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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  New Car with Defects - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By Joeywoodstock - November 5 - 2:00 am

  The car is fun to drive. Although it has it problems. Ive had it in for oil leaks twice already. The passenger window doesnt work right and the engine in unusually noisy. Im not sure the dealer is doing their job. The resale value is terrible.

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  Looks good on the outside, but... - 1996 Chrysler Sebring
  By varnk - November 4 - 3:03 pm

  I love the look. It definitely turns heads for its uniquness. However, there are design problems in the interior that disappointing. Horn is hard to find. Map lights on the mirror will drain the battery dry if you forget to shut them off. Only one cheesy cup holder. Creaky and flimsy plastic interior. Confusing heating/cooling control. Keyless remote has very poor range. I also have had to replace several very expensive computer sensors in addition to water pump and tensioner pully. Total cost over $800. Also has an expensive exhaust system. If it ever has a problem, the whole thing is one very expensive piece.

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  Couldnt be happier - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By MAR1JDH - November 3 - 9:40 pm

  I was hestiant to even look at the Pacifica, but Im glad I did. This has been the perfect family car for my wife and I. It performs great going through the city and was outstanding on a long road trip for Thanksgiving. We also appreciate the memory seating given the 10" height difference. Reliability for 10 months has also been a plus. Its only been back to the dealer for oil changes. Overall our only complaints are the window tint being too dark and rear window too small, making it hard to see out at the back night. My wife really wanted an XC90 until we compared the two. Our fully loaded Pacifica was still less than a base XC90 and we got more horsepower and better overall performance

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  SO close to being my perfect car - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By mikead - November 3 - 10:00 am

  The Pacifica is a well thought out vehicle for the family of 6 or less with creature comforts that would make any long trip a pleasure. My biggest problem with the vehicle (which is why it is not the perfect car) is the miserable lack of power and extremely poor gas mileage (14 City - 20 Hwy). Having traded a 300M in for the Pacifica, I was already familiar with the poor rear visability but having the exact same engine as the 300M (which had ample power with no downshifts on mountains to maintain speed) gave me the false sense that the Pacifica would also be responsive. The car is sluggish and creates a real problem in heavy high speed traffic merging

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  Great Highway car - 2000 Chrysler 300M
  By Gdoggy - November 1 - 2:00 am

  Other than regular servicing no trouble at all. Comfortable and controlled highway ride, decent fuel economy (25-31 mph.) To sum it all up over that last 101,000 miles: Great looks (my opinion)and reliability.

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  Beautiful sport car - 2004 Chrysler Crossfire
  By Joxes - November 1 - 2:00 am

  I bought my crossfire 2 weeks ago. Drove back from Colorado to California. Everything works great, nice speed (140 MPH in Utah), nice acceleration, perfect body, great gas mileage. Everything is working great, nothing to worry about. I tested both 350Z and G35 and decided to go for the Mercedes engine. Im glad I made this decision.

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  After a rough start..... - 1997 Chrysler Concorde
  By Ripdaddy - October 29 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 97 at wholesale. Good thing because I immediately had to replace the steering rack, ps pump, fuel pump, and rear struts. That was in the first two months of ownership with about 65000 miles on the clock. Since then, 30000 miles later, Ive had no problems. The body integrity is excellent, a real stiff unit, fuel mileage is ok with my easy foot- about 23 city and 29 hiway. The engine is smooth but lacking in torque in lower rpms. Externally this has to be one of most beautiful designs ever. I never approach it without thinking what a beautiful car.

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  Very Surprised - 2005 Chrysler 300
  By TAD - October 28 - 12:13 pm

  Bought the car at the suggestion of my wife. Traded in an 02 Lexus LS 430. Get more head turns and wow type comments than I ever experienced with my Lexus even thought it is a lot less expensive. Power to spare and you feel special driving it. Because of the stylish cut of the windows viewing out the back sides is somewhat compromised, but the styling makes it worthwhile. Handles very well and is extremely quietMy car is quipped with Sirius and I wont own another car without Sirius. We travel from home a lot nad being able to bring in both music and talk radio without losing a station is awesome. We almost never use the CD player. Would recommend the car to anyone,

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  One year review, bought used - 2000 Chrysler Concorde
  By Jack in NJ - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I bought the Concorde exactly 1 yr ago. I was looking for a car for my daughter when I ran into this for $8k, 42K miles at a dealer in mint condition. What a buy! I am comparing this to my wifes Lexus so consider that when looking at my ratings. BTW, my kids prefer riding in the Concorde over the Lexus. If you are looking to buy, CHECK the brakes. Factory rotors are a problem but I knew that and factored it into my purchase price. 4 rotors & shoes cost me $750, be advised. Otherwise, no trouble (15k miles), unlike the other posts. OVER maintain Chryslers, especially the transmission. There is a front differential that gets overlooked. Bang for the buck

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  2003 Sebring Limited - 2003 Chrysler Sebring
  By frejj - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I love this car, it is fun to drive, responsive, and an eye catcher.