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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  Red Pacifica - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Val - June 19 - 9:00 am

  We drove a number of these before we bought one and loved the way they road. However this one after we bought it seemed to ride rougher than the others. It seems to shake back and forth when going down streets at 35 to 4o mph. Highway driving is great.

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  My 2001 Sebring - 2001 Chrysler Sebring
  By Audio Terrorist - June 17 - 12:56 pm

  Ive had this car about a year now and its been a good car. Had a few problems. Heater resistor went cost 100 bucks to have fixed at dealer and had a rear strut tower mount rust out was 20 bucks and about a 1/2 hour labour myself! Fun to drive. Tranny seems to be the weak link I think. Otherwise Ive been more than happy with it! Great rear seat room

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  06 Pacifica AWD Signature Series - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
  By tg - June 8 - 7:43 pm

  My wife and I feel we made an excellent choice considering the features we got. I has a great, quiet, smooth ride. My wife loves the heated seats. Good features on climate control; really like having the nav system; like the DVD/CD players and especially the input jacks for my ipod. Also pleased with the free 1yr Sirius subscription. There is room to carry everything we need to; now my wife says she can go small on our next car with the kids gone and get rid of the Sienna-oh boy another sports car! The auto liftback feature is neat to have. Wipers do a fine job. Love the design-its uniqueness from the majority of other SUVs sold me.

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  I love my PT Cruiser! - 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By lilmama1124 - June 8 - 7:20 am

  After months of research and reading reviews on this site and others, I bought my PT Cruiser in Augusy 2008. I absolutely love it! Its cool looking and fun to drive. I down sized from an Explorer so the extra miles per gallon is also a plus. It could do with a little more power on the highway though. I havent had any problems with it in the 4 months Ive owned it.

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  PT Cruiser - 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By bdtrib - June 4 - 10:00 am

  Excellent automobile. Extremely versatile. Fit and finish has been A+ from day one. Car still gets alot of attention.

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  cute, but 90% wrong - 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By mrsestanley - June 3 - 2:20 pm

  i find this car to look great, but inside, i have a horrible time getting used to it. my husband is 65" and 300 lbs and he can drive it with no problem. however, the window levers are placed in the middle of the dash and that is an awkward place, the cup holders sit in awkward positions and arent suitable for most drink or cups, the steering wheel doesnt adjust much, the seat are so hard and the front sits so low that its already cracked from speed bumps. i like it, but would definitely shop more for something less awkward. oh, acceleration and gas mileage are awful. it costs $45 to fill up with todays gas prices and it rags during acceleration and is LOUD!

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  Value, Value, and more Value! - 2007 Chrysler 300
  By Chuck J - Decatur IL - May 30 - 9:03 pm

  There is no other car out there with these looks, V8-performance, a solid structure that can beat what you get for $38,000. Ive owned Mercedes, BMW, and other Chryslers and the value you get with the 300C cannot be beat. It feels as solid as a Mercedes and the interior is the best an american company has put together so far.

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  Love my car - 2001 Chrysler Sebring
  By jaams - May 29 - 1:23 pm

  I get more compliments on look of my car. The color is royal blue with a blue top and chrome wheels and it looks great. I have fun driving this car, and love to drive with the top down most of the time.The dash also has a great look and lots of leg room for drivers and passengers

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  Gretchen - 2004 Chrysler Crossfire
  By tyler2 - May 28 - 10:00 am

  I am a car fanatic, I love them, all shapes and sizes. But this car I couldnt really rely on excet for show. It is a great sports car, I love it. But I want to be able to take a car out whenever I want to, not have to worry about weather. So, I would reccomend it to the warmer environment, and to the car lover of course.

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  Fun Car with Real People Appeal - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By jqd100 - May 26 - 9:33 pm

  We have a fully optioned GT with inferno red exterior, tan interior and tan top. We decided on PT because wife liked comfort of high seating positon. This car attracts more attention than any car I have owned. We didnt buy it for that reason, but has turned out that way. Kids to the elderly are fascinated by it. I am amazed how people will go out of their way to talk to us about the car. Nearly all conversations end with them saying: "I bet you have fun in that car" We do! We live in central Florida and the top is nearly always down. The car has given us no problems, initial quality was good. We have had a good dealership experience. Of course, it is a small town dealer we know.