Celebrating its first year, there's no doubt the Chysler 300C has shaken things up in the North American car market. Like another paradigm-shifting consumer product, the Apple iPod, the 300C stands out in a field of me-too competitors, has a certain "gotta have it" appeal, and with the Chrysler brand's North American sales up 27 percent compared with a year ago, the car is putting money in the coffers of its German owners who these days could use the cash.
With the base model 250 horsepower V6 300 going for $29,995 that includes rear-wheel drive, loads of interior space, and risky exterior styling, family car mainstays such as Honda's Accord LX V6 ($29,500), Toyota's Camry LE V6 ($27,375), or Volkswagen's Passat GLS V6 ($35,090), were all of a sudden made questionable buys. Trophies on Chrysler's mantle like the Motor Trend and AJAC car of the year awards and Edmund's Most Significant Vehicle and their Editors' Most Wanted Sedan for Under $25,000 (USD) citations also helped buff the 300's rookie rep.
To see if the honeymoon is still on with the large Chysler, and potentially cut through the current HEMI hype, I drove a rear-drive 300C ($43,095) recently with its standard 340 horsepower, 390 pound-feet of torque Chysler vee-eight.
Despite selling well, and on the road now for over a year, the 300C still gets looks. With Chrysler having a history of "love it, or hate it" styling dating back to the first Viper and Ram pickups, it's easy to get other's opinion on this characterful car. The exterior styling has a macho presence that previously you had to subjugate yourself to driving a big-ass truck or SUV to achieve. Unscientifically, my polling indicates men love the looks, women don't.
Of course, it's the 300C's chopped top that ensures you don't mistake this for an AccordAltimaCamry. It's a bit of a styling trick from Montreal born Chrysler designer Ralph Giles. The 300C is actually taller than the newly enlarged Toyota Avalon by 33 millimetres. The gun slit window line with accompanying thick C pillar do nothing for outward visibility, .I tried hanging my arm out the window in classic one-handed steering fashion and ended up looking like I was checking my watch. And you won't look very cool quashing that Miata when changing lanes with the 300C's challenging blind spots.
Almost to balance the styling demeanor of the attention-grabbing exterior, the 300C's standard two-tone interior is very straightforward. Fit and finish is spot-on for the price, comparable to other domestics like the Five Hundred and Allure. The centre HVAC stack is a standard Chrysler unit that also appears in [linka rtid="35659"]Dodge Durangos[/link] and Magnums with the addition of an Infiniti/Jaguar-like analog clock top and centre. The digital displays for trip, climate, and audio information are of a font size and style that's more Pong than Playstation 2, and the cruise control functions are on a wand that is obscured by the steering wheel hubs--just like in the Mercedes that this wand has been borrowed from.
On the upside, the white-backed four-gauge instrument cluster is easy to read, and the optional power adjustable pedals are awfully convenient if the person you share driving duties with is not of the your stature. The tortoise-shell and leather steering wheel tilts and telescopes, and the eight-way power driver's seat is firm and road trip comfy. If Chysler also stole these somewhat flat thrones from the Mercedes parts bin, I wouldn't be surprised.
With the base model 250 horsepower V6 300 going for $29,995 that includes rear-wheel drive, loads of interior space, and risky exterior styling, family car mainstays such as Honda's Accord LX V6 ($29,500), Toyota's Camry LE V6 ($27,375), or Volkswagen's Passat GLS V6 ($35,090), were all of a sudden made questionable buys. Trophies on Chrysler's mantle like the Motor Trend and AJAC car of the year awards and Edmund's Most Significant Vehicle and their Editors' Most Wanted Sedan for Under $25,000 (USD) citations also helped buff the 300's rookie rep.
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| 2005 Chrysler 300C (photo: John Leblanc, straight-six.com) |
Despite selling well, and on the road now for over a year, the 300C still gets looks. With Chrysler having a history of "love it, or hate it" styling dating back to the first Viper and Ram pickups, it's easy to get other's opinion on this characterful car. The exterior styling has a macho presence that previously you had to subjugate yourself to driving a big-ass truck or SUV to achieve. Unscientifically, my polling indicates men love the looks, women don't.
Of course, it's the 300C's chopped top that ensures you don't mistake this for an AccordAltimaCamry. It's a bit of a styling trick from Montreal born Chrysler designer Ralph Giles. The 300C is actually taller than the newly enlarged Toyota Avalon by 33 millimetres. The gun slit window line with accompanying thick C pillar do nothing for outward visibility, .I tried hanging my arm out the window in classic one-handed steering fashion and ended up looking like I was checking my watch. And you won't look very cool quashing that Miata when changing lanes with the 300C's challenging blind spots.
 |
| 2005 Chrysler 300C (photo: John Leblanc, straight-six.com) |
On the upside, the white-backed four-gauge instrument cluster is easy to read, and the optional power adjustable pedals are awfully convenient if the person you share driving duties with is not of the your stature. The tortoise-shell and leather steering wheel tilts and telescopes, and the eight-way power driver's seat is firm and road trip comfy. If Chysler also stole these somewhat flat thrones from the Mercedes parts bin, I wouldn't be surprised.