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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  I Want One - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By EnamouredWith300 - June 19 - 10:00 am

  Rented the base model for a week. Very comfortable, smooth, quiet, and good handler. Base engine is adequate, probabley would go with 3.5 instead. Averaged 24mpg in driving that was 70% highway.

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  I rented A Concorde - 2002 Chrysler Concorde
  By jhmIII - June 19 - 2:00 am

  I rented this car for a few days ,and I LOVED it! When I was on the interstae,boy could it go fast! The greatest rental expierence I have ever had!(so far)

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  An Awesome Driving Machine - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By mitholand - June 18 - 2:00 am

  I just love my Chrysler 300 M. It combines great looks with great handling and performance. Of the two Chrysler products (the other was an LHS) that i have owned during the 90s, the 300 M is truly the better machine. I have had absolutely no problems with either vehicle. Would I ever buy another 300 M? Only if I ever wear out the one I already have.

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  Best Car I have ever owned - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By john Nourse - June 17 - 2:00 am

  I have owned BMWs and Many Nissan cars and this is the best large high performance vehicle available today.

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  this is real - 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By tully - June 17 - 2:00 am

  for real go and get this it is worth the money

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  mikes crusier - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Mike Venezia - June 16 - 10:20 pm

  car was purchased as a dily driver in place of my 4 door truck, super to get around with, easy to park, great fun to drive, even with the turbo, I am seeing 21 mpg around town (lot better then the 12 with truck) easy to drive, good visability plenty of rear storage when I go to store or home center...love my high line leather interior...car is more than I hoped for!!!

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  More Power Points - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By jlaw - June 16 - 2:00 am

  I bought the first one in Wisconsin and still love it. Best car I have ever owned!

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  A great Car - 1994 Chrysler Concorde
  By David Miller - June 15 - 2:00 am

  I have owned a great number of vehicles over the years, always prefering large North American built cars with High Performance capability. This Concord has been above average in terms of overall affordability. There is nothing about this vehicle that I dislike. At the present time it has almost 200,000 miles on it and it is just a solid and strong as a new car. I cant understand some of the bad press this series of car has received because it had performed beyond my expectations and will continue to do so for many more miles.

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  Love this Car! - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Madypr - June 14 - 10:00 am

  There is only one suggestion to improve this vehicle: Add a standard "Parking Assist Sensors due to the lenght of the vehicle. This is a MUST feature for this car Not an option). Fuel efficiency is not that great in the city, however we noticed a remarkable difference in the highway, specially for long trips. Great car, extremely confortable, nice to look, great to drive. After driving an Explorer and swearing I would NEVER buy an American car again due to the nightmare witht he Explorer, it took the Pacifica test -drive to reconsider (But never a gain a FORD!). Just an the Parking Assist sensors and I will buy a second Pacifica!

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  Great vehicle at a great price - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By Captain Real Estate - June 14 - 10:00 am

  I have put 2500 miles on the vehicle since I bought it and have been impressed with the entire car. The ride is more like a european car and the Mercedes technology shows through. Plenty of power with great handeling. Very quite with a super sounding stereo. I put about 20,000 mile a year on a vehicle selling real estate and love driving this car. I have had lots of compliments on its looks especially from women. Mine is fully loaded and love all the options. While it does not get good gas mileage, I didnt buy it or expect it to with the hemi. It reminds me of the high performance cars of the 60s (I had a 66GTOthen) but better technology and dependability.