This is from about a month ago.


"Their products had bad fuel economy, noisy interiors, poor ride quality, the worst finish in the industry and their seat comfort is not good," says David Champion, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, a nonprofit product-analysis publisher that has seven million subscribers. On reliability, Mr. Champion added, only two Chrysler models scored above average: the Dodge Caliber and Jeep Patriot.
Consumer Reports bases its recommendations on engineering and laboratory tests as well as feedback from hundreds of thousands of drivers. The April automotive issue of Consumer Reports typically sells more than 300,000 newsstand copies, twice the usual number.
Chrysler has performed only marginally better in the reliability rankings of J.D. Power. In the 2009 Power study of reliability over three years on the road, the Chrysler brand performed above average, but the Jeep and Dodge brands fell well below it. In the most-recent Power study measuring initial quality in new cars, all three Chrysler nameplates performed below average, with Jeep ranking 36th out of 36 brands.
Of seven full-size pickups reviewed by Consumer Reports, only one -- the Dodge Ram -- failed to make the recommended list.

 

Can anyone say why this company should really be saved????

Besides the fact that many will lose their jobs.

 

Consumer Reports.....MWAHAHAHA

 

Look around! There are still many chrysler vehicles on the road today, and people are still buying them. The '09 Ram is a great looking truck IMHO, and it's going after the more mainstream buyer who doesn't need something as overbuilt as an F150, which makes great sense to me. They have some great engines(HEMI, Cummins), and still make some great cars.

I'd likely not buy one simply because I believe Ford makes better cars...but that doesn't mean Chrysler doesn't have a lot going for it.

Besides, competition is great for us consumers...means Ford and everyone else has to keep improving to remain competitive. Think about it for a minute...if the '02 Ram was never introduced, do you think the '04 F150 would have been half as good as it was?

 

Why is that?

Because CR (Consumer Reports) usually does not recommend new vehicles because they have no reliability figures for them.

Honda's excepted, as it seems every Honda is recommended regardless of the year or model.

CR does not recomment the Tundra 4WD models either, citing the "worse than average" reliability figures.

 

Read what you said again. People arent buying them in any significant numbers. Many of the cars are sold to rental fleets, or were perchased used from those fleets, not because they are good, but because they are cheap.

Having driven Chrysler and GM rentals in recent years, Chyrsler cars are so bad in comparison, its no wonder they are in trouble. Ford has managed much better to stay out of "rental car hell". That helps margins and resale values, even if it hurts total volume and market share. I am more likely to find a Korean car on a rental lot than a Ford.

Jim

 

If Chrysler was to actually go belly up, Ford should buy the rights to the Hemi engines design.......Spent some time in a 07 Hemi Durango, the 5.7 Hemi was smooth, responsive and powerful. Unfortunately it got worse mpg than my F-250........Great engine, everything else on the vehicle...........Trash.

 

After working on Chryslers for a used car lot, I have no use for their cars.

Their trucks aren't bad but parts are overpriced, and their only selling point to me is the Cummins.

"more mainstream buyer who doesn't need something as overbuilt as an F150,"

What's more "mainstream" than the most popular F150? Anything "less built" would be a car, not a truck. The only reason to buy a Dodge truck without the Cummins is the pretty hood. No loss if they die off, and more business for Ford!

 

Right...a car that can still tow 6,000 lbs capably and have a nice ride for a daily driver...exactly what ~90% of half ton buyers are looking for...just not me!

 

"Right...a car that can still tow 6,000 lbs capably and have a nice ride for a daily driver...exactly what ~90% of half ton buyers are looking for...just not me!"

Got actual evidence for the claim that half-ton buyers would rather have cars?

As for towing, most pickup owners don't even own trailers.

What would you remove from the "overbuilt" F150 to change it? How would that be different from an Explorer?

As for the supposed half-ton buyers, if they wanted cars instead of trucks they'd have bought an SUV which is essentially a station wagon of old with truck characteristics. The manufacturers already make what you express a desire for. They have for decades going back to the big station wagons of the 1950s. To do truckish tasks one needs a truck drivetrain, so that is why there is so much component overlap between trucks and SUVs. Little vehicles aren't going to capably tow your 6K figure, which pushes the acceptable vehicle envelope back towards trucks/SUVs.

What exactly would the vehicle you want look like, weigh, be capable of, and have for a drivetrain?

 

I got burned out on Dodge back in the early 90s. Piece of junk Dodge Caravan did it for me.

I also know others around here that have had nothing but bad luck from their Chrysler products.

I have no use for a car or SUV either but my wife loves her 08 Explorer.

 

"Piece of junk Dodge Caravan did it for me. "

The transmissions were famously horrid, but the rear axle off a dead Caravan is great for small trailers. Nice spring pads, tubular and easy to narrow.

The rest of the Caravan makes a nice scrap metal container.

 

Why would Ford want the engine? They already have the 6.2L available in the new F150 Raptor, and it will be available on all F150's next year.

That Chrysler Hemi isn't really a Hemi...it's a semi-Hemi.

Compare that puppy with the original 1951/58 Hemi's or the later 426 Hemi's to see the difference.

 

Chrysler is now in the process of discontinuing thier relationship with some 769 dealers in the country. The article in this mornings newspaper stated that the average chrysler dealer nationwide sold 303 units per year as opposed to Honda's average of 1200+.
Not many people are buying Chryslers.

My step son works for ECOLAB as an account exec. and he drives about 40K per year sekking his company's services. ECOLAB leases Dodge's exclusively and he's never had a serious issue with any of his vehicles. He drives them about 80K miles and then turns it back in for a replacement.

I'm still not convinced that they are any good. Any car should run problem free for 80K miles.

Tim

 

Does all of this mean that the car prices on new and used chrysler products will drop like crazy or will the prices stay firm for the next couple of years?