Chrysler was king of the hill with its 300 series just a few years ago. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Now the company is going bankrupt after a string of uninspired products destroyed its reputation.

Courtesy: Chrysler

2004 - Chrysler 300C

Chrysler's 1998 merger with Daimler-Benz bore promising fruit with the 2004 rebirth of the Hemi-powered Chrysler 300C.

With a dose of German engineering, Chrysler had seemingly rediscovered its founder's vision. Walter P. Chrysler had wanted his car company to offer investor class quality at working-man prices. With its Mercedes-based suspension and all-American Hemi engine under its boxy hood, the 300C performed with a power and alacrity that belied its relatively low cost.

In hindsight, the Dodge Magnum, introduced at the same time, should have provided a warning of bad things to come. The thuggish wagon was a big hit at first and it was, in most respects, every bit as good as the 300C.

But the interior lacked the 300C's stylishness. In fact, it lacked any apparent design at all. And the materials were rock hard and cheap feeling.

Chrysler LLC learned something with these two cars: Design sells. But what began as a selling point became, for Chrysler, a rickety crutch.

Under its new owners, Chrysler seems to be learning its lesson at last. But several models Chrysler has introduced over the last handful of years have eroded Americas trust and driven the company to bankruptcy.

2006 - Dodge Caliber

As with the 300C, the looks were promising. The Dodge Caliber compact car brought the chest-thumping attitude of the big Ram truck into a small package. The boxy hood and gape-mouthed grill, not to mention the name, spoke of explosive power.

But this little car was more a popgun than a .357. Far from thrilling, acceleration was barely even adequate and the steering felt hollow and numb.

Like the Magnum, the interior was cheap and looked like it could be disassembled with a butter knife.

The Caliber did have a few clever features, the sort of novelties that Chrysler started putting into its cars to give them something besides "the look" to set them apart. In this case, there were stereo speakers that hung down from the open tailgate and an iPod holder that folded out from the center console.

With flash and cleverness papering over a fundamentally weak product, the Caliber seems to have been a guide to a disastrous new product strategy at DaimlerChrysler's Michigan outpost.

2006 - Jeep Commander

Once again stretching to make more with less, Chrysler designers and engineers managed to pile a big SUV into the skeleton of a much smaller Jeep Grand Cherokee.

While the distance between the front and rear wheels remained the same as on the Grand Cherokee, the Commander had an extra row of seats, four cubic feet more passenger volume and a cubic foot more cargo space.

This exercise in maximizing gave the Commander awkward proportions. The tall SUV also teetered through turns and wallowed over bumps, feeling like small boy struggling to carry a big package.

To add to its problems, the Commander also arrived on the market just as consumers were turning away from giant SUVs.

Add poor timing to its list of problems.

2007 - Dodge Nitro

Crossover SUVs had become a hot item, stealing sales away from bigger SUVs. With the Nitro, Chrysler squeezed its way into that market without waiting for true a crossover SUV.

The Nitro is a Jeep Liberty stripped of its "Rubicon Trail" capabilities. There is no "four-wheel-drive lock" setting, for instance. But what couldn't be stripped out was the Jeep's harsh, bouncy ride and anemic street performance.

Like other Dodge's and Jeeps of this generation, the Nitro also has a hard-edged, chintzy interior no different from the Liberty's except for Dodge's ram's-head logo.

Even a short test drive would reveal that, no matter what it might look like, the Nitro doesn't offer what customers really want in a crossover SUV: the ride and handling of a car in a roomier package.

Chrysler did come out with the Journey, a larger true crossover vehicle, last year. It's not the best on the market, but at least it's honest.

2007 - Chrysler Sebring

It's been a long time since two American automakers have, at the same time, offered mid-sized sedans capable of taking on the Japanese. Unfortunately, Chrysler wasn't able to make it three.

The Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu, with their sophisticated six-speed transmissions, smart looks and smooth, sophisticated road feel, put the lie to notion that Detroit can't make cars Americans want.

Chrysler's new, redesigned Sebring, meanwhile, sounded and felt harsh and unpleasant compared to its Asian and domestic competitors. The suspension felt weak in the knees and wallowing.

The Sebring certainly would have been competitive a decade or so earlier. If only Chrysler dealers weren't saddled with having to sell it today.

An available heated and cooled cupholder, another Chrysler attempt to score points with novelty, just wasn't enough to make up for all the Sebring lacked.

2009 - Dodge Ram

There's more than a glimmer of hope to be seen in the 2009 Dodge Ram truck. As always, there is an eye-catching exterior and there are tricky add-ons, like the Rambox storage bins worked into the bed walls.

But there's real depth here, too. Innovative coil springs provide a more car-like road feel and the interior is richly detailed.

There are positive signs in other recent product introductions, too. The Dodge Challenger muscle car has an interior that, while bland, is at least well built. And the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a future product only recently unveiled, looks elegant inside and out.

This new crop of Chrysler vehicles marks a change in attitude about providing the best product possible for its customers.

So far, we've seen this attitude in a truck, an SUV and muscle car. To survive, Chrysler needs competitive small and midsized cars. To thrive, they'll need to be more than competitive to make up for Chrysler's past sins.

For this, the plan is to get help from Fiat. The Italian automaker seems to have the needed expertise, but we'll have to see how it translates to the American market.

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Not that I am a car snob, or even drive a nice car. I'm sure some Chryslers are nice.

But I don't know a single person who drives one!

NDRU said:

we hired one in Vegas last week, it was so unintuitive in the electronics

My husband works for Chrysler in Warren, MI and makes Rams and Dakotas. Here's some inside info: They are doing away with the Dakotas and Rams will be their only truck line. They are also going to be either starting or introducing a hybrid Ram truck in 2010, I don't remember which.

Chrysler demise all started with the K car

ZombieKitten said:

I don't know many people who drive american cars at all.

wait, you went from New York to Vegas to Washington DC? Are you sure you're not in Washington state?

the crossfire is nice, but thats a Mercedes with a chrysler interior.

The first car I ever bought new, was a Chrysler. It was the biggest lemon.
I feel bad for the employees that lose their job, but Chrysler can kiss my ass.

My first car was an Eagle Talon, which is owned by Chrysler. I had it for 8 years and put 140k miles on it. I didn't have any major problems with it. It was a fun lil car that took me on a bunch of road trips, Dallas to Atlanta twice doing 120 mph most of the way. And never left me stranded on the side of the road, That was a sweet lil ride.

SCNDLS said:

technically that is a Mitsubishi with a Chrysler label/badge on it.

Cuddles said:

Or vice versa

SCNDLS said:

huh?

Cuddles said:

It was a 50/50 joint venture and the cars were built in the US so saying it's not a Chrysler product is silly.

SCNDLS said:

its a mistsubishi with a chrysler label on it.

they manufacture mitsubishis here in the U.S.

Cuddles said:

Uh, it was a joint venture that built all three versions in the same factory at the same time. So no it's not. The car was created JOINTLY by the two companies.

SCNDLS said:

yeah, well the people who made them consider them mitsubishi's

and a major factor why it was favored over other dodge/chrsyler models.

Cuddles said:

Well, they obviously don't know because all three models were designed and built by DSM which was started by Mitsubishi and Chrysler together. Which is why the Talon, Eclipse, and Laser were built at the same factory and entered the market simultaneously.

video for their shuttin Detroit down
http:/heavens-gate.com/workers/

MPLSBRAT said:

LMAO! My mom had a piece of crap K car!

NDRU said:

we drove it from LA to Vegas, then flew to NYC, then flew to DC, now we have a little cobalt for 3 days

SCNDLS said:

I'm pretty sure the were built in Germany and imported here.

Ugot2shakesumthin said:

Are you serious?

ZombieKitten said:

ooooohhhh!

SCNDLS said:

yep.
they will be collectors items one day me thinks.

Ugot2shakesumthin said:

I meant about them being built in Germany??? The Talon, Eclipse, and Laser were all built in Illinois..So what are you talking about?

SCNDLS said:

I'm sorry i was talking about the Chrysler Crossfire.

Ugot2shakesumthin said:

Well Cuddles and I were specifically talking about the Talon.

I love chrystler 300s

The white ones, if your wearing like a sweater dress or something.