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 Mistake I ever Made. - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By fionafirst - March 9 - 9:09 pm

  I had 5 grand to send on a used car at the age of 18, and went to the dealership and test drove this lovely convertible. Before doing any Vehicle History Reports I bought the car, it was a gut decision. It was a stupid risk to take but I am sure gald I took it. The car has power, dont let the low displacement number fool you, it can get up and go quickly The road noise is low with the top up, and the roof never leaks even in the worst rain Nothing has broken other than the rear ball joints, only 200 to replace Its even fun to drive for a mid size car, and comfortable for 4 adults Youll love cruising around in the summer evenings, and have you seen how good this car looks?? DAMN!

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  A STEAL FOR THE PRICE BUT DONT EXPECT A SPORTS CAR - 2013 Chrysler 200
  By atadres2 - February 17 - 2:46 am

  i have bought my 200 for a steal! 15000 BRAND NEW OUT THE DOOR 4 months ago about 5000 on the engine i hit a bumper on the freeway thanks to the cars amazing hight compared to other midsizes no damage except a busted gas tank thankfully no leaks so i was able to drive it safely still i replaced the gas tank for 1000 dollars at puente hills dodge chrysler jeep factory stock part the car is very smooth and shifts incredibly for a 4 speed 6 shift points make it a real fun car to drive but not like a v6 i have had 8 cars ranging from hybrids to v8s this is somewhere in the middle of power and fuel efficient i get about 22 mpg on mixed use

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  Love hate relationship - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By assila - December 30 - 1:27 am

  I bought my Pacifica used in January 2012. I had not had any real problems with my Pacifica until January 2013. I ended up having a preemie who was hospitalized an hour away from where I lived. After a late night visit to the hospital my steering wheel locked up on the interstate going 75mph on my way back home. I was able to get the car off to the side of the interstate right before it completely died on me. Got the car towed home, then towed to a mechanic who said it was multiple problems. We put in a new fuse box But still come not get the car running. ($1,500 spent) It seemed to be running then as soon as we drove it home it would die again. Found it to be a lose wire in the door!

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  Get the Hemi! - 2013 Chrysler 300
  By joner800 - December 19 - 9:27 pm

  After owning two top-trim level Mazdas, I grew tired of missing out on true luxury and high-tech features. I was also looking for a more exhilarating driving experience. I looked at the Ford Taurus SHO, the Hyundai Genesis R-Spec, and some others, but nothing caught my attention like the 300 John Varvatos Edition. I love that it is so unique I will never run into another one on the road. Its an unmistakably gorgeous car and its a blast off the line with the 5.7 Hemi. I have driven it over 2500 miles and I still look forward to every time I get in this car. This car looks better, sounds better, and accelerates better than most cars in the $60-70k range - trust me.

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  One year later, still love it! - 2012 Chrysler 300
  By wndsofchng06 - November 22 - 8:41 am

  Ive now had my 300 for a year. It is a great car. Good styling, good handling, very comfortable for my long commute. When I punch the gas to merge on to the highway, the "fly by wire" sometimes delays a second, but the car kicks up and goes! Having traded my mustang in on this car, I have no regrets. I can now carry passengers and get 31MPG on my 50 mile highway commute! Ive had no quality issues and already have 32,000 miles in the first year.

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  Nice for the price - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By fuzzy82 - November 18 - 7:37 pm

  While it is certainly no sports car or luxury car my sebring returns nice gas mileage, solid performance for what it is, and in 97000 miles has required nothing outside of routine maintenance. There are no fancy features like most new cars and no hi-tech info system but the simple straight forward controls have never failed to function as intended. Its a nice car for the price just dont expect a high end car at an entry level cost.

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  I love this car!!! - 2005 Chrysler Crossfire
  By carjunkie66 - October 22 - 7:01 pm

  For the pice this has been a dependable Gunnar to drive. Nothing ever goes wrong with it. It is very peppy, handles well and gets folks to look at you when you drive by. Oil changes are a little high, but you only need to get one or two per year. I would recommend this car to any that are looking for a reasonably priced "fun" car that will cost little in maintenance

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  Balky Transmission - 2011 Chrysler 300
  By grandpappy - October 7 - 8:33 am

  First of all, I love this car.. its so much fun to drive and folks love to talk to me about its looks... The one problem is the transmission. It bumps occasionally and three times it has seemed to go into neutral while pulling out to pass on the highway.. all three times it seems as though the engine has stall but that cant be the case since the power steering still works.. Its the transmission.. As a retired professional drive, I am able to keep calm when this occurs but my wife would be lost and may have a serious wreck had it happened to her.. The first time the dealer said it was a software glitch and needed updating.. the two time sinve, they say they cant find anything.

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  A Lot of Car for the Money! - 2013 Chrysler 300
  By dustync - September 6 - 6:25 pm

  As of 841 miles, I am very pleased with my decision to go back to American Made! The 2013 Chrylser 300 is a pleasure to drive. It is so very quiet and smooth! More so than my 2011 Honda Odyssey van (that has been plagued with problems). The base model does exhibit a bit of "floatiness", which is attributed to the smooth and quiet ride. But its not a negative. Compared to most cars on the market, it has a lot of room, especially in the rear passenger area. Wish it had more in the drivers area for big guys like me. For me, buying the base model and adding fog lamps and O.E.M 20" custom wheels to a car that was already feature rich... made sense! $28,400 ...out the door!

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  Awful to drive in the snow - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By cosmo5976 - August 24 - 2:14 am

  I have a 2006 300C I bought new in Nov of 05. For the most part the car is a reasonable ok car. Replaced a front strut and tires and that is about it so far. Car looks great with the Bentley grill and high speed feels like your floating on a cloud. However, without a doubt this is the worse car I have ever driven in the snow. Even with a light touch of the gas pedal reserving all this horsepower the car spins (including after I bought new high end tires for snow) and sways side to side. In the past I have ventured out in the snow only to turn around because the security that I will be able to get home or get stuck is a constant on my mine. Should have gone with the awd version.