Road presence
Me and my colleague, Matt, thoroughly enjoyed the 300C AWD on a recent trip to the IMPA Test Days in New York. The car was quiet at speed (except when we stabbed the gas pedal for a sample of that HEMI soundtrack), rock stable, and its presence in other driver's rearview mirrors kept slowpokes out of the left lane.
The 300C even got a surprising reaction from the customs officer at the NY border; the first thing he said to us after glancing back and forth at the car and frowning was: “Who does this car belong to?!” Apparently, saying hello before asking questions is futile.
After a 5-minute Q&A session about the Chrysler, the officer let us go through without even asking where we were going, how long we were going to stay in the U.S., or even if we were trying to smuggle guns and booze. We were convinced that border patrol was waiting for us a mile down the highway with rubber gloves. Gladly, they were nowhere to be seen.
Big improvement in the cockpit
Inside, the 2011 300C received Chrysler’s extreme makeover that almost every model in their product lineup benefited from this model year. There isn’t a single surface I can think of that doesn’t look richer and of better quality compared to the outgoing 2005-2010 generation.
OK, there’s still a generous amount of unconvincing woodgrain trim, but the dash gets a low-glare surface that feels substantial. The climate controls are straightforward and the touchscreen system reacts quickly to the faintest tap on it. The instrument cluster gets tasteful blue backlighting and chrome trim, while the steering wheel no longer looks like it was designed in 1988.
The front doors open wide for easy entry and exit, maybe even a little too wide. At about 90 degrees fully open, you can’t reach them when you’re sitting straight in your seat. It’s slightly irritating, and slightly funny at the same time.
Me and my colleague, Matt, thoroughly enjoyed the 300C AWD on a recent trip to the IMPA Test Days in New York. The car was quiet at speed (except when we stabbed the gas pedal for a sample of that HEMI soundtrack), rock stable, and its presence in other driver's rearview mirrors kept slowpokes out of the left lane.
 |
| The 300C AWD hits 100 km/h in 6 seconds flat. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers/Auto123.com) |
The 300C even got a surprising reaction from the customs officer at the NY border; the first thing he said to us after glancing back and forth at the car and frowning was: “Who does this car belong to?!” Apparently, saying hello before asking questions is futile.
After a 5-minute Q&A session about the Chrysler, the officer let us go through without even asking where we were going, how long we were going to stay in the U.S., or even if we were trying to smuggle guns and booze. We were convinced that border patrol was waiting for us a mile down the highway with rubber gloves. Gladly, they were nowhere to be seen.
Big improvement in the cockpit
Inside, the 2011 300C received Chrysler’s extreme makeover that almost every model in their product lineup benefited from this model year. There isn’t a single surface I can think of that doesn’t look richer and of better quality compared to the outgoing 2005-2010 generation.
OK, there’s still a generous amount of unconvincing woodgrain trim, but the dash gets a low-glare surface that feels substantial. The climate controls are straightforward and the touchscreen system reacts quickly to the faintest tap on it. The instrument cluster gets tasteful blue backlighting and chrome trim, while the steering wheel no longer looks like it was designed in 1988.
The front doors open wide for easy entry and exit, maybe even a little too wide. At about 90 degrees fully open, you can’t reach them when you’re sitting straight in your seat. It’s slightly irritating, and slightly funny at the same time.
 |
| The 300’s cockpit looks and feels much better. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers/Auto123.com) |