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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  Excellent Car - 2000 Chrysler 300M
  By Tom_ - May 2 - 2:00 am

  This car has not given me one problem in over 30,000 miles so far. I cant believe how great it is.

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  Great Purchase - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Irving - April 30 - 3:40 am

  My wife and I arew so thrilled with our new Pacifica...I owned a Nissan Maxima that carried the HID headlights and got hit (stolen) around 3 times. This last time I ended up having to rent a Pacifica...The minute I drove it off the rental car, I fell in love with it. The style, speed and comfort are superb...We love the features of the 26U packages and we love our 17 chrome clad wheels... We saved around $2600 by using the Edmunds.com invoice price list...this combined with the right timing can safe you hundreds and gives you less time to spend at the dealership.

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  IM LOVING IT - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By Dave - April 29 - 1:10 am

  Since the first time I saw this vehicle on the road it caught my eye and I was determined to own one. I waited for about 18 months and the wait has been worth it. The car has met my expectations and more.

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  Takes No Punches - 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Betty - April 28 - 8:43 am

  I bought my PT Cruiser after I had rented one and survived a night of terrible storms (tornado ratings) in the midwest. We were blasted by baseball sized hail and winds that rocked street signs, trees, and cars around us. I put the car in park turned off the engine and we rode the storm with no difficulty. I felt safe as I could have been in a home. I took my car half way cross country and never had a problem all the way. Thanks Chrysler for a great vehicle.

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  Surprisong car - 1998 Chrysler Cirrus
  By Braves511 - April 28 - 2:00 am

  This car is my first and at 17 you want a sports car i saw this thought old persons car but this car is actually a really great car it is a smooth a drive as an Oldsmobile Aurora minus the heated seats.

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  My trophycar is awesome - 1997 Chrysler Concorde
  By TrophyCar - April 27 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Concorde because I thought it was pretty and had a lot of cool features. But after taking it home, I started to see real potential. I dropped it about four inches, changed to wheels to Arelli Vettas and added a touring wing to the back. I have seven first place trophies for my concorde and have never had any serious problems with the car. In fact the last sales offer I got for the car was well over 3 times what I paid for it.

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  Review from Texas - 2000 Chrysler Concorde
  By Lori Wiley - April 25 - 2:00 am

  Im very pleased with the looks, performance, dependibility and ride. Great stereo. Everyone loves riding in it, and the trunk is huge.

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  Great family wagon - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Pete Canada - April 24 - 10:00 am

  I traded in my Toyota Minivan and it was a great move. Pacifica combines the passenger carrying ability of a car with the cargo space of an SUV. The interior of the Chrysler Pacifica combines elegance and practicality. Some nice ergonomic touches within the passenger area show some forethought with easy to locate seat controls on the door, rear controls for ventilation and audio functions, and a rear hatch that moves up and down under power. And I just learned that Pacifica is the only SUV that earned 5 star crash test rating all around.

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  love my LHS - 2000 Chrysler LHS
  By par72man - April 24 - 2:00 am

  Had two Intepids before buying LHS, no comparison. This car is probably the best, sport luxury car on the market for the price.

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  Styling, features, luxury. Great price! - 2001 Chrysler 300M
  By alta300m - April 23 - 2:00 am

  I really enjoy the comments I get from friends, workers and even people on the streets. They love the styling. Awesome performance, this car really begs to be driven especially with the Performance handling group.