Houston Cars

This is the third post in my Ultimate Lineup series, and the honor goes to Chrysler, to round out the Chrysler group culling.   Chrysler is a brand in trouble, in that they have a very bad identity crisis.  Someone at Chrysler’s headquarters decided a few  years back that Chrysler would be a luxury marque.  Great, except for the fact that they didn’t make any luxury vehicles.  And, to this day, they still don’t.  I find it difficult to think “luxury” when I see the PT Cruiser and Town and Country, but maybe that’s just me.

The current Chrysler lineup contains just 6 models - a bit slim by today’s standards.  I propose axing two models, and going forward with a 4 model lineup.  Here’s my breakdown:

The Ultimate Chrysler Lineup

300 - Styling aside ( it’s subjective, and I don’t care for it ), the 300 is a very nice automobile.  It does feel more Mercedes-Benz than Chrysler, which isn’t a bad thing.  Sure, it’s big, the visibility is bad, and you need a thick wallet to pay for all the gas you’ll be buying, but the 300 fits, and belongs in the Ultimate Chrysler lineup.

PT Cruiser - Yes, it’s ugly.  Yes, the retro thing is becoming a bit passe.  But the PT Cruiser has done Chrysler a lot of good since it’s release, and it still has a future, at least for a few more years.

Sebring - My feelings on the Sebring aren’t a mystery to anyone - I hate it.  I think it could’ve been a very nice looking vehicle ( look at the front end ) but ended up hideous ( thanks to the unfinished back end ).  But anyone who’s looking for a roomy, relatively cheap convertible knows to look at the Sebring.  And all the would-be convertible buyers who can’t pony up for the ragtop, always have the hardtop to fall back on.

Town and Country - A steady winner if every there was one.  Chrysler is doing this right, and needs to make sure they stay ahead of the curve, lest Toyota and Honda take over this market.

The ones that didn’t make it

Aspen - What happens when you take a poorly made SUV, rebadge it as a newly-minted “Luxury division”, and slap a much higher sticker on it?  Well, even the average Joe sees through your ruse, and the vehicles pile up faster than you can say “Oops”.  If Chrysler built this car about 8-9 years ago, it may have been mildly successful, during the height of the big SUV craze.  Now, it’s simply stupid.

Pacifica - What is the Pacifica, exactly?  Is it an SUV, minivan, or station wagon?  It’s confused, doesn’t do anything useful, costs too much, and sells poorly.  I can’t think of one redeeming feature that the Pacifica has.