Cars that wrecked Chrysler

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A strong start

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 the brink of
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.

Promising future

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.