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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  Not ready for SUV - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
  By ttam - March 25 - 7:29 am

  we were looking for a new vehicle. but we were not ready to jump up quite yet to a SUV. (for obvious reasons $$). lets just say Im a bigger dude and the touring was a nice jump up in size from our honda accord sedan. the 17 inch wheels made it a little easier to get in and out. great ride!

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  Not a bad set of wheels - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By ox13man - March 20 - 2:00 am

  I did a fair ammount of research (with other cars in its class) before springing for this one. The interior is well laid out and intuitive. The performance is sufficient as well-not pressing me to the seat, but not leaving me waiting for the gear to shift (its an automatic). The car is a little heavy, but at high speeds it glides like a dream. At low to moderate speeds it accelerates and corners very well (much to the dismay of my passengers). About the only downside is that it has the typical clunky Chrysler transmission. Overall, a good car though.

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  IT GOS AND GOS - 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By PTPapa - March 20 - 2:00 am

  Had the car 3 months now. It is a blast to drive....very quick with the turbo, makes you feel like your 16 again! Good handling, on the street and at frwy speeds...settles in nicely at 80mph. The car looks great, and gets its share of attention from young and old alike. Seats are comfortable and give you good support. Great ride for its size! Get one for scootin around, you wont regret it....the turbo is a must have tho!!

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  New owner sothern california - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By CINDY - March 19 - 5:43 pm

  I just purchased the pt turbbo conv cruiser .....Fun to drive good looking sports car feel . Has a nice punch with the turbo ..Only two complaints i have are the lack of ability to get into the trunk without bending down really low ...And the seats are a tad bit shallow in the front could be about 3 inches more in length other than that its a cool car and we love it !

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  Concorde 2000 - 2000 Chrysler Concorde
  By adjuster - March 19 - 11:21 am

  Certainly have gotten my moneys worth. Have had no problems with the car. Rides great, only real problem was it is large and difficult to park. very large trunk. poor visibility looking back when in reverse.

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  Great car, minor details need attention - 2007 Chrysler 300
  By CB - March 9 - 4:13 pm

  Cupholder location is poorly designed, difficult to "learn" the switches. Auto lights should come on with wipers on intermittent not just full speed. My drivers side door will not stay open. Tired of getting beaten up every time I get in or out of vehicle. Comfort A++, eye catching A++++.

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  A good all purpose vehicle - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By dspickard - March 7 - 4:36 am

  Mine is an early model produced in Nov. 2003 currently with 17,400 miles. A good all purpose vehicle that has been very reliable with only two minor warranty items (brake light and right side mirror automatic adjustment) repaired. Very comfortable on long trips with reasonable highway gas milage of 22-24 while averaging 75+ mph. Handles well around town with somewhat disapointing accelleration and gas mileage of 16 -17mpg. Well appointed but some parts rather cheaply made.

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  Love This Car! - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Korinne - March 5 - 11:23 pm

  I love this car. The fuel economy could be better but I have driven this car to Miami from Rhode Island and was comfortable the whole time. My mother drives a convertible BMW and she loves my car better than hers.

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  Car okay - Chrysler Service terrible - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Cindy Berger - March 4 - 12:46 pm

  I knew several negatives about the car prior to purchase, too many blind spots. The car has been okay but the service department have been terrible now there everything is wrong because they did not identify transmission problems at 14,000 miles when 1st complaint was submitted. Id never purchase another Chrysler product for that reason.

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  The truth - 2004 Chrysler Crossfire
  By Matt - March 3 - 1:23 am

  Since I have had this car it has been a lot of fun. I have only had to problems with this car. One was the door had rust building up due to the weather striping not being properly put on. The warranty took care of this. The other was the car has no spare tire. I had a blow out and no way to fix it. Since Chrysler does not offer a good road side assistance program on flat tires for a car that they make with no spare tire, I had to leave it on the side of the road and wait for help at 3:30 am . At the end total bill was $995.00 including the tire. Dont get me wrong I love the car, however I will never buy a Chrysler again due to the warranty leaving me stuck out. Glad it was me not my wife.