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What is/was the last great Chrysler model?

35K views 94 replies 63 participants last post by  bmwboy2007  
#1 ·
With the recent cancellations of some models over at Chrysler Corp., it appears that the Chrysler brand will shrink to just a few models and perhaps take more of a niche role in the future.

So which cars, present or past, best represented what the Chrysler brand is or should be?

My picks are the 300M, 300C, and Pacifica. To me, these models represent(ed) bold style, and luxury appointments, which is what the brand should be.

New models IMO should push the luxury quotient to higher levels to set Chryslers apart from the Dodge and Jeep offerings. Chrysler should be the Cadillac and Lexus competitor in the stable, even though for now that doesn't seem to be the case.
 
#2 ·
The cab forward stuff was cool in its day and finally got the creative juices flowing at that company (instead of just ripping everyone, mainly GM, off). The Neon was a surprisingly good effort, but that wasn't a Chrysler I guess. Their minivans never impressed me, they were creative, but they still reeked Chrysler Corporation in my eyes. I agree about the Pacifica's styling--it's still good looking (a little refresh and it would probably do well now). The Sebring was never my cup of tea, but one friend of mine loves his. The Crossfire's misfire (sorry) kind of stumped me, I guess since it was low-volume they decided to cut corners, but I think they were pretty cool looking at least (maybe I should go on eBay and buy one for a hundred dollars and see why they did so poorly). The Prowler, if you want to count that, was unique. But it probably shouldn't have been built. The 300, could be a nice car, but it's appointments and overall feel are a joke. Really, since you've asked, I think the company as a whole has come close to hitting some homeruns several times, but the finished product never matches or lives up to its potential.
 
#65 ·
Having been an owner of a cab forward car (99 intrepid es) i can tell you that it was a favorite. Loaded out, it was a great ride. Only problem is that the cab forward configuration made it a stone chip magnet. Horrible. All that is dwarfed by the fact that my daughter was driving it on 75 and got pushed out of her lane by a van at 70 MPH in December of 01. She slammed into the concrete divider, head on, and walked away.
The prowler? It looked faster than it was. This thing could have been like a t bucket screamer.
I'll stick with the Cuda/Challenger or a Charger. Loved my Fury Sport.
 
#5 · (Edited)
The LH cars, well the LHS and 300M in particular, impressed me.

It was an American interpretation of a European design (the basic layout design being lifted straight from the Renault 25). The LHS handled about as good as any large FWD car can, was well-built, had a quality interior, an enormous passenger compartment, huge trunk, got good MPG, and all for an incredibly reasonable price. (Wasn't Lutz involved in its design?)

They were way better than GM's H-/G-/K-platform (though Aurora was a match) and deserved a better rep than they had.

Chrysler sadly, like every other American company, hit the skids in the early 70s, design-wise. I was particularly fond of the '71-'74 Satellite Sebring, especially the earlier models with those attractive "loop" style bumpers.

And Elwood Engel's '66-'70 intermediates were sharp-looking, particularly the '66/'67 Coronet. And of course the '66-'70 Chargers...

Sad that these clean, stylish cars gave way to American taste-free nightmares like the Cordoba, LeBaron, Volaré and Fifth Avenue. I'll never understand how American cars went from World-leading in style to laughable jokes with landau roofs, opera windows, coach lighting and those other abominations of car design in such a short period of time.
 
#15 ·
....Sad that these clean, stylish cars gave way to American taste-free nightmares like the Cordoba, LeBaron, Volaré and Fifth Avenue. I'll never understand how American cars went from World-leading in style to laughable jokes with landau roofs, opera windows, coach lighting and those other abominations of car design in such a short period of time.
I could not agree more, except it has yet to return in my eyes.
 
#6 ·
the cab forward vehicles and the 300/charger/challenger models are my favorites. if Chrysler can put the same amount of effort into the rest of its current lineup then i think they can accomplish so much more than they currently have.
 
#8 ·
You are being facitious, right??

As far as Jeep Models go I do like all of them except the Compass. I have driven all of them except the Compass and Commander.

Out of the more current Chrysler Models, I like the styling of the Crossfire and 300C and the Viper. I have not actually driven them though.
 
#10 ·
Dodge Dart/Plymouth Valiant- This car should have been the American Camry with continual improvement/refinement of an already solid vehicle with the legendary indestructible slant-6 engines. Stupid Chrysler. Very stupid.
 
#12 ·
I will pick the 300c the car might be about 4 years old but those SRT8 look damn good and the 80s Dodge Shelby Charger
 
#27 · (Edited)
A dude 2 houses down from my grandparents has a Daytona IROC. its not in that great of shape and he somehow used parts from an old Mercedes to replace a few things but it still runs. And i saw a Viper two days ago over at CTC. However it was on a tow truck and the whole back end was practically totaled so i guess it was in a pretty bad accident
 
#20 ·
I almost forgot about the mos potent of the Chrysler 2.2L Turbos...the Dodge Spirit R/T!

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I was trying to find a basket case car that I could strip and rebuild my Reliant with. Every one that I came across was sans drivetrain (USELESS! :mad:) and of course, life got on the way. Maybe when I get a place of my own I'll get back on Project K-car R/T :yup:
 
#44 ·
My first convertible was a 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible. At the time... it was the most expensive new car I ever bought. But I loved it.. always had the top down unless it was raining. Had a turbo and was fast... and sipped gas. Unfortunately, got stolen while parked at a friends house by thugs, and vandalized. It never made it to being 2 years old.
 
#29 ·
Almost the entire lineup before the last crop. The second-gen LH cars were the best-looking American large FWD cars EVER, and they had decent interiors (unlike the LX cars, surprisingly). The cloud cars were no worse - the last Sebring is a really sleek car, you can say what you want, but it DOES have the looks. The 1996 minivan was so nice that even keeping the basic design in production for 11 years wasn't that bad. The second-gen Neon is the closest an American company ever came to making a desirable compact car - I still want one.

The Pacifica is puckalicious - I really don't know what Americans see in it. It is overweight, imbalanced and in poor taste. If I were to be politically incorrect, I'd say those are the qualities the American stereotype suffers from... I like America though, so I'd just put it to the necessary evil (Pacifica, not the vices).
 
#30 ·
The Pacifica is puckalicious - I really don't know what Americans see in it. It is overweight, imbalanced and in poor taste. If I were to be politically incorrect, I'd say those are the qualities the American stereotype suffers from... I like America though, so I'd just put it to the necessary evil (Pacifica, not the vices).
The Pacifica is dead. They stopped making it last year.
 
#40 ·
The Magnum R/T gets my vote. Badass styling (very sleek), good performance, great sound, pretty good utility and decent mpg. If only it came in a stick like the Challenger does now...