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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  Best Car I Have Ever Owned!! - 2000 Chrysler Cirrus
  By 2000 Chysler Cirrus - March 21 - 2:49 pm

  I now have owned this car four years. It is without a dought the best car I have ever owued. I now have 237,000 miles on this car. It still runs fine and I hope to top 300,000 miles. I maintaine it properly and have had very few problems.

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  i like it ! - 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By edna b - March 20 - 7:43 am

  On the whole i like it...they could have finessed it a little better..i think the 2006 has more to offer...The one thing I dont like is that when you step on the gas it has a tendency to fish tail a little.. i am not use to that...

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  Good Times - 2007 Chrysler Crossfire
  By Steve - March 19 - 1:57 pm

  I bought this car at one of my companys auctions. It has been a great car. Very fun to drive. Edmunds talks about the lack of power. But this car really has plenty of pep. The car is solid compared to the Solstice and Sky models. In addition, the car has far more features than the GM and most of the other import convertibles. You cant beat the price of a used Crossfire. Bang for the buck, it is the best two seater on the market.

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  ok car - 1997 Chrysler Cirrus
  By red - March 18 - 6:32 pm

  First off this car is NOT for some one who wants to do the work themselves. I have had it 10 years and had to have the trans seas repaced and a $1000 sensor. Brakes are bad I would say all in all for a car that is 12 yrs old it has been above average. It still is peppy

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  cruise control - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By arladj - March 16 - 7:40 am

  cruise control is very poorly designed it is out of the way and confussing to use. It also in the same location as the directional switch and become confussing when changing lanes

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  Best Bang for Your Buck! - 2007 Chrysler 300
  By Matt - March 15 - 3:51 am

  I bought my Chrysler 300c around 6 months ago with 73K miles. Its by far my favorite car Ive ever owned. The power is good but it is a heavy car. I had a single cab 05 Chevy Silverado Z71 with the upgraded engine putting out 290 horsepower before the 300c and it felt like it put you back in your seat more than the 340 horsepower Chrysler 300c. It might be because the ride is so smooth in the 300c or because the center of gravity is lower. I do a lot of city driving and Im getting around 15 mpg average which is a little lower than the 17 advertised (90% of the time I have my daughter with me and I drive like Miss Daisy) but with the hemi that was expected. What I wasnt expecting is how good the gas mileage is on the highway. If I reset my MPG average setting when I get on the highway it calculates quickly and gets up over 32 mpg. There are major blind spots though so you really have to check twice and know your surroundings. Also the comfortably of the driver seat could be better. It feels like its made for a much larger man. Im 6ft 200lbs and it doesnt hug my back at all. I have a 2,200 mile road trip coming up and Im not looking forward to the foreseen back pain in my future. Im looking at replacing the front seats with Challenger seats with hopes they will be more form fitting. The traction control needs some work. If you give it to much gas when accelerating the traction control kicks in and controls your launch. Ive learned to turn the ESP off every time I start up my car. From what Ive seen on older models when I was searching the market is looks like the clear coat on the faux wood grain on the steering wheel and interior door handles flakes easily. With theses negatives being easy to fix Im planing on keeping this car for life and adding a stroker kit and or a supercharger. If I ever trade this car in it will be for a newer SRT8. Its a little slow on the launch but when you hit 60 is when It really wakes up and gets scary fast. It just keeps pulling! Even at 120 mph you still feel like youre riding on a cloud. Another down side is the speed limiter that is set at 126 mph due to the tires put on from the factory are only rated for 130 mpg. From what I have researched it looks like the actual top speed is 175 mph. Now I know I will never go that fast (maybe once) but it would be nice to brag about being close to super car speed. Putting a speed limiter so low is kinda like a kick in the balls. Handling is great for such a big car. Its a true American muscle car with all the luxury features youd find in your Mercedes, Lexus and BMWs at an affordable price with great reliability. You also wont have to take this car to a specialized mechanic and pay extremely high repair costs. The perfect combination of reliability, luxury, and power on a limited budget.

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  Good Car - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By Mark - March 14 - 3:34 pm

  Car has been good to me since i bought it in 2003. No major repairs, just standard maintenance.

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  Nice car for a lemon - 1999 Chrysler LHS
  By bacaloc - March 12 - 2:06 pm

  Heater/AC motor went bad, starter bad, battery hard to get to, timing belt went bad, heated seats dont work, front speakers are no good. Hard to work on, costly to repair.

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  Whats everyone complaining about? - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By car_auctioneer - March 1 - 2:54 pm

  I have a 2002 Sebring LX 4 cylinder. I bought it from a "little old lady" with 5k miles on it a few years ago. It now has 50,000 and I couldnt be happier. I dont understand all the bad press, this car has been trouble-free except for the heater blower motor resistor, a $20 part I installed myself. Otherwise, nothing, not even the battery has gone bad. Has decent acceleration for a 4, and I get 29 highway and 25 average. I think the styling is great and as used car values go, you wont find a better bang for your buck. 6 cyl buyers beware: as with all 2.7 6 cyl Chryslers, make sure you CHANGE YOUR OIL regularly. One of the best Ive owned, and I"ve had a BUNCH!

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  Nice car for the price - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By Rick - February 27 - 3:42 pm

  We bought the car in 2004. Other than oil changes, we havent had to do much else with the car. We have had some issues with the brakes but other than that, its pretty much been maintenance free. Fun car to drive and I find it comfortable also. We live in the Northeast and as long as you have good winter tires, you can go just about anywhere. On snowy days I take the car instead of my Chevy 2- wheel drive truck.