Something about the 300M has always appealed to me. A few years back I reviewed the 1999 car. For 2002 I decided to give the car another look, especially since this year a 𣽤M Special” with a slightly more powerful engine, body kit, larger wheels, and xenon headlights became available. To see if the Special is worth the extra $2,300 is costs over a comparably equipped 300M, I took a regular 300M (without the “Performance Handling Group”) and Special for back-to-back test drives.

Chrysler 300M Reliability

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Styling

There are three things I find very appealing about this car. The first is its styling. Now, Chrysler’s regular LH cars are known for their exceptionally swoopy styling, but I find them a bit excessive. Especially in terms of their length. At 203.7”, the Dodge Intrepid is six inches longer than a Taurus, and a whopping fourteen inches longer than a Camry or Accord. The Chrysler Concorde is four inches longer still. These are huge cars, and they look it.

Luckily, an alternative is available. When developing these large cars, Chrysler decided it wanted a version that would appeal to the European market. Europeans pay attention to the length of a vehicle. Parking is tight, so they want it as short as possible. In general, any car over five meters (197”) in length will have a very hard time selling in volume in Europe. So for the European market Chrysler took the Concorde body and lopped an even ten inches off its length. A bit over five meters, but close enough. The American market got this car as a by-product.

Usually taking ten inches off a design would make it look kinda funny, but through some magic Chrysler’s designers made this thing look good. Really good. Better to these eyes than the longer cars, with its fashionable short overhangs and edgy fender lines. Because of the radical surgery, the proportions are like nothing else on the road, yet they work. Few designs are both distinctive and attractive, but this is one of them.

Thankfully, the “Performance Handling Group” no longer involves a downgrade to awful looking 16” wheels, as it did the first few years. Instead, the standard 17” wheels are used, just with higher performance tires. These wheels look good on the car, if not quite as good as the 17” wheels that were on the 㥫.

The Special adds larger 18” wheels shod with 20mm wider tires, fender tips, and chrome dual exhausts. The resulting look is more aggressive, yet still tasteful. That said, the standard car’s appearance is more in tune with the 300M’s character, so I don’t see any big bonus here.

The interior styling is also very nice. The most prominent feature is the set of white-faced gauges detailed to look like antique watch faces. These gauges almost didn’t appear in this car. The initial press cars had standard black-faced gauges. But people loved the retro instruments so much in the LHS that at the last minute Chrysler decided to slip them into the 300M. This is a car of many circumstances, most of them happy.

Overall the ambiance of the 300M’s interior is nearly as unique as the exterior styling. It possesses a more traditionally American character than the Lincoln LS and Cadillac CTS, yet at the same time feels up-to-date. The instruments play a role, but so do the thickly upholstered seats (a longstanding Chrysler characteristic).

This ambiance is only let down by some moderately cheap-looking plastics on the center of the dash and doors. Some of the minor controls could also look and feel higher in quality. The dark colored interior comes off better.

For 2002 three different interior trims are available: the standard fake wood, optional real wood, and the faux carbon fiber standard in the Special. The real wood looks a bit better than the fake stuff, but I can’t see spending over a grand on the luxury package to get it. Especially since it includes wood on the upper part of the steering wheel rim. This wood, as in other cars that have it, is slippery. Worse, I drove the car on a hot day, and it burned my fingers. The leather part of the wheel was also hot, but much more bearable. The carbon fiber trim in the Special lends the interior a sportier ambiance, and will be especially appreciated by those who dislike wood trim.

Accommodations

All of the ten inches cut off the Concorde to make the 300M came from the overhang, especially the rear overhang. The wheelbase remained the same. As a result, the 300M is a very roomy car. This is the second thing I really like about this car, that it combines a manageable exterior size with a very roomy interior.

The driving position is very good. Though owing to the sharply raked windshield the dash top is expansive, in the 300M this doesn’t seem odd. The view all around is very good, with a fairly low beltline and cowl (base of windows and windshield, respectively).

The front seats are somewhat softer than your typical German seat, and are quite comfortable. The Special has the same seats, just with a different upholstery pattern. Consequently, the seats in both versions lack the sort of lateral support I’d like for aggressive driving. They communicate that this car is meant for cruising, not flinging through turns.

The real surprise is the 300M’s rear seat. Not only is it exceptionally roomy, but it is high enough off the floor to provide excellent thigh support. This rear seat ranks among my favorites. If you’re looking for a sport sedan with a seat that can comfortably carry three adults (or three child seats—it’s wide), this could very well be your car.

Despite the surgery, even the trunk is large, and usefully shaped. If you need more cargo space, the rear seat folds down. Be warned that the full-size spare, optional on the regular car and standard on the Special, cuts down on trunk space. Many people really, really want a full-size spare—and this one comes with a matching alloy wheel—but I’d personally rather have the extra trunk space. I use the trunk far more than I use the spare.

On the Road

Both 300Ms share a 3.5 liter six, with the Special having five more horsepower for a total of 255. Five horsepower isn’t a noticeable difference. Makes me wonder why they even bothered—I guess because they had to do something different to qualify for the “Special” moniker. Frankly, I’d sacrifice a few horsepower to be able to put regular unleaded in the car. Chrysler recommends 89 octane for the regular engine (though it says 87 won’t hurt the engine), and 91 for the Special. The Dodge Intrepid R/T uses the same basic engine detuned to run on regular gas, and it loses only six horses in the process. Why not offer this engine in the regular 300M, which would both make it more appealing to many people and make the Special more special? Beats me.

With either engine, performance is fairly good, but not outstanding. I’d guess 0-60 in about eight seconds. Based on power and weight, the car should be faster. I suspect the transmission has tall gearing for fuel economy purposes (EPA 18/26). Not as smooth as Japanese V6’s, but plenty refined for most people. The 300M has a slightly louder exhaust, but it’s still not objectionable. The motor starts to make the sort of mechanical sounds I like at high RPMs, but doesn’t feel entirely comfortable there.

The 300M has Chrysler's Autostick manually shiftable automatic standard. To engage this feature, move the shifter past D. In this position you tap the shifter to the right to upshift and to the left to downshift. This is unique, as most manumatics use a fore-aft slot to the left or right of the main slot. I learned why. With the Autostick, I often inadvertantly downshifted the transmission by unintentionally pulling on the shifter in turns (if I'm going to use this feature, I'm going to keep my hand there, as I do with a manual). Not that this caused problems immediately, as the Autostick doesn't react all that quickly. Not a terribly useful feature.

Handling is very stable. Even without the performance handling suspension the car leans little in turns. The steering in either model could use more feel, but the effort is about right. The Special leans less, and has significantly quicker responses, but still feels more solidly planted than nimble. I suspect that with the performance suspension the regular 300M would handle much like the Special. In either form the 300M must be thrown into turns rather than precisely guided. When it is thrown, it sticks well, especially with the wider stickier tires on the Special.

The ride, on the other hand, is not quite luxury car smooth, but has improved over the first few model years. It still gets jittery on some surfaces, especially with the Special’s stiffer suspension and lower profile tires, and does a marginal job of absorbing some impacts. That said, the ride is definitely a cut above standard American family car fare. I wish my wife’s Olds Intrigue rode this well, and the Ford Taurus and base Dodge Intrepid could also learn something here.

Somewhere between 1999 and 2002 the 300M received additional sound insulation. Road noise, though still higher than Japanese competitors, is significantly reduced from the last 300M I drove, and this helps the luxury positioning.

Bottom line is that the Special is not worth the extra cash. Without sharper steering and more nimble handling the car’s character remains more cruiser with a touch of sport, a "touring car," and for that you might as well go with the regular 300M.

Pricing

The third thing I find appealing about the 300M is the price. Even the base 300M is a well-equipped car, with power everything, heated leather seats, 17” alloys, and an Infinity sound system. It stickers for $29,220, but dealers tend to discount them heavily, and a $2,000 rebate is currently available. So the actual cost should come to just over $25,000. Quite reasonable for a roomy luxurious sedan with unique styling and a sporty edge. Add the performance package and moonroof and you’re still at $26,700 after discount and rebate. With the Special the sticker comes to $33,640 with a moonroof, about $29,400 after discount and rebate—in my mind not worth it, even though this price includes $640 of additional options as standard..

A Dodge Intrepid SXT (a new “value” trim line) with 234 horsepower 3.5 liter, leather, ABS, and sunroof runs nearly $4,200 less than a similarly equipped 300M. It is not easy to justify the extra money for the 300M, the more compact package and styling being the most obvious differences. I haven’t driven the SXT, but the base Intrepid doesn’t ride or handle nearly as well as the 300M.

The car closest in character to the 300M is the soon to depart Olds Aurora. The two cars are similar in size. The Olds has a higher quality interior, a much less comfortable rear seat, and requires a V8 to make the same amount of power. The Aurora 4.0 stickers for nearly $37,000, and comes to roughly $31,000 after dealer discount and a $3,000 rebate. Also a lot of car for that price, but $4,000 is a healthy chunk of change. Throw in heavy depreciation for the Aurora, and used is the only way I’d buy this car.

Among imports the Infiniti I35 likely comes closest, with a 255 horsepower six driving the front wheels, a roomy interior and trunk, and sporty demeanor. I haven’t driven the I35, but if the similar Maxima is any indication, the Infiniti is faster and nimbler than the 300M but has less shoulder room and rides a bit worse. It feels like a smaller, less substantial, but sportier car. Also, many people find the Infiniti less aesthetically attractive. It stickers for $32,375 with sunroof and sport package. According to Edmunds, the typical dealer discount brings the price to $29,825, or about $3,000 more than the 300M. However, the I35’s price includes more standard equipment. Adding $780 worth of upgraded stereo and side airbags to the 300M reduces the gap to roughtly $2,200. Stability control is simply not available on the Chrysler. To get xenon lights, standard on the I35, the Special must be purchased, fully closing the gap in price.

Last Words

The 300M’s strong points are its styling, roominess, and price. The last largely compensates for some substandard interior materials. Even in Special form the 300M doesn’t feel especially sporty to drive. It does make a fine cruiser. If this profile fits your needs, it’s a lot of car for the money. If you’re after a fast car with sharp handling, look elsewhere, or wait for the rear-wheel-drive 300N, due for the 2005 model year. That car will use key parts from the Mercedes E-Class, so I suspect the sticker will rise at least as much as the car improves.

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Amount Paid (US$): 34,000
Model and Options: Special & regular 300M