CAR AS DRIVEN

Chrysler 300 with Hemi-C engine
Moonroof
Navigation Radio
Chrome Appearance

Purchased by my friend Juan in November 2005, driven extensively by myself during November - March.

Top speed reached - 100 miles per hour
(Grand Central Pkwy)

Current Mileage - 15,600



MY IMPRESSION

The Chrysler 300c is a marvelous car. At first I wasn’t too interested in it because it looked like a throwback to the old days of Cadillac with huge grills during the 40’s and 50’s. Personally, I am a technology buff and I only want the most aerodynamic looking, “jet fighters on steroids” looks I can get. Something on the order of Murcielagos or Gallardos. Even the EXT offered me sleek styling in a truck that I fell head over heels for. Ultimately styling is about personal preference and as I’ve noticed, a lot of people love the 300’s aggressive, upright grill and masculine looks. I see just as many women behind the wheel as I do men. After spending a lot of time in it, and getting gazes from envious onlookers, I came to an understanding with the car. It is very flashy and has the most elegant interior for a sub $40,000 car that I have ever seen.
The pearl blue midnight paint was simply beautiful and I was very happy with the chrome accents on the bumper and the windows which only enhanced the dark color that much more.
Basically, if you see this car and like the way it looks. It is for you (if you can afford it).


INTERIOR
The interior of the 300C is stylish and elegant. If you take a look at the top models made by Daimler Chrysler, it is easy to see that the 300C's interior was edited by the same eyes that worked on the Maybach and the S-class Benz.
Firstly, I was very happy with the seat space. I have long legs and when I get into the 300, I only have to tilt the seat back about halfway to get into a comfortable driving position. The mock shift stick is very easy to handle even when I tilt the seat back and move it to its rear-most position. I am also very happy that the designers included a telescoping power steering wheel which adjusts easily with a touch of a button. When I get in the car, I am forced to telescope the wheel fully forward, get in and then telescope it towards me because of my height. I was very disappointed that my 2007 Escalade didn’t have this feature as it would have saved me a lot of trouble. My only disappointment with the seat is that the headrest is titled forwards at an angle which makes it awkward to lean against for taller people who tilt the seat backwards. After a while I got used to it though.

The dashboard layout features large dials and is easy to read. There is a L.E.D driver information display which is connected to the steering wheel controls that allows you to setup your preferences for light deactivation delays, alarm settings, door unlock settings and also feeds you information such as ajar doors and accurate tire pressure readings. At one point in my 300c driving campaign, my friend got a flat tire and the car kept warning me the tire pressure was low and explained which tire was problematic. Very nice indeed.
The center console features a large navigation screen for the DVD based gps-nav/radio. Imputing information takes a little while because the radio is not touch screen. Furthermore the toggle switches and cursor control take some getting used to because the user interface for the navigation system is not very intuitive. This is not to say that it is bad… I had a much easier time using it than I did in my mother’s 745li with Idrive… I am just saying it has a learning curve that may take some users longer than a week to figure out while others will be up and navigating in hours.
The Nav Radio is connected to the driver info display so when you are receiving trip information, you will be able to see “next turn” in the dashboard without having to look down at the radio. Another complaint I have with the nav/radio is that the turns are not accurate enough in many circumstances. I believe that the system is only accurate to about 20 -30 feet. Sometimes the system says “arrived” at destination and you are still many meters away (problematic when looking for a house address).
I have missed a number of turns due to these inaccuracies. At one point, I relied on myself rather than the Nav/radio to tell me where to turn. It can be very confusing receiving inaccurate data on a highway with multiple exits near one another.

The 6-disk cd changer attached to the nav radio is hooked to one of the most powerful stock speaker systems I have ever witnessed for a car this inexspensive. There are 4 door speakers pumping out over 75 Watts a piece and a 100 watt subwoofer in the center of the dashboard. I've noticed alot of new cars being offered with 5.1 surround sound as well as powerful 2.1 systems. I think Cadillac started the trend with their 15 piece speaker system in the STS. My 2007 EXT has a 5.1 surround system a little more powerful than the 300C, but still, I was able to enjoy listening to music in this ride.
Turn it way up and it remains loud without distorting. I am a subwoofer box junkie so I would still add my own system of Kicker L7's in the trunk, but, for the average listener, this stereo system is fantastic.


The Seats are fantastic. The interior Juan got was light grey leather which combined with the car’s open air spaciousness, allows you to get the illusion you are riding in something extremely expensive like a Rolls Royce or a Limo. So long as you keep the interior clean, the ride looks ultra-luxurious. The 300C is the only sub $40,000 car I have ever seen which featured leather on par with that in my Escalade. The only difference being, my Escalade leather also smells very nice too.



DISSAPOINTMENTS WITH INTERIOR

Certain facets of the Chrysler 300c’s interior are very poor but not so many that I am turned off by it. First of all, after coming back from a club intoxicated, Juan was getting out and accidentally kicked the speaker cover on the driver side door. His foot went right through it as if the speaker was covered with loose-leaf paper. The cover is a one piece door assembly which means the company’s shop would have to repair the whole thing just to repair this piece. It isn’t a very noticeable hole because it is near the driver’s left leg, someplace nobody should be looking, but it bothers me that this part of the door was so thin - it shouldn't cost much to repair though so perhaps, he should pick an aftermarket billet assembly instead of the factory version.

Furthermore, Juan was driving his friend Darrel home one night, and Darrel used the cigarette lighter and the plastic stem snapped off when he applied a little too much pressure to it. I have never seen this happen before and it led me to believe that either Darrel applied way to much pressure to the lighter, or it was cheaply made.

The only other major problem I had with the 300C was the horn. The horn is an overly pedantic design due to the airbag inside the center and the mechanisms in use for the telescope feature. I found myself struggling to blow the horn when I wanted to show the next driver my distaste for him. I have big hands and I normally never have to squeeze a horn this hard to get it honking.

After Juan’s put 14,000 miles on this car, I’ve noticed that the interior is noticeably duller on the light grey plastic sections and the leather has faded a little bit and has crease marks in it. This is normal I supposes but, it leads me to believe if I ever bought this car, it would have to have an all dark grey interior.


DRIVING


The AWD 300C with the Hemi is a beast. Its acceleration curve seems to be so steep that I felt that I could race anybody on the street in almost any car. A number of times, I tore away from stop lights leaving those little Honda Civics and Mitsubishi Galants eating dust and inhaling the aroma of burned rubber.
When you step on the gas, the car rockets to 60 in a very short period of time like a wild bull. The car’s rated Horsepower is 340 and it certainly feels like every single horse is accounted for. The car gave me that “invincible” feeling as if a cop in an Impala wouldn’t be able to catch me without helicopter assistance. If there is any reason to buy the Hemi-C with your Chrysler 300, power is that reason…

….unfortunately, fuel economy is not one of those reasons. With gasoline at $3.25/ gallon here in NYC, $20 barely gets you half a tank. The car costs closer to $50 to fill from the empty margin. I began to wonder why people bought Hemi-C engines with their 300’s except for boasting purposes? It became clear to me after I filled the car up a couple times, why I have never seen a Chrysler 300 with the SRT-8 engine on the street (SRT-8 is 6.1 Liter V8 and 425 Horsepower) And believe me, everytime I see someone with a 300 nowadays, I look to see if their car has the unique C or SRT-8 badge on its rear or on its sides. If I am averaging 13 miles to the gallon driving the Hemi –C then the SRT -8 must get less than 10. It is simply ridiculous when a car like this is getting less gas mileage than a large SUV.
In the 300's defense, it does have an active fuel management system - Variable Valve Technology- which shuts of 4 out of the 8 valves during stop and go traffic or low speed driving to attempt to save gas. Unfortunately, there is no indicator available to show you when the VVT is active. If there was, you could actively participate in saving fuel.
I also noticed in the 300C, that similar to my Escalade EXT, if you drive at low speeds for a while, the VVT is activated but, when you suddenly press on the gas the car lags a little to catch up to your inputs and reactivate the extra 4 valves for more power. When negotiating an onramp to drive onto the highway, it is very important to remember this - otherwise, you'll be entering highway traffic too slowly and risking an accident.


As far as drive quality goes, The 300C is one of the best handling cars I’ve driven in its price range. I’ve driven ”better” cars like the 745li and the S-Class 2007 Benz, but the Chrysler to me is the better option because it gives you great luxury and a fantastic ride for so much less money.
The steering is relatively loose and the car is highly responsive both at high and low speeds - as if it has the soul of a race car.

The mock shift stick is easy to use. All you do is put her in overdrive and the car does all the work for you. For those of you who actually know how to use a MANU-MATIC sport shifter, the 300's got that too. The stick itself just needs to be knudged in the direction of your desired up or down shift and you can watch the L.E.D dial on the drivr's information display change to your desire. I don't get this involved when I drive though so it was a decent extra that both I and Juan don't neccessarily appreciate.
I routinely pushed 80 and 90 miles an hour on the Southern State Parkway and the Grand Central when rushing to work and I simply fell in love with the sheer power of the Hemi. The ride was soft and smooth even with the 20 inch stock wheels. I never experienced any misery with the transmission or the engine’s power output. If I was rich, I’d probably buy a 300 SRT-8 as a car to complement my 2007 EXT. This car is just too fabulous.


Ride Complaints?

My only ride complaint is that the car has been designed with a high butt end and when you are parking, doing so becomes a little tricky. Chrysler has not installed an ultrasonic rear park assist in this vehicle which it desperatly needs. I've come to learn how important Ultrasonic assist is when I try and park the Escalade EXT. Both vehicles are very difficult to back into a tight spot. To mitigate this a bit, the side mirrors automatically pitched downwards when you throw the 300c into reverse. This way you don't end up scraping your tires against the curb.

One other thing I should mention is that I felt the brakes, were a little light for this vehicle. At low speeds you don't notice it but, when you attempt to slow down from 40mph - 0 in city traffic, the 300's brakes feel to be a bit unresponsive. The obvious way to mitigate this is to not follow closely and to not try and race through city traffic. Hopefully Chrysler will tighten up the brakes a little on the newer models.


I was very impressed with the 300's trunk space. The trunk is unimaginably deep and offers adequate space for groceries and stereo equipment. The only disappointment here is that there are no cargo nets or cargo retention devices so when you hit the gas, things go jumping and thudding around. Kinda' hurts the quietness and luxury elements when you hit the gas and something goes *WHAM*.


WHY I LOVE THIS CAR

Basically, I went from hating the 300C and looking at it as “a poor man’s Bentley” to falling in love with it in 2 months of driving it. If I ever had to choose a $35,000 car for work and play, I’d have to say this would be it. I haven’t seen any other cars on the market that offer this much comfort and opulent appearance for this price tag.
The 300C has broken new ground for the car tuner market. Everyone I see has this car riding 22 inch rims and they all appear very happy. The only thing you need to decide is whether or not to get the HEMI engine. I love the power it provides but, for economics I’d have to buy the 300 without it. I’ve noticed dealers willing to bargain on the price to sell their 300’s with the Hemi at prices nearer to the V6 version. The problem is when you start paying for gas and realize that you are unloading the type of money SUV owners unload, you may start feeling that $2000 less at vehicle signing just wasn’t worth it if your yearly fuel bill is close to $3000.
Yes I am happy now with my 2007 EXT but every now and then I see a 300C on the street and reminisce of my days behind her wheel.