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:

• 

  A+ - 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By CruisinKeith - June 24 - 10:00 am

  Handles well, with a slightly stiff suspension. Powered well, but not a muscle car. Stylish and well built. Dependable. Short on trunk space if 4 adults pack for trip, but otherwise very practical with flip down seats, etc.. No warranty issues here, but the plastic pull-out drawer under passenger seat could be made better.

• 

  My 1997 Chrysler Concord - 1997 Chrysler Concorde
  By Jim Hedderly - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Weak Air Conditioning

• 

  Very happy Concord owner - 1998 Chrysler Concorde
  By :) :) :{) - June 23 - 2:00 am

  We purchased our Concord to replace the family minivan that served us well for 10 years. This car looks great and drives even better. Lots of leg room in back for teenage family and friends. Mega trunk has lots of room. We put many miles on since owning it and have enjoyed the long trips as well as the short ones. We added a spoiler to go past the family car image.

• 

  One Happy Driver! - 2000 Chrysler Sebring
  By Mtclairmom - June 23 - 2:00 am

  This car is fun to drive and its sleek exterior design was a major deciding factor in purchasing it. The only drawback, which I was fully aware of and I compensate for in operating the vehicle, is the low front end. A strange note: it has a Mitsubishi engine! Nevertheless, I am one very happy Chrysler customer and wouldnt hesitate to purchase another one when the time comes.

• 

  What a machine! - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By Branson - June 22 - 1:06 pm

  I always liked unique things. The 300C with its break-away styling and powerful engine fills the bill. This is a fun car in every way. I drive 64 miles each day and the 300C is a pleasure to drive. The ride is comfortable and the sound system with with Sirius shortens the trip. As an original member of the rock and roll generation (now in my 60s) I couldnt afford a muscle car back then, but I can now and Im loving it. If all you want is transportation dont buy this car - get an Avalon. My wife has 2005 Avalon and she would rather drive my car, but I wont let her!

• 

  Great Car - 1997 Chrysler Concorde
  By dpat - June 22 - 2:00 am

  Owned since new. First Chrysler product Ive had. This has been the most trouble free car Ive ever owned. It has 80,000+ miles on the odometer and the only repairs other than normal maintenance items were replacing the air conditioning drier under the dash with related work (partly covered by a Chrysler) at 55,000 miles and replacing an oxygen sensor at 65,000 miles.

• 

  Dont Buy One - 1995 Chrysler LHS
  By Ruger - June 21 - 2:00 am

  Vehicle bought with 50,000 miles w\extended warranty for up to 75,000 miles. Transmission crapped out at 82,000 miles. Cost of repairs $3100.00, fixed on 4-01. Theres more! One year later $2200.00 more spent on water pump, timing belt & ac repairs. Is this insane or what!! To have to spend over $5300.00 in a years time for repairs is pretty pathetic. I will never buy a Chrysler product again!!!

• 

  Minivan Paradise! - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Jan West - June 20 - 3:25 pm

  We absolutely love this minivan! Weve only had it about a month, so questions about maintenance costs and resale value are not applicable. Regarding gas mileage, this vehicle had the highest of any of the vans we saw at 28 on the road. The moon roof is awesome because it goes the full length of the car. The most outstanding feature is the way the seats fold down into the floor of the car--so ingenious! The roof rack tucks in--a lever opens it up when needed. I think this is a streamline feature that will save gas mileage. The amount I entered for the price is the advertised price we paid, without sales tax, other fees, and extended warranty. The car, inside and out, is beautiful! It is so easy to drive and very comfortable. It will take us awhile to learn and use all the features this car has to offer. It seems like the engineers thought of everything! Update: We have owned the minivan now just over 6 months. We still think this is an amazing vehicle! We could add that we wished there was more hanging space for clothing. We bought some hooks that clip onto the headrest posts of the front seats that you access behind the front seats and this helps. Also, we noticed that the speed control does not maintain the set speed when going downhill sometimes. If I lower the speed by one mile, it seems to hold the speed in check better. We bought rubber mats online to protect the interior carpeting. This is such an easy driving, comfortable ride! We are planning to take it camping this summer and are looking forward to sleeping inside with the moon roof open. We are happy to own such a luxurious vehicle!

• 

  Just Bought It, Already Lovin It! - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Bill - June 20 - 9:32 am

  OK, my wife and I are finicky about our favorite cars/vans to drive, for leisure or for work. She has a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee, I drove a Camaro most of the time. We stopped at our local Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram dealership, for an oil change in the Jeep. So we are walking casually in the showroom, when we see this beautiful red color on a minivan, SUV? We both go towards it and say "What the #@$$ is this!" Dealership owner is walking by, he says "good morning" as do we, then my wife asked if it was unlocked, and if we could look inside? He says, sure! do what ever you would like to. So we did. My wifes wheels were already turning inside her head, and I was floored by the concept and features on this rather large vehicle. We were both experiencing something that seldom happens in our 32 years weve been married. We agreed on the spot, "This is our next vehicle!" The one on the showroom floor was a Limited model in the Red Pearl coat finish. We haggled a price with a nice salesman. looked again at each other, and said " No, thats too much." Salesman says there are two other models both in red pearl coat. We got outside saw the Touring model, and only noticed a couple of small details, the other had, and this one did not. What it did have, was 95% of the other options of the more expensive model. Great! Took it on a 15 minute test drive, came back, haggled a bit, got the price we wanted. We spent 5 hours total at the dealership, and bought a new Pacifica. Weve had it for 5 days now, and loving it more each day. I have Parkinsons, and other health issues, my Mother is 82. My wheelchair and supplies fit in a few different places inside, while leaving plenty of room for 4 or 5 passengers. I can get out easier, as well as my Mother can get out without any assistance. Looking forward to many family functions out of town, now that we can ride/drive in comfort. Well we have spent one full year in our 2017 Pacifica. Going over the things I commented on in previous post. I stand behind them a year later. It has made several trips to WVU Morgantown WV. The comfort and styling still feel new ,(in a good way). We feel confident with our decision to buy. Definitely the right automobile for us!

• 

  Fix the little things-shell keep runnin - 1995 Chrysler Cirrus
  By Ohio Die-hard - June 20 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Cirrus used at 32K, it now has 175K and is still ticking. Have replaced crank sensor, oxygen sensor, front end stabolizer bars, distributor (big $), rear brake line, and the brakes/rotors mutliple times. It still runs great. Still has original muffler, battery, starter etc. Gas mileage o.k., great pick up with just enough power. Overall, for the amount of miles and daily abuse, it has performed very well. It is paid for, so I plan to keep fixing her till she croaks