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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  great lil car - 2006 Chrysler Sebring
  By cherrymarie - July 31 - 9:58 pm

  I got my Sebring just a few weeks ago, and have loaded on the miles....GREAT MPG...average 30 plus on consistent basis. Handles really well, easy to drive, fun to be in...get so many compliments on the look and color. I keep her clean, and when the standard rims are clean, they get so many compliments...stock but ever so sexy. Been easy on the wallet so far, even with 115k on it when I got it...keep up the maintenance, should be a great ride for a while!!!

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  High Tech can Leave You Wanting More - 2012 Chrysler 300
  By taz49 - July 25 - 12:21 pm

  Purchased new and before first payment is made I am on my 4th trip to the dealer for repair. Worst yet the basic consumer relation response is once we fix the Nav youll have a great car. The vehicle ratings would certainly be higher if I was not given a brand new car with 14 miles with a broken Nav and now back up camera needs repairs. This is my 4th Chrysler product and I test drove 10 other cars before I picked the 300. The safety features combined with power and performance.

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  Hope you bought the extended warranty - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
  By lovey4 - July 23 - 5:04 pm

  Overall, the car was nice looking, just issues. It was spacious and comfortable for long road trips. At 40k miles alternator went, 50k something in the frontend needed repair due to noise (never went away) then at 60k ti-rod needed to be replaced, 70k engine sensors (mulitiple), timing belt, water pump needed replacement and air conditioning needed to be recharged. Not the best in snow.

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  Fun car - Dont buy new !!!! - 2006 Chrysler Sebring
  By keno1954 - July 22 - 6:08 am

  The Sebring convertible is one of the few remaining fun and full sized convertibles on the market today. I just purchased my third Sebring convertible. I purchased them all used with low miles because Chryslers drop in value so quickly. I highly recommend the vehicle for numerous reasons but please be aware that these vehicles are know to require more than routine maintenance. Buy a great car at the least possible price because you will be spending money on maintanence.

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  Love Hate Relationship! - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By limopaul - July 17 - 6:20 pm

  Loved this car from the day I drove it home. One owner black beauty only mod was a K&N drop in filter and I added a Borla exhaust system. Hella fast and fun to drive. Well maintained and garage kept, used as a Livery sedan and purchased with about 93k miles. Replaced front strut assemblies and wheel bearings (pricey). Car is nose heavy by design. All went well without any issues until cruising in the fast lane at about 70mph Engine lost power without warning, barely made it off of freeway and car had died at the offramp. Stranded with clients in car 85 miles from home! Broken valve spring, bent valve and pushrod, Had heads redone and with tow bill about a $2500 breakdown. Sold it

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  Its all about the drive... - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
  By cadillacjack1 - June 12 - 11:13 pm

  Ive owned my Sebring for about a month now. The ride quality of this car is among the best I have experienced. Where the rubber meets the road-where handiling meets performance, this vehical is solidly built. fun to drive Economical to own. I removed my factory plastic hub caps and opted for a set of stainless steel snap on covers. Painted my grill black- tinted the windows,and removed a section from the air inlet and have increased my horsepowersuprisingly, and it only took about a minute. The Sebring is a bit of a plane Jane as looks go..but with a bit of flash-she stands out nice in any crowd. As I understand from reading many reviews. a good car to own.

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  Follow-up - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By dale330 - June 10 - 4:11 pm

  Its been a couple years since I posted, so I wanted to do a follow up. My car now has 93,000 miles on it and has lost considerable fuel mileage. Ill have it tuned up this year, but stay away from Bosch Platinum+4 plugs. I used those in my last tune up and lost 3-4 mpgs. Other than that Im still happy with my car. The engine is clean, no sign of sludge and I still run full synthetic oil through it. Ive been doing a lot more driving with it over the last year and have no qualms with the reliability of my car. My car, by the way, is actually an LX, but with the V-6 engine. Edmunds doesnt include the V-6 option with the LX.

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  Nice, but depends on your preference - 2012 Chrysler 200
  By tman24 - June 7 - 12:39 pm

  I have had the car for a year now, and mine has 26k on it. I like the design and standard features of the car(especially for $18k). I havent had any real problems with it, and it still drives like it did when I got it. I will say that the transmission is rough, but I am a car person, so I looked up the gear ratios and noticed how far apart they are from first to second gear and that seems to be the reason. This should only affect the 4cyl because of its lower power. My fiance has a 4cyl toyota corolla which does the same thing, so I think it is normal. I would have rather gotten the v6 for the power, but everything else is good.

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  A decent car - 2013 Chrysler 200
  By robcat20 - June 1 - 5:45 pm

  I traded in my 2009 Ford Taurus SEL for a 2013 Chrysler 200 S Touring Sedan today. My first impression is overall positive. I have never owned a 4 cylinder engine before, and I am noticing a huge difference in power and speed. I brake tested the car by slamming the brakes at 45 mph. The vehicle did not loose control, but the stopping distance was sluggish. The vehicle is no comparison to the new Ford Fusion or some others in its mid-sized segment, but the overall value is far superior. I chose to save money and go for the chrysler. The interior is comfy and spacious which was a concern since I am a large guy and I traded in a much larger vehicle.

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  Forget Korean and Japanese - Thank you Detroit - 2013 Chrysler 200
  By ak206 - May 30 - 7:13 pm

  I picked this car up a few days ago and I am very happy with it. Fit and finish are excellent. Very smooth and quiet ride. Great fuel economy. I chose the 4 cylinder with the auto 6 speed. It feels like a much stronger 6. Not sure why anyone would buy a Hyundai, Kia, Honda or Toyota. Great value for the money. Paid less then 19K out the door. Shop around, there are good deals out there now.