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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  Wow. - 2015 Chrysler 300
  By Anthony - October 14 - 9:05 am

  I am a life-long Infiniti and Lexus owner. I always buy a car that is at least 1 or 2 years old, so I dont get hit with the depreciation the last poster was complaining about on new cars. Test drove and researched many pre-owed vehicles (including Lexus LS, Infiniti Q70, Benz S, BMW 7, Audi A8) before deciding on a low mileage pre-owned 300c AWD v6 for my next car. To say Im impressed after 500 miles would be an understatement. It is truly the best combo of comfort, performance, safety AND value. Those were my priorities, and this car knocks the ball out of the park. I wanted and found a 300c with the SafetyTec2 Package with adaptive cruise. After using this option for a bit, I wonder how I ever survived without it. It makes driving even more of a pleasure in this car. If you are considering pre-owned in those other big European sedans, do your research... right here on Edmunds. Reliability issues and quirky problems abound in those cars. Even if you pay a fortune for an extended warranty, youll likely be inconvenienced with multiple trips to the dealership for repairs. Side note: I purchased a Chrysler manufacturers bumper-to-bumper extended warranty to cover me up to 7 years and 75k miles.... for $1300. Try to get a price for that warranty on one of those Euro sedans. Youll be lucky if you only pay 3x as much. The 300 was also by far the least expensive of all vehicles I tested.

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  Ices Hott Fire - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By Ices Hott Fire - October 9 - 4:50 pm

  I got this car new with 4 miles on it after trading in my 1999 Cavalier and its been great i love this car, good goin chrysler!!! This thing growls like a mustang and has the power of a Lambo. it handles very precise and the Infinity sound system is awsome!! The navigation system is simple and easy to use, and i love the stock 20" chrome wheels, theres nuthin in the world i would trade this car for.

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  Amazing 300C - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By Mike and Viki Zinna - October 8 - 7:23 pm

  Both being car nuts, I was first struck by the styling. We needed a new ride so we got the Chrysler. I love the Hot Rod almost chopped look. Being from the 60s we had to have the Hemi. The performance and the gas mileage is amazing. The interior is comfortable but a little lacking. The suspension is incredible. For a big car it handles like a sports car. No drift and really hangs in on the corners. Very stable in the wet. What would be really hip is a manual 5 speed. It gives you that 1930s big phaeton kind of feel. Its a wonderful car. I love the satellite radio. A must.

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  A more Aerodynamic looking Red Van - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By John Treiber - October 8 - 7:09 am

  Over-all Im very satisfied so far( only 1 month). The navigation system is hard to set the destination in it. Keeps going to the wrong town, st. or address before I can get to the right one. Example( it goes to Oakbrook Terrace before I can put in Oakbrook,thats a big difference and very frustrating . It took guite a while to get home into it. Ill know more about the van after taking it on the road next month.

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  300C hemi rules - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By dave fed - October 7 - 7:40 am

  The 300c has that great combination of aggressive, powerful good looks and rock solid performance that delivers so effortlessly that you wonder how you ever enjoyed driving another car.

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  Sebring Sedan LX - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By rosebud - October 5 - 10:00 am

  This is my 5th new car and my favorite by far. Excellent value, good looks, snappy performance.

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  Had it for ~6 months and loving it! - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By trbenedict - September 30 - 4:06 am

  I was determined to own a convertible before I was 30. Financially, the choice fell between the new 2005 PT Cruiser and the 2005 Mustang (new design). Both are comparably priced, but the test drive sold me on the Cruiser. It handles very well, and actually has enough room to seat 4 average sized adults comfortably! Im 510 and my husband is 6 tall, but weve never had a problem with head or elbow room. Also, the Cruiser seats the driver higher off of the road. The seats are more like captains chairs than bucket seats. The only problem we have is that the fuel economy is comparable to a small truck, like the Ford Ranger than any car its size. We accept this because it solidly built

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  New owner - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By Derek - September 28 - 3:10 pm

  Not having the vehicle long does not exclude my appreciation for its style, beauty, and performance. I love the powerful V8 slowly building to its full potential instead of the turbo jolt most modern higher HP engines deliver. The center console could use a more technological touch, but overall the features are rich and reachable.

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  FUN CAR TO DRIVE - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By MIKEP - September 28 - 10:00 am

  I CANT IMAGINE PAYING MORE MONEY FOR ANY OTHER CONVERTIBLE. I GUESS IF YOU HAVE MORE MONEY THAN SENSE!THIS CAR IS A BLAST TO DRIVE AND I THINK IT LOOKS AS GOOD AS ANY OTHER RAGTOP WITHIN 20 GRAND.I GOT THE RED PEARLCOAT AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL.THE RIDE AND HANDLING IS ABOVE WHAT I EXPECTED.PLENTY OF TRUNK ROOM AND IT SEATS FOUR VERY COMFORTABLY.EXCEPTIONAL VALUE!

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  Perfection - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By c/o - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Its abeautiful car with lots of features. looking inside reminds me of the benz so much. It needs just a little bit more speed and the front grill has to be refined it needs to look a little more pretty than that.