mmarshall

This year's 2011 Special-Holiday-Review, and, by CL-member-request.........the 2012 Chrysler 300C SRT-8.

http://www.chrysler.com/hostc/vsmc/v...Code=CUC201201

IN A NUTSHELL: Like the original 50s/60s 300, a classic blend of traditional American muscle-car and traditional American luxury-car.























Well, it's that time of year again, as we reach the Thanksgiving Holiday, give thanks to our Creator for all we have, and enter the Holiday Season, that I once again do a special Holiday Review on an expensive upscale/premium vehicle. I often pick out a vehicle that has not necessarily been review-requested by any CL-members, though sometimes there is some chat-interest in it on the CL forums. This is the time of year, of course, that people often spend money on expensive gifts, so I sometimes pick some very expensive vehicles for the Holiday Review, such as last year's Jaguar XKR convertible. (And, wow, was THAT a review...just sitting in and driving an XKR is like dating a supermodel).

This year, though, I'm going to break tradition a little. I'm significantly backed-up with my CL review-requested list, mostly because the Japanese earthquake/tsunami helped delay the introduction of both Japanese and some non-Japanese-brand 2012 vehicles. I'm still waiting for several of those vehicles to be introduced, though I've been able to do a couple of them in the last month or so. In the meantime, I have a CL-member-request for the new SRT-8 version of the Chrysler 300C. This car, of course, while not a particularly expensive or upscale by today's standards, can, nevertheless, still cost a hefty sum for its top-trim models....which, of course, includes the SRT. And, unlike in past years, the latest-generation 300 has improved to the point where it now may be worth much of what it costs.....but, of course, more on that below.

I felt that, this year, it would be a waste of time to write up a Holiday review on a vehicle that had NOT been CL-requested, when I'm backed-up with vehicles that ARE requested by our members. So, I decided to make the 300C SRT the Holiday Review this year. And, like the Jag XKR convertible last year and the BMW 550GT the year before that, this car was a treat to drive.....it was worth the experience.

The tradition of stuffing a large V8 engine into a regular American sedan, of course, goes back many decades. Henry Ford, in 1932, was famous for being the first automaker to offer a V8 in a low-priced sedan/coupe....the Model-A (too bad his head was so stuck in the sand on other basic advancements). The Ford flathead V8 won widespread acceptance everywhere (and crimnals like John Dillinger drove hopped-up ones to try and outrun police cars). The deepening Depression of the 1930s, though, put a big damper on auto sales, and World War II, because of military-priorities, stopped them altogether from 1942-1945. After the war, though, Oldsmobile tried a new line of high-output "Rocket" V8s in the late 1940s. And, in 1955, Chevrolet finally one-upped Ford by introducing its own mass-produced V8, which went on to achieve immense popularity in the decades to come. But most automotive historians (and I agree) consider the 1955 Chrysler 300, with its "Hemi" or hemispherical-cylinder-head V8, to be the first true modern sedan-based "muscle-car". John DeLorean's Pontiac GTO, of course, transformed the muscle-car world in the early-mid 60s, and started a new craze by placing a huge engine in a mid-sized coupe, but the idea of lots of power in a sedan/coupe had already been well-established by the 300. The original 300 was updated by letters (B, C, D, E, F, etc...) each fall, when the new-model came out (yearly model-changes were much more frequent back then), until the gas crisis and mileage/emission requirements of the 1970s wiped out a number of classic muscle-cars.....including the 300.

So, the 300 rested in peace....until the Chrysler/Dodge/Eagle LH-body sedans of the late-1990s came along. Market-reseach showed that there was significant potential nationwide interest in a new 300. Of course, it would use a V6 and FWD instead of the old V8/RWD format, but, when it was introduced in 1999 as the 300M, it gained immediate customer-acceptance, and proved quite popular. Sales exceeded expectations for years. In fact, I myself helped a friend of mine (who was a restaurant-manager) shop for and get a nice steel-blue/gray 300M. He leased it for 4 years, and loved it.

The next-generation 300/300C (they decided to go back to the old letter-C this time) debuted in 2004, and was an even bigger success. This time, like the new Dodge Charger/Magnum R/T and SRT (its sister-cars), it was built on a Mercedes E-Class-derived V8/RWD chassis, and the public and auto-press swooned over it even more. Unfortunately, like a lot of other Chrysler products of the time, the sheet metal, paint-job, and interior were all second-rate in quality of materials used. The new RWD 300 also lost some points with Consumer Reports for a continuing worse-than-average relibility record and, in the C version, a too-stiff ride for a luxury-car. But, unlike the earlier V6 FWD version, it offered the option of AWD for those who drove on slick roads....a major advancement. A new, redesigned 300 debuted last year with better paint, fit/finish, and a vastly-improved interior, though it is still too early to see if the better-skin on the new model also translates to better quality under the skin as well.

Now, for 2012, the 300 comes in several versions....the base 300, 300 Limited, 300S, 300C, and SRT-8. A choice of RWD or AWD is available on all but the base and SRT-8 versions, which come only with RWD. Three different engines are offered.....a 3.6L Pentastar V6 with 292 HP / 260 ft-lbs. of torque; the 5.7L V8 Hemi with 363 HP and 394 ft-lbs. of torque; and, of course, the 6.4L SRT Hemi with 465 HP and a matching 465 ft-lbs. of torque. With the way the Chrysler web-site is set up, and the way you have to keep flicking back and forth between models, the transmission-availablity is confusing. But, it seems that both 5-speed and 8-speed automatics are offered with the V6 models (depending on production-date) and, for now, only the 5-speed with the V8 Hemis. No manual transmissions are offered, even with the muscle-car SRT model. Base prices, as could be expected with such a wide variety of models and options, run a wide range......from $27,170 on the base-level V6 RWD 300 to $50,165 for the SRT-8. The SRT Hemi, unfortunately, does not get the cylinder-fuel-cutoff feature that the regular Hemi does. Apparantly, the engineers have not figured out a way to incorporate it in the 6.4L's engine-management system. The SRT Hemi, though, even without the cylinder-fuel cutoff system, still manages to beat the mileage of some of the Mercedes AMG powerplants of similiar power-ratings, achieving either 23 or 25 MPG on the highway, depending on whether you believe the price-sticker or web-site figure (more on that below). Still, the SRT-Hemi qualifies for the Federal Gas-Guzzler Tax. I myself am a strong opponent of the Gas-Guzzler tax, BTW. I personally don't think the Federal Government (or the states, either, like California) should be dictating to carmakers what kind of mileage to get, what kind of fuel their vehicles should burn, or slap an extra tax on vehicles that don't get that mileage. But that, of course, is a subject for another article, not a car-review, so I won't get into that too deeply here.

For the review (as requested), I chose an SRT 300C with the 6.4L Hemi. And boy, this is one nice car to drive. Being behind the wheel makes you feel like a NASCAR driver dressed up in a tux. It goes and handles like a scared cat, while at the same time, unlike past models, cradling you in a super-plush interior. Details coming right up.


MODEL REVIEWED: 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT-8

BASE PRICE: $47,170 (Interesting.....the web site shows over 50K for the SRT's base-price)


OPTIONS:

Safety Tech Package: $1995

19 Premium Speaker Group: $1995

Dual-Panel Sunroof: $1295

3-Season (non-winter) P245/45-20 Performance tires: $150

Federal Gas-Guzzler Tax: $1000 (Yep.....Big brother's got his hand in this pie)


DESTINATION/FREIGHT: $825 (not bad for this class of car)

LIST PRICE AS REVIEWED: $54,430


DRIVETRAIN: RWD, Longitudinally-mounted 6.4L Hemi V8, 465 HP @ 6000 RPM, Torque, 465 Ft-lbs. @ 4600 RPM, 5-speed automatic Sport-Shift Autostick automatic transmission.

EPA MILEAGE RATING (on the price-sticker): 14 City / 23 Highway (the web-site, however, shows 16 and 25)



EXTERIOR COLOR: Gloss Black

INTERIOR: Black SRT Leather





PLUSSES:


Classic American muscle-car torque/acceleration.

Huge Brembo brakes.

Stunningly handsome (IMO) looks.

Sport-sedan handling/steering-response.

Quiet ride except on strong acceleration.

Firm but not overly-uncomfortable ride.

Reasonably solid exterior sheet metal.

Generally good underhood layout....especially by luxury-car standards.

Much better exterior trim/hardware than before.

Relatively easy entry/exit.

Good rear-vision from the drivers' seat.

Interior trim/material quality light-years better than past versions.

Soft-padded interior surfaces.

High-quality, slick-feeling SRT seat-leather.

Jewel-like, classy primary-gauges.

Handsome, well-done sport-steering wheel.

Good headroom for tall persons, even under sunroof housings.

Reasonably good rear legroom for tall persons.

Classy sport-sedan carbon-fiber trim on SRT model (Wood on others).

Numerous safety features.

5/100 and 4/50 standard warranties....with an optional lifetime factory drivetrain warranty.

NAV screen has numerous features...but a lot of attention required as well.

Very good (but not quite excellent) stereo sound-quality.

Well-done/well-marked interior buttons/*****.

Optional First-Aid kit for the trunk.

Nice paint jobs...but solid-black has some orange peel.

Eleven factory paint-colors offered.......some of them quite nice.

Superbly-done/illustrated sales-brochure.





MINUSES:


SRT version rather pricey.

Aforementioned Gas-Guzzler-tax.

8-speed automatic not yet available for the SRT models.

5-speed automatic saps some of the SRT Hemi's power at higher speeds (but it's still quite fast).

Somewhat noisy exhaust on strong-acceleration.

Battery in back, under the trunk floor.

Plastic engine-cover hampers top-access.

No body-side mouldings for parking-lot protection.

Front-seat bolstering a little narrow and firm for big torsos and rumps.

Left-foot-pedal-operated parking brake a little awkward for long legs.

Poorly-trimmed cargo area, especially for the price.

Fix-a-Flat bottle instead of a spare tire.

Awkward zig-zag transmission shift-lever has wider throws than most.

Requires careful driving....a car that will probably be easy to get speeding tickets with.

Often a poor reputation for Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealer-service.



EXTERIOR:

The general body-lines on this model have changed that much that from the previous-generation, though there are some noticeable differences in the new headlights and grille....and the new white sequential-row headlight-bars remind very much of those on some new Audi models. Still, it is, IMO, a stunningly handsome car, and surveys show that its size and styling are what attract many buyers. The new 300, IMO, is a perfect example of why we should not all be forced by politics, oil-prices, and excessive regulations into cramped little scooter-mobiles in the future. Here is a car that, by today's standards, exudes class, size, and power, at a price far less than that a Mercedes S-Class or BMW &-series. But, of course, back to the review....we'll leave the soap-box and politics for another forum.

The new sheet-metal, though still not quite Mercedes-solid, seems to be a step-up in solidness from the last-generation, and the exterior trim and chrome is all well-done and solid...a big stup-up from the old model. The SRT model, as sport-oriented models usually do trades some of the exterior chrome on the regular 300s (as on the door handles, for example) for body-color paint. The door-handles themselves feel very solid in their heft and operation. The outside mirrors (from the prior Mercedes-influence) have integral-mounted turn-signal indicators. The mirrors themselves swivel and lock more smoothly and solidly, with better hardware, than on previous models, and they are generally well-shaped for optimum vision. My test-car had the optional Safety-Tech package, which included yellow-indicators in the side mirror-glass to warn of objects in the blind-spots. I loved the body-lines.....as I mentioned earlier, IMO this is a stunningly handsome car, though the optional 20-inch wheels on my test-car were a little oversized. And IMO, the wheels would have looked a little better with the traditional 5-spoke Mag-design for American muscle-cars instead of the seven spokes that they had. There are eleven different paint colors offered (Hyundai, take note...the four exterior color choice for the Equus is an insult). I liked a number of those eleven (especially the blue, pearl-white, red, and brown)....they weren't sports-car bright, but classy enough to look like they at least didn't belong in a funeral-home. The paint job on most of the new 300s looked quite well-done (far better than past-generation Chrysler products), but the solid-black on my test car, like many solid-black paint jobs these days, showed a small amount of orange-peel. The only thing I don't particularly like on the exterior (besides the seven-vs.-five spoke wheels) is the way that the rear end of the car, behind the trunk, tilts-in a little towards the top. That inward-tilt impacts on cargo-space and trunk-lid size a little (more on that below).



UNDERHOOD:

Open up the big, solid hood, and a nice gas strut holds it up for you.....which, of course, is expected in this price-class. The big, longitudinally-mounted 6.4L V8 fits in fairly nicely, considering its big size.....the underhood compartment, of course, is also rather large, and accomodates it. The underside of the hood, again as expected, has a nice insulation pad....and it seems to work well most of the time. There is some room (though not a whole lot) to each engine-components in front and on the sides, though the big intake-tubes rob some potential work-space. The designers (blessedly) had enough sense not to put a big plastic engine-cover on top of the Hemi to block upper-engine components. They also had enough sense (IMO) not to use an oil-level/oil-maintenance sensor like many luxury-cars do.....there is a good old-fashioned (and foolproof) dipstick. I just don't trust the electronic oil-sensors....they can fail, where a dipstick will not, as long as it's marked properly and you use it properly. All of the filler-caps, dipstick, and fluid-reservoirs are easy to reach, but the battery is far away, back in the trunk, under the floor.....more on that later.




INTERIOR:

There's only one way, IMO, to describe the new 300's interior compared to the old one.....superb. Some of the images I posted, unfortunately, don't really do it justice. The acres of cheap silver-plastic in the old model have been almost totally replaced by much higher quality and softer-surface materials in the new one....especially so, of course, in the top-of-the-line SRT. The seats all have SRT-specific leather and SRT Logos on them. The leather looks and feels almost the quality of that found in high-line Jaguar and Lexus vehocles.....no cheap Mercedes M-B Tex here. The sun-visors have soft, velour/fabric covering on them instead of the increasingly-common hard-plastic. The sunroof is a double-pane design that can serve either the front, rear, or both. The sun-shade that covers up the sunroof-glass also has its own power-motor, not just the sunroof panel itself. The seat-hardware feels much more solidly-attached than in the old car. Entry/exit is generally easy, even for moderately tall persons, without banging one's head. The stereo has the optional 19-speaker package, and, while it doesn't equal the Lexus Mark Levinson stereo in sound-quality, is plenty nice in itself. Nice gray carbon-fiber inlays adorn the dash, center-console, and upper-door-panels (other 300 models get wood-paneling). I myself generally prefer wood, but a nicely-done carbon-fiber package like this can be just as nice. The upper-dash has a textured soft-surface, and the door panels all have a mixture of carbon-fiber, leather, and the same textured soft-surface. the two primary gauges, with their chrome rings, silver-white faces, bluish back-lighting, and clear simple design, are just like jewels. Twin-matching, smaller, secondary-gauges of similiar design are set just below them. The steering wheel is SRT-specific, with a proper 3-spoke sport-design, superb brushed-silver trim on the spokes, is comfoprtable to hold, and has a classic sport-oriented flat "D" to the bottom, like on the Volkswagen GTI and some Audi models. All of the buttons and ***** are well-shaped, well-attached, well-marked, and easy to use. Like on some other new Chrysler products, there is both an analog speedometer and a digital one between the two main-gauges. Rear-vision from the drivers' seat, because of the relatively conservative roofline and pillars, is good.

Though the NAV screen was a little complex for my tastes, There were only three small things inside I found irritating. First, the SRT-specific front-seats, unlike those in other 300 models, have strong. high, side-blosters that are designed to hold you in place during hard cornering. But, of course, but they work better for people who are built more like Twiggy than Rosie O'Donnell. Unfortunately, I'm clearly in the latter group....and I found that the seat-bolsters press noticeably into the back of my big torso and rump. It was not terribly uncomfortable, and I could live with it for a reasonable-length drive. But I wouldn't want to drive or ride from New York to Los Angeles that way. The bolsters, from what I could tell, are not adjustable in or out, though there are power-motors for virtually every other seat function. Second, the ubiquitous Chrysler-Mercedes zig-zag shifter (with the side-stick manual-shift function) has long throws and is even more awkward than many other zig-zag levers (in truth, I don't like any of the zig-zag levers). Third, the parking-brake release is a left-foot-operated pedal, under the dash, that is awkward for big legs like mine. But, overall, a superb interior....arguably the best I have ever seen on a Chrysler product.....though I still have fond memories of the 1967 Chrysler New Yorker's, which I also thought was great inside.





CARGO AREA/TRUNK:

Not one of the car's better features. The 300's designers apparantly spent so much money on the new interior cabin materials that they seemingly forgot (or just ran out of funds) when it came to the trunk. First, despite the conservative roofline/rear-window, the trunk itself is rather small for a car of this size. The trunk lid is also on the smallish size (as it is with most of today's sedans), because of the way that the rear-windows fairs into it, though the trunk hinge/bars work quite smoothly and seem durable. Inside, the trunk-finish is on the cheap side for a car of this price-class, with very thin, rather ugly gray fabric-liner on the floor and walls. A trunk First-Aid kit is available, but, unlike vehicles from Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, etc.....it is optional rather than standard. I lifted up the thinly-covered floorboard expecting to find the (usual) temporary or temporary/donut spare-tire, but was greeted instead with a compressed-air, Fix-a-Flat system and the car's battery. Come on, folks. For this kind of money, you can do better than
that.......Mr. Marchionne must not have looked in the trunk when he Okayed this car for production. The rear seats, though, DO fold down to expand the cargo area. But I didn't see any remote-releases back in the trunk for them, as there often is on upmarket vehicles (maybe I just didn't look hard enough).




ON THE ROAD:

Driving this car, IMO, is a real treat. Start up the big 6.4L Hemi with either a dash push-button or a fob-remote-start feature. It idles, as expected, smoothly and quietly. A security feature, on the remote-start, requires you to push the start-button again, after the engine starts running, and have your foot on the brake, before the shift-lever will come out of PARK into gear. Warm the engine up a couple of minutes, hit the road, and the smooth, refined V8 at idle becomes a Grizzly-Bear ready to roar. Despite a somewhat smaller displacement today, its whopping 469 HP and 469 ft-lbs. of torque bring back fond memories of the original big Hemis of the 1960s....yes, some of the ones I recall from my own youth. Under light-to medium pedal-pressure, the transmission will automatically shift-down one gear or so, noise and revs will increase slightly, and you will get pretty-good (but not blistering) acceleration. Nail the throttle some more, and the transmission seems to drop two full gears, exhaust noise picks up significantly (again, like the old Hemis), and you take off faster than Mexican border-runners fleeing the INS. Your back is pressed firmly into the sharp-blostered seats (I've already described the seats above). Yet the big Hemi, a tiger on the road, can act like a docile kitten in heavy traffic, and show a lot of smooth, quiet refinement in normal driving and freeway-cruising. So, if you want to use the SRT as a Friday-night luxury-car to impress your date with (and it WILL impress her), it should serve just fine as a smooth, quiet classic American luxury car....though not quite silky-smooth over sharp bumps (more on that in a second).

The 5-speed Sport-shift automatic, with nicely-mounted steering-wheel shift-paddles and the ubiquitous Chrysler/Mercedes Side-stick auto-manual-shift, generally operates smoothly and quietly. But, at higher speeds, it seems to put a slight damper on the big Hemi's spunk. That's not to say that it severely drags it down (this car easily accelerates as fast as many 1960's muscle-cars). But one still gets the impression that, between the responsive lower gears and the engine's torque-max at a rather high 4600 RPM, one really has to put one's foot in it to get max response......but when you DO get max response, you know it. Perhaps the 8-speed automatic's greater flexibility, currently not offered in Hemis, would help even out the response a little. The 8-speed, as noted above, is already available in some of the V6 models, depending on production dates.

The chassis-engineering, which was Mercedes E-Class-derived on the last-generation 300, is also superb on the new model. Steering response is super-quick for a big sedan of this class, butter-smooth, and has at least some (but not quite BMW-like) road-feel. Cornering, likewise, is sport-sedan sharp, with almost no body lean. Wind noise is luxury-car quiet. Road-noise is low, except for the thump of the high-performance tires and firm suspension over sharp bumps. Engine-noise, as stated above, is quiet except when you hammer it. Ride-comfort, despite the noticeably firm suspension and big, low-profile tires (my test-car had the optional 20-inch, 45-series rubber) is fine over smooth roads. But bumps and broken pavement are noticeable, and some thumps are heard. Still, it's smooth enough, perhaps because of the longish wheelbase, to cruise all day in if you took it on a long trip.

Part of the SRT equipment, of course, is the big Brembo brakes. Chrysler, though, chose to use light-gray-painted calipers instead of the usual bright-red ones for Brembos. The brakes worked pretty much as you would expect from Brembos...they don't have that high reputation for nothing. The brake pedal was responsive, linear, and seemed to have only a very small amount of free-play or sponginess before the big bite took effect. The brake pedal is also mounted in a manner (though not perfect) that makes it fairly easy for my big size-15 clod-hopper shoes to go from gas to brake without hanging up on the bottom or edges of the brake pedal.




THE VERDICT:

This is (arguably) the best American-nameplate sport/luxury sedan I've ever sampled, though, in fairness, I haven't yet tried out the latest-generation Cadillac CTS-V and its 556 HP. (And don't ask me for a CTS-V review right now,guys, because I'm still backed up with a number of other reviews). I have read other CTS-V reviews, of course, and I have a lot of respect for it. Both the CTS and Chrysler 300, of course, have a lot of German input and influence to them.....the CTS from Opel, and the 300 from Mercedes. But, nevertheless, both are marketed and sold (along with the 300's sister Dodge Charger) as American-nameplate cars.

And, with the (possible) exception of the new CTS-V, the new 2012 300 SRT-8 easily trumps every other modern American-nameplate sport/luxury sedan I've driven, including the Ford Taurus SHO, Lincoln LS, Pontiac Grand Prix /Bonneville GTP, Pontiac G8 GT, Chevy Impala SS, Mercury Marauder, Buick Grand National, and, of course, its own 300 SRT predecessors. But you pay for it........figure on at least 50K for the priviledge of taking an SRT home, and, of course, a Cadillac CTS-V would run a lot more than that. That's more money than I'd want to spend, out of my own pocket, for a new car, even though I could if I wanted one bad enough. And my own policy is that, for most driving needs, one doesn't need to spend more than 30-40K, though for those of you who want to plunk down 50K or more for this car, it probably wouldn't be a waste of money....you get a lot of car for it. I never thought I could justify 50 for a Chrysler product, but this is one honey of a car to drive. It's also a honey of a car just to sit in, too, and admire the new-found quality in the interior. But, you heavier ladies and gentlemen......just make sure, if you sit in it, that the heavily-bolstered front-seats don't bother your rump and torso too much, as they did mine.

Yes, I could suggest some improvements. I'd like the see the AWD from other 300 models offered on the SRT version for bad-weather areas, as the RWD, high-power, and summer-spec tires often don't cut it on slick roads, even with electronic traction-aids. I'd aso like to see the engineers figure out a way to integrate the cylinder cruising-fuel-cutoff system in the smaller 5.7L Hemi to the SRT, so that (maybe) SRT buyers wouldn't have to fork over an additional $1000 of their hard-earned money to Uncle sam's coffers for the Gas-Guzzler-tax. And I also wonder if the new 8-speed Chrysler automatic, now in production on the V6 models, would prevent some of the 5-speed automatic's tendency to make the SRT hesitate sometimes.

But, even as this car is today, without any improvements, as I said, it is one honey of a car to drive. Take a trip to your Chrysler dealer and check it out...I think many of you will be pleasantly surprised.


And, as always, Happy car shopping....and Happy Holidays.

MM

ArmyofOne

Mike! Sir, another great review!

You should seriously work for AutoWeek or something, friend.

mmarshall

Thanks, Josh.

Interesting you should mention AutoWeek. I never formally worked for them as an employee, but they published a LOT of the comments I would send in for the Letters and Fast-Poll section....usually one every 2-3 weeks or so (they published once-a-week back then). That was back a number of years ago when Rich Ceppos was one of their columnists, after he had left Car and Driver.

I actually like CAR CHAT more than Autoweek, though, for a number of reasons. Unlike a formal auto-magazine, nobody on CAR CHAT has to go through a formal chain-of-command in the editorial structure or subject themselves to the Chief Editor. Everyone here is free to speak their own minds, as long as CL's posting-rules on courtesy and topic-relevance are kept.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Great review Mike!

This car really was done right, with only minor gripes as you mentioned. The first generation definitely saved Chrysler, so I'm glad to see that this winning formula was bettered for this generation. I wish more automakers had the ***** to offer RWD and V8 in lux/sport sedans such as this. Clearly this is more hardcore but hats off to Hyundai for the Genesis Sedan R-Spec as well. I really wish Lincoln would follow this model that Chrysler set with the 300. The interior is rather impressive and a huge leap forward from what it replaced. I can only hope this is a trend for upcoming models in Chrysler's line-up. You mentioned the Gas Guzzler tax. I really hope that the 8-speed auto would lower if not remove it from the sticker. My point being, the 2013 Shelby GT500 with its supercharged 5.8L V8 650hp and 600lbft avoids the tax so why can't this? Maybe its bigger displacement or aging pushrod design? Oh and lastly, I really think this car should have won Motortrend's car of the year and not the Passat. The 300 finally deserves the respect it's sought after.

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

Thank you! I was looking forward for this review, and didn't expect to come this quick! Great review as always!
If they offer 8speed trans, then this car would be almost perfect.

Fizzboy7

Good review on a very interesting car. I can't believe I'm liking it this much, but I am. It just has a very sleek, tidy, clean, and modern look to it. In a way, it's like a brutish semi truck with headlights and grille right off a new Freightliner! *thumbs up*

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

nice review and definitely a surprise. Still a little shocked at the 54k price tag..

rkyat

Excellent review, this car has really grown on me.

If i had the $ and was in the market for a car in this class however, I'd still prefer a manual.

Blackraven

I've seen the regular model up close (300C Pentastar V6) and it seems to look quite better than the internet pictures.

HOWEVER:

If you were to compare between cars that could match or beat the 4GS, well this was a joke that someone told me in another forum:

Cars that *could* match or beat the Lexus GS (4th generation)
I imagine. If I had to choose between say a Genesis Sedan 5.0 R-spec version versus a Lexus GS F-sport, then I may have a harder time to think and deliberate on what car I would pick.

However, between the 4GS and a 300C, it's basically a no-brainer for me. It would be harder for me to think of any reason why I'd get the 300C (even up to the AWD and SRT8 versions) over a 4GS.

Don't get me wrong. Chrysler Corp. has some neat products (i.e. Grand Cherokee SRT8, Dodge Viper, etc.) and they've actually being improving since the Daimler split. However, for something like Chrysler to even have what it takes to create something groundbreaking, well err.......I don't think they're at that level yet (at least for a number of their products).

Just saying.....

mmarshall

Thanks.

To an extent, this is also true of other 2011 and 2012 Chrysler products. But, of course, it's generally too early to tell if long-term reliablity, under the skin, will match the big improvements in the skin itself. But one good sign for that is the 5/100 and 4/50 warranties, which are now also luxury-car-grade....and a lifetime drivetrain warranty is available as an option.

[quote] I wish more automakers had the ***** to offer RWD and V8 in lux/sport sedans such as this. [quote]

I don't think, with the 6.4L Hemi, that Chrysler had any choice but to do RWD. Take 469 ft-lbs. of torque, hook it to FWD, and if it doesn't overstress and break the constant-velocity-joints, it will probably yank the steering wheel right out of your hands with torque-steer. I'd like to see an AWD version for bad weather, but that's limited to the regular Hemi and the V6.

I agree that it's a good candidate for COTY, but perhaps MT figured the new Passat would sell more copies. Unlike past Passats, the new one was specifically designed for the American market. You can get a base V6 300, though, for what a some lower-line Passats cost, and the V6 offers an AWD, which the Passat doesn't. In the American-market VW line, you have to go up to the CC to get the 4Motion AWD, which, IMO, is ridiculous.

Och

iTrader: (3)

LOL, 50k for a Chrysler. Thanks, but no thanks.

mmarshall

Thanks.

Local Chrysler shops had a number of 300s in stock, including a few SRTs, so I jumped at the chance. That's been the problem with some of my other review-requests......simple lack of availability, at least partly due t

mmarshall

Thanks.

I wouldn't necessarily call it brutish. After all, it's as much a luxury-car as it is a muscle-car. What it does do (superbly, IMO), is combine handsome looks with class and a lot of spunk.

Justin2JZ

Another great review by MM as always . I really like the new 300's. They look stunning and they perform well compared to the previous gen. It will be even better with the 8 speed.

mmarshall

Thanks.

That, of course, is with some options. But when you look at this car, sit in it, and drive it, you see why it costs that kind of cash. This is NOT cheap-plastic, tinny materials, and so-so fit/finish like on the last 300. And you've definitely got power under the hood and a serious sport-sedan chassis.