and 35 ( highway) Great retro styling and plenty of room. Excellent visibility in all directions.

• 

  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.