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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  Awesome - 2004 Chrysler Crossfire
  By xfire - January 6 - 10:00 am

  I just bought one last week and ive put 1000 miles on it from los angeles to san francisco. everything was perfect every other person on the freeway looks and looks. the handling and acceleration are really good. ive tried porche boxter/audi tt/lexus g35 coupe/nissan 350z and this car is by far the best.

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  carusa - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By padu - January 6 - 10:00 am

  This SUV/VAN combination is really a cool vehicle with more room and additional features. Its exterior design is above the class (i guess orginally designed by Mercedez).

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  First Impression of My New Pacifica - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Mogo - January 6 - 10:00 am

  - Very comfortable on long distance trip which reduced driver (my) fatigue. - Handled very well in rain. Lots of gadgets to play with. - Underpowered especially when passing, not forgetting this is a big,heavy vehicle. I miss the 5th gear. - Kids well entertained in the back with the dvd system.

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  Customizers dream - 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Mr.BB - January 6 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned 5 cars, and this is my favorite one. Good looks, gets noticed. And you can customize it to your personality, something that cant be done for 90% of autos. Good car on the highway. Gas mileage is the only drawback (I get 18mpg). After I drove it from Chicago to New York roundtrip, the computer started to give me better performance.

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  Sweet as Honey and Fun to drive - 2002 Chrysler 300M
  By albert65 - January 6 - 2:00 am

  This will make my third car to dat that I purchased outright. I had test driven many cars in this same category class and price/features/size nothing comes close. This automobile is simply amazing and a complete pleasure to drive. I am a happy driver thanks Damler-Chrysler. Excellent job

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  Problems, Problems, Problems - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By Trazar - January 6 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this car in February of 99, and have had the starter replaced, A/C Fan replaced (2X), Engine Cooling Fan replaced, drivers side window motor......although it is fun to drive and is very roomy for a person of my height (63"), Chrysler has to work out the problems that I have been seeing in these reviews!

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  Loved the comfort, but time to let it go - 1994 Chrysler LHS
  By SherryD. - January 5 - 2:00 am

  I put 100,000 miles on this car in 4 years. Bought it at 40,000 miles. Every mile driven in pure luxury! Soft leather seats. TONS of room in the back and trunk. Lots of little extras. HOWEVER, it has had problems all along the way. Tranmission dropped from 3rd to 2st gear while driving it at 55 mph! Rebuilt it...still problems. Air conditioner motor died two years ago. Everything is going now. Too many repairs now. Hate to see it go though! I will miss the comfort..dont think it can be replaced easily or economically!

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  Best Large Sedan Ever!!!! - 2002 Chrysler 300M
  By JonA57 - January 5 - 2:00 am

  Great looking, fun to drive sedan with plenty of room to drive the golfing foursome to the links with their clubs. Looks right at home in the parking lot next to the large S-class MBs & 700-series BMWs. After 18 trouble-free months I still love to drive it like the day I brought it home!!! Title should read- Best Sedan Ever- at a sane price.

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  Low Price - High luxury - low repair - 1994 Chrysler LHS
  By Dave B - Canada - January 4 - 2:00 am

  Excellent car for the money - with just some slight performance adjustments, a real rocket now [K/N filter, and redone intake system]. I purchased for $8000 CDN [$5000 USD] - in mint, showroom condition. Everything works, and works perfectly - its now almost as fast as my SHO now... and gets 28MPG.

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  my car - 1996 Chrysler Concorde
  By roxiee - January 3 - 2:00 am

  i have had a great experience with my car so far .... i just boght it for my 18th b-day and i love it ... it runs great and is awesome on gas and insurence.