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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  Crossfire Excitement - 2004 Chrysler Crossfire
  By Don-Fresno, CA - March 28 - 4:28 pm

  Purchased a 2004 Limited Coupe, with a six speed manual transmission,that had 14000 miles on it. Although my wife and I have other cars we like the idea of having a sport car to drive to the California coast. I really love this car. It is built by Mercedes in Germany and has all of their quality. The ride is comfortable and exciting. Everybody that talks to us about the car always has a positive comment. My neighbor loves the sound as I arrive and/or depart my house. The only problem I have is that the first gear has a habit of slipping out of gear with a loud noise. It doesnt happen all the time just about 20% of the time. Crossfire internet forums mention this problem too.

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  Love the car hate the problems - 1999 Chrysler LHS
  By Renegade305 - March 28 - 11:09 am

  I brought the car used and fell in love with the car immediately. Since I brought the car i have changed the starter, the radiator, and the fans. One of my back seat windows wont come down and i still love the car. When the car is running correctly its great!

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  The Best - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Maysoon - March 27 - 10:00 am

  We are truely happy with our purchase of the New Chrysler Pacifica. This car is truely one of the best.

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  My Favorite Car Ever! - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Gregg - March 23 - 7:50 am

  This is my 2nd Cruiser. Leased an 02 Limited for 3 1/2 yrs and liked it so much I bought this one. I had no trouble at all with the first one for over 23,000 miles and not with this one after 2000 miles. Even after after 4 yrs I still like to look at it, and smile whenever I see another one. The 180 HP turbo has great pickup, a big improvement over the base engine. I also love the look and functionality of the interior (glad I got the 05-I dont like the int/ext changes on the 06). I cant imagine driving another car-I hope this one lasts forever!

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  A lot of car for the money! - 2001 Chrysler Sebring
  By Charles - March 22 - 6:23 am

  Beautiful car to drive, and its a real head turner. Handles very well, but maintains a comfortible ride. Controls well laid out and intuitive to use.

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  Unreliable - 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Do not buy Chrysler - March 21 - 10:00 am

  This car is extremely unreliable. It has been one problem after another. The latest problem is a smell of a burning electrical system. Do not purchase this headache.

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  Love it! - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By rlouden - March 21 - 10:00 am

  We testdrove the Pacifica on the way to buy an Acura MDX at the dealership next door. We were "wowed." We still went on to buy the MDX though because we just couldnt adjust to buying a Chrysler product. After opening and closing the MDX liftgate by hand a couple of times, we decided to put our purchase on hold while we did further research on Chryslers recent products. We ended up with the Pacific with all the toys and after 2 months we couldnt be happier. We LOVE this car.

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  Loved it when I bought it, nothing but problems now! - 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By telly89 - March 19 - 5:43 pm

  When I first bought my car I loved it I was very excited to own a new car. I have only had the car for about 3 years and now it over heats very easily, the check engine light will come on and it shutters, down shifts hard, and then sputters to a stop. the fan for the a/c doesnt work so the interior wont warm up in the winter now (or cool down in the summer) it has very poor gas mileage for a little car, I know it’s not a sports car but its gutless! I keep up on the regular maintenance (oil changes, transmission flushes, tire rotations) but can’t afford to fix all the other problems that it shouldn’t be having if Im keeping up with regular maintenance! oh and the turning radius sucks!

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  KoolAidSmile - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By rn4nz - March 19 - 10:36 am

  Ear to ear grin every time I climb inside to drive. Jaw dropping looks with blood thirsty power. Traded in our 05 300c for this beast. This car is a true joy. Class and brute strength beautifully combined. Holds 4 sets of golf clubs and 4 passengers with comfort. This car has unmatched performance/value. Unfortunately, 425 hp is addictive, only makes me want even more so we are trading in our 06 Pacifica for a new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, the SUV version on this car. Never thought I would own Chrysler. They have really outdone themselves with this car. Car feels like a tank for safety, Benz for comfort, vette for performance (and fuel economy of course).

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  Chyrsler Resurgance - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By Comp 1 - March 19 - 9:50 am

  Best car ever owned in my 40 years of car buying.(Well, 67 Vette may have been better for twenties image and social life) Mileage on hemi is 26 highway and 23 highway city combined - this from AWD which controls snow and rain greater. Continental tires were third rate for a first rate car. Chryslers engineers only shame here. If you check consumer ratings figure no more than 20,000 miles.Only disappoint in car. Stereo fantastic - Navi second best I have seen (Acura no.1) Bluetooth functions great for those hands free calls.Maintence free except standard check ups. Worth the $40,000 price compared to comparable cars.