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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  Get ready for several recalls - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Shayen George - November 13 - 10:00 am

  Chrysler trying to capitalzie on the popularity of the orginal PT model is now building them very quickly, with very cheap components. Mine has been in the shop 3 times in as many months. The transmission went out as I was driving the car home from the dealership. Also, the seals in the right rear break cylinder failed, causing break failure. Also, the 6 CD changer had to be replaced. While this last problem was minor compared to the first 2, it does suggest some serious problems with quality control.

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  looks great but looks arent everything - 2015 Chrysler 300
  By wrench thrower - November 6 - 4:40 pm

  very stylish harsh ride rattles everywhere transmission clunks and slips sometimes at less than 10k rattles began feels like the shock/struts dont work at all feel every bump and crack in road dont like the fact its is stuck in awd at temps below 40 degrees just make it a manual switch dont need awd until u need it!

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  Nice SUV, but... - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Heidi_D - October 7 - 10:00 am

  At the very begining I relly like it, but at 6000 miles a noise either in the steering or front supension started and the dealer said they didnt find any noise the two times the vehicle was for service. Also at 6K miles a module for the power locks and windows stoped working.

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  Come On Chrysler You Can Do Better!!!!! - 2015 Chrysler 200
  By PrincesSarah - September 21 - 8:18 pm

  Yeah the car looks nice and has somewhat of a luxury feel but the ride is anything but luxury. The transmission SUCKS to say the least. It is very jerky. Nothing smooth about it. It was so bad I took my car back to the dealership to see what the heck was wrong. They said they would do some computer updates that should take care of it. Well, it didnt take care of it, it got worse. GREAT!!! I guess this is just the way the car is. I had a Chrysler Sebring for over 10 years, its too bad the quality for Chrysler is going downhill. I will NEVER buy another Chrysler......well, unless they fix this issue.

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  Im not so sure about this one. - 2015 Chrysler 200
  By James Daniels - September 20 - 5:43 am

  Do your research.

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  Awful van - 2000 Chrysler Grand Voyager
  By Tammie - September 9 - 10:00 am

  We have been so frustrated with this van. The second day we had it we had to have it towed to the dealership because of a belt breaking. We should have know then to just take it back. Anyway, it is now on the 3rd transmission at 108,000 miles. I cant even begin to say how many times the belts have broken. We will NEVER buy a Chrysler Van again.

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  Lacking Build Quality - 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Srpass - September 5 - 2:00 am

  Drives nice. Eats a lot of gas and am concerned about the safety factor. Car feels like its made pencil thin. Nice design and interior design.

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  Torquey but problematic - 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By lsimy - August 30 - 2:00 am

  I bought mine slightly used from a Chrysler dealer. Two weeks in, I had to have the tranny completely rebuilt and a PCM swapped out.

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  PT pity - 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By why pt - July 22 - 2:00 am

  2002 Ltd has 7000+ mls on it. Sure it has a lot of features for the price, but what is with the build quality? Drivers window rattles from day one. About 3000 mls lower dash lights stopped working. At 7000 mls the vehicle rolled backwards in park with key out of the ignition. And most recently I had an accident from brake problems at highway speed. But Chrysler had a special investigator look it over and he said he couldnt find any error codes. So in his opinion there is nothing mechanically wrong with it. Good for him, he can have the car. I will NEVER drive it again. I am trading it in, and it looks like Chrysler is unwilling to help me at all. How very Ford/Firestone of them.

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  Buyer beware - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By Barb - July 19 - 5:36 am

  I bought this car for my birthday last year...And i can honestly say it was the worst purchase i have ever made...After 3 months of owning this car it started to develop a severe engine miss, its been in the dealership faithfully every month for the exact same problem...Even the regional big wig came down and said they are aware of the problem but no fix is in site...Great...So here i am with a car that i wanted for so long and now i hate everything about it...I will never again buy a chrysler product...Dr. Z you have failed me....