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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  Cute and Fast Dream Cruiser 3 - 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By SandeeW - January 13 - 10:00 am

  I have only had this car 2 months. I love it. It is gorgeous and very peppy. My biggest gripe is the VERY wide turning radius, making it difficult to park. Also, I think the gas mileage could be better. 0-60 is much quicker than I ever thought. It takes some getting used to, to sit so high up in the seats, but the leather seats in this DC3 are very comfortable. I love the hot rod look (low in front) and the chrome trim. Sirius radio is a nice touch too. I guess if I redesigned it, I would want the seats to sit lower, almost like a sports car, but the retro look is what I fell in love with. This car turns heads! Then of course maybe its me?!

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  Value - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By ZGR - January 13 - 10:00 am

  A lot of car for under $16,000. AND GOOD ON GAS.

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  I love my Sebring - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By Jrlinse - January 13 - 10:00 am

  My Sebring offers me the comfort and comparability of the foreign lines of similar make (ie. camery or taurus) without the hefty price point. Its resale is lower than the caparable vehicles but I plan on driving mine until there is little left of it.

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  Sebring Coupe - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By nique - January 13 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is great. It meets all the standard qualities. Not only does it meet my vehicle standards its also nice to look at, its not a Lexus but its defintely not a Geo. Its easy on the eye and have enough style to it to make people turn their heads twice.

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  2004 Convertible - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By Stephanie - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Phenomenal! Everything is fun about this vehicle. Just a fantastic convertible, that wont break the bank!

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  Looks - 1999 Chrysler LHS
  By Art H - January 13 - 2:00 am

  The car looks great. I get comments all the time. Very confortable. Lots of trunk and interior space and fun to drive. Downfalls, Repair cost are very high, A/C condencer 1100.00 dol. Fan replacements 700.00 dol. and it vacates the a/c which you have to recharge. Bad design if you ask me. Electrical gliches with dash dimmer, flicker on its oun at times. Window switch work interminitly. Recommend get a good warrentty and keep it up to date as long as you own the car.

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  my sebring - 2003 Chrysler Sebring
  By hahasaraha - January 13 - 2:00 am

  I have only had it a few months and I love every little bit of it. I wish I would have gotten the V6 for that extra pick-up but with the 4cylinder- it still has good pickup and passing gears. I have driven long distances and it is extremely comfortable. This car has gven me the affordable luxury I was looking for.

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  Great car - 2002 Chrysler Prowler
  By Eric Barger - January 12 - 2:00 am

  Most fun car I have ever had!!!!!

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  Gets the job done. - 1997 Chrysler Cirrus
  By AAK181 - January 11 - 2:00 am

  I like my car it gets me around, plenty of space moving back and forth from School, and its quick when it has to be. Performance wise its sound it holds up well in the city and on the highway. Maintance is a different story. My biggest complint behind the safety reports are the breaks, which need to be relpaced every year(front and rear). So it tends to be an expencive car, on top of the regular maintenance. Other then that its fine for a first car, but i cant recomend it.

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  Nice Van - 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
  By Todd - January 10 - 9:19 pm

  Classy interior, minivan exterior. Traded a Toyota Sienna that I had for 6 years for this. Immediately noticed how much less space is available behind the 3rd row (still much more than any crossover/SUV) and how nice the long sliding middle row seats were in the Sienna. Also miss the dual glove boxes, the amount of space in the center console, 4 one-touch express windows and the 3rd row venting windows (these are more minor inconveniences to me that Ill get used to not having). Other than those few items, the Pacifica Hybrid is a great vehicle. Hard to believe it is only 6 years newer than the van it replaced as the technology is unbelievable.