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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  Thanks - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By LingLing - December 13 - 10:00 am

  We are very pleased with our Sebring Limited. After driving it for a little over 5 weeks now we have experienced no problems. Used Edmunds.com to arrive at the dealership with a price, they were right on the money and we believe it was a large part of a nice buying experience, they gave us their price and we gave them ours, driving out of the dealership in slighly more then an hour. Only complaint to date is the windshield structor limits my view at traffic signals.

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  LOVE MY PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By CHAR - December 13 - 10:00 am

  IT IS SO FUN TO DRIVE IF YOU TEST DRIVE ONE YOU WILL WANT ONE IT RIDEES LIKE A FULL SIZE CAR THIS IS MY TOY I ALSO HAVE A CHEVY AVALANCHE AND I FIND MY SELF ONLY DRIVING MY CRUISER I HAVE THE TURBO AND IT HAS GREAT POWER

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  Great Until..... - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By sumcomfort - December 13 - 2:00 am

  I had the car die on me twice in the first year and a half. Something to do with the main computer and the transmission. Covered under warrenty and I was good to go. Lots of compliments received since I got it. I am currently at 86,000 miles and the last six months has been one problem after another. Power stearing had to be replaced. Evaporator on the air conditioning had to be replaced. Just in the last few weeks the car died again. No warning lights, just lost power and died. Turned out there was a major malfunction in the engine due to low oil pressure and had to replace engine.

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  Wow...impressive car. - 2003 Chrysler Sebring
  By stvkrenim - December 13 - 2:00 am

  The car has a surprisingly comfortable and quiet ride, a dramatic improvement over the 96 Cirrus I used to own. The interior seems a lot nicer, too. The cars engine is peppy enough for most situations, but when you really want to get moving quickly, the 2.4L engine is somewhat taxed by the cars weight. It never really feels truly underpowered...but it never feels like it has power to spare, either.

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  I dont see the problems everyone has??? - 1996 Chrysler Sebring
  By money1973 - December 11 - 2:00 am

  I bought my JXi w/ 74K miles on 11/01 and thought I would have the typical "Chrysler" problems. 13 months later has 89,300 and I couldnt be happier. It ALWAYS starts and never left me stranded. Temps can get to -15 in winter and the 2.5 V6 always starts instantly. The only repairs, new wheel bearings and tranny cooler lines. The valance on the bottom of the rear window has separated from the glass, but the its only an appearance item so no water leaks. I do dread the $1300 100,000 mile tune up and timing belt change. I dont baby my cars and this JXi just keeps running. Could I have the only reliable Chrysler Sebring JXi ever built??!! LOL!

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  What a car! - 2003 Chrysler 300M
  By beespecial - December 10 - 2:00 am

  My first NEW car in many years. Comfortable, roomy, more than enough power and looks great! I love this car. My only ding is that the mileage is nowhere close to the projections on the sticker. 17 city/26 hiway to my 16.8 average on mostly highway driving. Would have expected at least an average of 20 mpg. Still, did I mention I love this car?

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  Tops my old Seville! - 2001 Chrysler 300M
  By Aileen2 - December 10 - 2:00 am

  not wanting to pay 50m+ for a new cadillac, and unable to find a used one I liked, I decided to try something else. I cant believe how much I love my 01 300M! Has all, even more features of the Cadillac, plus better handling and responseiveness. Being 51" and married to a 6 footer, the programmable seat adjustments are wonderful! Heated seats are also great in cold weather and for sore backs! If youre looking for a great car at a realistic price, dont overlook the 300M!

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  300M - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By JP MANOUK - December 10 - 2:00 am

  Nice vehicle that handles well and looks sharp. Fuel economy could be better but safety is also a concern

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  91,000 miles in 45 months. - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By groveguy - December 10 - 2:00 am

  A great "road car" for both highway and country driving. Fun to drive with adequate power. Only problems were electrical & transmission. Both were taken care of twice under extended warranty. Great car for the money.

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  300M - Stylish, Fast - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By 300MFan - December 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car because it comes loaded with features automatically - hate to keep adding features. The power for highway situations is outstanding! Interior is comfortable and spacious. Trunk opening is a bit small, but long, small diameter cargo can easily fit with back seats folded down - just dont try to put a TV in its box in there, it wont work! Fuel economy has averaged 24.5 MPG for 40,000 calculated miles - pretty darn good! I highly recommend this car!