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:

• 

  many repairs at 50k - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By sue - July 17 - 12:08 am

  Have all the bells and whistles, have had little problems. Reached 50k and now had to replace the evaporator for the AC plus drier/freon/oil for $1900. Also the front brakes for $250. The motor mounts are cracked, $700, The total repairs for this plus other items was $6,600. Never had that kind of problems with any other car I have owned.

• 

  great car, poor reliability - 2001 Chrysler Sebring
  By james - July 16 - 12:36 pm

  Took car to dealership 3 times at 39,000 miles for stalling/ failing to start ended up having to replace my 2.7 L v6 engine not covered by my extended warranty, air conditioning doesnt work anymore, neither does the stereo or parking brake. Still, its very comfortable, handles well, gets decent gas mileage, and its paid for. Guess thats why I still drive it

• 

  Ill keep it - 2001 Chrysler Sebring
  By larry - July 14 - 11:45 am

  Wife bought the car on impulse: now an all-time fave. This car runs smooth as silk w/ 48,000 mi on it. Its quick and very agile. Had to change out ball joints and other front-end stuff at great expense, but after driving new Saab, Audi and MB convertibles, decided the differences werent worth $40,000! Ill keep it!

• 

  02 Sebring six years+ - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By EAG - July 14 - 11:09 am

  Overall good car if taken care of. minor overheat problem and alignment. Interior seats dont hold comfort over time and tend to sag.

• 

  Classy little PT Cruiser- Silver - 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By ElemPrin - July 13 - 12:33 am

  This car has many features that are found on high end cars. It has been very reliable and fun to drive.

• 

  Best car Ive owned - 1994 Chrysler LHS
  By Craig - July 12 - 1:16 pm

  Bought this car for a song. Has over 230,000 miles and still going pretty well, but getting a little long in the tooth. Had the transmission rebuilt, then again under warranty. Had front tie rods & ball joints replaced, misc. other problems. A/C was great until last year, now has a leak. Overall, Ive learned to live with the cars quirks & its been very reliable. For the person who has clim. ctrl problems. Reset the climate control by putting it in test mode and it will no longer be "hot all the time" I periodically have to do this to mine. Google for info--not enough space here. Original alternator lasted till 210K miles, still on original starter. Exhaust system is orig. too.

• 

  Thank you - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By KMeade - July 11 - 12:17 pm

  I had a Ford Explorer XLT and I wanted something smaller but still big and this did it for me. I like the gas and the controls on the steering wheel. I love the space and the truck lots of leg room and very comfortable. Could have done better about the backup view. But I can work it.

• 

  Love it at 1st - - Then the repairs came - 2002 Chrysler Concorde
  By EB - July 10 - 10:27 am

  I love the car when I 1st bought it (used). It only had 59K miles on it. I thought it was a steal. Perhaps 6 months after the purchase I know why. I started hearing rumbling/throttling noise that sounded internal. Smaller garages wouldnt touch the problem. No engine lights were on. I thought Chrysler would know what it was better then anyone. Theyre more expensive but they would know their car better than anyone. I had to replace the crank shaft at a cost of $3,100. I contacted Chrysler to see if they could help cover some of the cost since it only had 66K miles on it but they were no help. The dealer kept my car for 8 days with no loaner. Now the A/C is shot & the engine light is on!

• 

  My sexy experience - 2008 Chrysler Sebring
  By Lolita Greene - July 9 - 11:06 am

  I think the car is sleek and sexy and made for a woman. However, it is a heavy car. The doors and trunk door are heavy. I have had minor problems when the car is riding at a slow speed it jerks. I think an improvement would be to add a place to put your sunglasses when your top is up and they are not on your face( sexy shades is a must). Something to protect the glare off the touch screen when watching a movie. I really love my car is was a gift for my 40th birthday and I am constantly turning heads on the road. The hardtop convertible is like having two cars in one.

• 

  Fun and versatile, with minor flaws - 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Stephen - July 7 - 12:50 am

  Rock-solid reliable: I owned the car for three years, and had no problems at all with it. It took a while to get used to the limited rear visibility, but that was no problem after a week or so. Its underpowered - even with a 5 speed manual. Handling is *terrible* in adverse conditions - especially snow. Strange masking tape marks appeared on the corners of the rear bumper. All that being said, Id buy this car again in a second if I needed something that was both stylish and had the room to pack stuff in.