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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  Stylish and fun but not a touring car! - 2008 Chrysler Sebring
  By kywlcts - January 5 - 3:19 pm

  If you a looking for a stylish convertble town car, look no further. But with hard seats, loud road noise and an extremely firm ride, long trips are not advisable. If it is still available, a lifetime everthing, unlimited milage maintenance warranty is advisable given the complexity of the top mechanisms.

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  Extremely Satisfied - 2005 Chrysler Sebring
  By Mike - January 4 - 11:57 am

  Got a very good deal on it. Love the drive. Very fuel effficient. No problems with it

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  ok - 2001 Chrysler Voyager
  By turk - January 2 - 11:58 am

  bought car with 10,000 mi at 20.000 passenger power window stopped working. this van has had new stabalizer bars at 100,000 mi battery,alternator at 200.000 mi and now the transmission is shot. took my family safely around country 4 times pulling a u-haul trailer. i hate this van because i needed it just a little longer. born jan 2001 died jan 2010 cause of death transmission failure and many nagging ailments. 210,983mi.

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  Fun car - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By Jeannot23 - January 1 - 8:04 pm

  A few months ago, we bought a 2004 Chrysler Sebring Limited Convertible. We love it. At first, my wife was against the purchase, but now she insists on doing all the driving. The car has 74,000 miles, but looks and drives like new.

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  300M Trade In Review - 2002 Chrysler 300M
  By Not sure - December 31 - 9:19 am

  This car has been driven to and from work (1 mile), up to other offices within New Jersey and to the New Jersey shore. Regular servicing by a local repair shop. No major problems. No accidents. Some blind spot in the back from a wide connection between back seat window and rear window. Other than that it has been a good car.

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  Great Car for Value - 1996 Chrysler Cirrus
  By Chris Linkenhoker - December 30 - 9:54 pm

  I am the third owner of this vehicle and it has been great from day one. No major problems at all. Great fuel economy, large trunk, and plenty of interior room. A/C still blows ice cold, all power accessories work, and engine/transmission are great. Car has close to 150000 miles on it now and shows no sign of slowing down soon. Loved this car so much I bought an 06 Stratus and have been equally pleased, but still drive the Cirrus for my everyday car and even on long trips.

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  PT Cruiser 4 dr wagon std - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Mike A - December 30 - 5:36 am

  Chrysler could have done better. The seats are hard as a rock and uncomfortable over long drives. No cruise control means a lot of physical driving. Reliability sucks. The brakes had to be replaced twice and tires wore out quick. I didnt hot rod this car, I babied the heck out of it and still the little things broke down. I had sensors go bad after I bought the car. BIG repair bills. Gas mileage is the same as my Dodge Caravan SXT! 22 mpg on the highway for a PT Cruiser? Thats just dumb. I love the color and the interior are nice to look at. I dont like the vents though. Cant use my cell phone clip to hold my phone. Forget about self repairs. Cant get to the oil dipstick w/out moving hoses

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  Nice Vehicle - 2009 Chrysler Aspen
  By Nice Vehicle - December 29 - 7:13 pm

  Bought the dealer demo in Jan. 09 and received an AMAZING deal for what we got. I love all the neat accessories like remote start, heated seats, anti roll, and all those other features you dont even know you have. Have had some issues with the roof racks warping and wind noise. Took to the dealership and they did not take care of issue. Thankfully there is another dealership in the area we can take it for service. We just had a blizzard and the car did EXCELLENT on the snow and ice.

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  2009 300C AWD - 2009 Chrysler 300
  By Al - December 29 - 11:04 am

  I bought the 300 new in June of 09. I got the "cool vanilla" paint with the chrome package, and the thing is absolutely gorgeous. I average 24.8 mpg hwy, & 16.8 mpg in city driving, which is good, considering its a 5.7L with AWD. It has power to spare, to go with the good looks, and it handles well for a large, domestic car. It is not in the same class as the Europeans as far as handling is concerned, but for the thousands of dollars less your paying, Id say its a fair trade off. Im looking forward to the 2011 model with, hopefully, some tweaks in the suspension system as well as improved fuel economy.

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  Great Car - 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Kacy - December 29 - 2:00 am

  This car is not only cute, but is also a great family car.