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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  SRT-6 Coupe - A Real Sleeper!! - 2005 Chrysler Crossfire
  By Ken C - February 20 - 3:10 am

  I purchased my Graphite Metallic SRT-6 7 mos ago. The plan was to buy the SRT- 6, drive it for a couple of years until the price of a used Cayman S got within my range, then sell it and move into the Porsche. I really underestimated this car! Suspension, handling, acceleration, and build quality have all been tremendous. The more I drive it, the more impressed I am. Im not clear why the SRT-6 hasnt gotten more positive press. I guess attention has been more focused on the new Vette and Cayman S. With the incentives available on the SRT-6, the price is below $40K, making the SRT-6 a bargain compared to similar performing 2 seat sports cars. Like the title says: A Real Sleeper!!

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  Great car for the money - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Lisa - February 19 - 5:46 am

  We chose to add all the available features to upgrade our car to include all the features we always really wanted in a car- the leather seat pkg., dvd and entertainment up grade, sunrooof, nav. system, ect. and the price was still reasonable. Compared to a comp. equiped Cadillac, Lexus, or VW it was a deal. It might not have the status of the previously mentioned models but its comfort and appointments are just as nice. Weare very pleased. The only real drawback we have found is the lack of visibility when backing up. This could be solved by adding the rear sensor option from Mopar. Other than that we love our Pacifica!

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  Lovely, Lovely! - 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By mocknozzier - February 16 - 5:53 pm

  I bought my 2001 5-speed PT Cruiser on February 19, 2014, and it has been nothing but perfect so far! I only paid $2,500 for it, 85,000 mi, and numerous people commented on what good condition it was in (I had test drove another PT at a different dealer; it was higher priced and was in bad condition). I learned to drive stick in this car; it is particularly more easy to stall in this car than in other stick shifts. Its not very good in the snow, so its best to wait until the roads are plowed and salted to take it out. I have a lot of tall friends (around 6 ft), and for being a small car it has a lot of leg/head room! It is also a dream to parallel park and is very spacious on the inside!

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  Ma Mopar does it right - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By plum - February 10 - 10:00 am

  Drives like a dream, perfer it over the AWD model

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  Wind in your hair - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Gar4real - February 8 - 8:03 pm

  This is my second PT Cruiser and it is even more fun to drive than the first one. The retro styling coupled with modern amenities make the Cruiser the best of all possible choices. The car is quiet and windproof a real feat for a convertible. I have the standard base model with a 150 hp engine and a 5 speed manual transmission. I have never noticed the lack of power some people write about with the base engine and auto transmission. Fun to drive, always attract attention, perfect for a day in the sun.

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  Best Convertible I have ever owned - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Mermelstein - February 6 - 4:36 am

  This is the 4th convertible that we have owned. The others were leaky and not built as solidly. This one is frisky and fun to drive. The turning radius is very wide but this is the only negative that we have found. It is very comfortable and the back seat is roomy and the most comfortable of any other convertible that we have owned. It is also very quiet. We have our first GPS in this one. It gets us where we want to go. In fact, we wont buy another car without one.

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  The perfect car - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By retail102 - February 5 - 12:13 pm

  Purchased to replace a BMW 740 returned on lemon law. Paid a little over half the price of a new beemer. Four months after purchase my wife and brother bought the same car, different colors of course. Love the ride, performance lacks ZERO. ESP is great in Ohio winter. The Rear parking sensors have been a blessing in parking garage. I have never filled out one of these questionaires but with the price of this car I feel compeled to "spread the word" Great Job! If this car wore a bage from Europe it would easily sell for over $100,000.00. A steal at 45k

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  2005 Touring AWD - Very Pleased - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By 2005 Pac Owner - February 5 - 4:20 am

  Ive driven 3000 miles and I am extremely happy with this auto. A third of these miles have been driven in bad Winter weather. The Pacifica with AWD has handled these Winter condition better than I expected. Far better than my previous SUV. The road handling is exceptional. I have never felt safer in an automobile. The engine power has incresed substantially since the first 1500 miles. It has plenty under the hood. I do not understand the reviews that complain about the lack of power. I drive on hilly roads and the Pacifica has plenty of get up an go. I have averaged 19.4 MPG after the first 1000 miles. This is all Winter driving with a mix of city and highway. Not too bad.

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  Excellent Buy - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By TASC - February 4 - 10:00 am

  This purchase was a replacement for my dying Jeep... and although I still miss my Jeep, this was a great replacement buy! The vehicle offers much of the same options available in similar vehicles with about the same price line. o Seating is spacious and comforatble. o Once the vehicle gets moving, it picks up beautifully. o The ride is exceptionally quite (except if you have only one window open - then you get that buffeting noise :) ) o Mileage is better than expected (remember Im coming from a Jeep). Overall, I think this is an excellent buy especially for folks with older kids in the family - less fighting because theres no touching.

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  Best car we have ever owned - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By schwadave1 - February 4 - 10:00 am

  The Pacifica is FUN to drive. We took it for a driving vacation this summer ... even after 8 hours of driving, we were all comfortable. Drives like a sports sedan, not like an SUV or Minivan.