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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  Car broke down in 4 days of having - 1998 Chrysler Concorde
  By Latisha - October 22 - 2:54 pm

  I have owned this car for 4 days and it broke down on me. I do think this is a great car if you buy it from a reliable source. I think this car already had this major problem, and the dealer was dishonest. I bought this car as-is, but under the understanding that the car was running fine and didnt have any major problems. The economy is at it worst and you have people out there taking advantage of people trying to fill their pockets while someone else is left in the cold. I feel so used and hadnt been able to sleep behide this.

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  2.7 Liter is troublesome - 2000 Chrysler Concorde
  By John M - October 20 - 10:46 am

  I bought this car May of 06 with only 31K miles on it. Thought I was getting a great value because of the low mileage. NOT! A few days after I drove it off the lot the cam sensors failed and the engine stopped running - leaving me stranded on side of road. It was repaired at a cost of approx. $400, plus the $90 tow. After that it was OK except that it burned oil. Now, at 69K miles the engine has blown! Im told it is a very common problem with the 2.7 liter V6 engine and Chrysler has a kit to repair it. Im told it will cost between $1000-$1700 to fix this problem. Although I love the looks of this car, it is not worth the trouble. It is comfortable to drive and has nice lines.V6 is junk!

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  Bad Transmission - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By scropionmanager - October 18 - 12:44 pm

  I am was very excited about my 300 but that excitement has diminished. My car has been to the dealership 5 times since July, the first four times was because of fuel problems and I was told to but a higher octane gas, still had problems until the 4th time when I had to have the throttle body decarbonized because of the poor advice from the 1st visit. Now the transmission needs to be replaced because it was low on transmission fluid for too long. Note you can not check check the fluid the dealership has to this. My question is why wasnt this check the 1st four times I went in. The warranty is gone and now I need to spend $2900 in addition to the $700 already spent in a 2 yr old car.

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  My experience with the 07 PT Cruiser - 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Daniel - October 14 - 2:40 pm

  I bought my 07Cruiser touring edition in 07 and like many features of this car including: the old style look of a 1940s car, the dash board features (outside temp., compass, avg. mi. per gal., mi. till empty..etc.), good cd player, good ac and heat, unique "handle bar" on passenger side, well thought out middle console with 3 cup holders and middle storage with sliding arm rest, smooth ride, good brakes and easy gas pedal, back seats fold down and can come out for plenty of cargo room, stylish interior of textured material. Feels more upscale than you actually pay for it. I recommend this car to those who appreciate old style of cars & who want something that looks nice w/o paying alot.

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  Headlight Control Problems - 2007 Chrysler Pacifica
  By chips4748 - October 13 - 5:47 pm

  At 22,000 miles, new problem with auto control of head lights - set on auto, they do not go off set on auto, the are on in daylight set on manual off, they dont go off for 2-3 minutes.

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  2005 Pacifica - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Dan J - October 11 - 9:40 am

  I traded in a Nissan Pathfinder for the Pacifica and feel the Pacifica is a much better value. The comfort of the ride and the handling are much better. I also feel the standard options and price are much more competitive then the Pathfinder. The Pacifica is also much cheaper to insure because of its excellent safety record. The Pacifica does seem, however, to lack acceleration despite the 250 HP engine.

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  Cant wait until pay-off date - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By Brokendisappointed - October 9 - 11:58 am

  I love this car-as long as everything is functioning properly (which isnt very often). The solenoid goes out every year, usually January or February. The sensors have minds of their own-my engine light is on more than it is off. I had to have a tranny overhaul this past February, as well as the solenoid replaced. Fuel economy is terrible, I dont give a damn what the specs say. The tranny pan gasket has been replaced twice. When the weather is cool/cold, there is a strange scraping noise coming from the rear axle.The seals on the headlight assemblies dry-rotted last year. Needs better sound barriers very noisy when driving. Nevertheless, I have no complaints about performance or handling.

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  Claustrophobic people shouldnt buy this - 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Angel - October 7 - 2:53 pm

  I got my 2007 PT Crusier from a private car broker after I had got into a car accident in my 2000 Toyota Camry in Feb. Now Im a tall girl and my head hits the ceiling if I dont have the seats laid back. I am the claustrophobic type & since the ceiling also slants more down in the front that causes a problem for me too. The drive is a little more rough when I compare it to my old Camry. The PT does not have little cubbies like my Camry did and you sit very high up in the car to the point that you think youre driving a truck. The back seats have great head room though but the leg room is quite small. Its December now and Im trading in my PT. Hopefully tomorrow cause Im sick of driving it.

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  Functional, good value vehicle - 2008 Chrysler Aspen
  By Aspen Owner - October 7 - 1:19 pm

  Purchased my Aspen in September 2008. So far it has been enjoyable to drive. The best thing about the Aspen is that it is a functional car. I have the second row bench seating (for childs seat). Also, the third row folding down and stowing is a nice option. Other similar size vehicles either dont have a third row or you have to physically remove the seats and store them somewhere else. I got the limited signature series(J pkg) with the 5.7 L Hemi. Gas mileage was to be expected about 14 - 15 mpg. The interior is great with MyGig, Navigation, DVD player and rear camera. To purchase the same vehicle from another manufacturer would probably have cost me $10K more. Good car overall.

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  Its Been a Great Van - 2000 Chrysler Grand Voyager
  By roadies - October 7 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I bought this van at the end of the model year. It had been a rental fleet vehicle and had 20k mile on it. Aside from a couple of small fluid leaks which we had repaired under warranty, it has been a great van and I have been very impressed with its quality and reliability, especially considering all of the horror stories I have heard about Chrysler vans. This having been our first minivan, I have been very pleased with the ride and handling. We liked this van so well that we are upgrading to an 03 Grand Caravan eX.