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Sedans Chrysler 300/300C/300C SRT-8 Chrysler 300/300C
4893 messages, Last post on Jun 14, 2009 at 10:28 PM
You are in the Chrysler 300/300C/300C SRT-8 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Have had HID lights--very good except for sharp cutoff. Do not have them now but have installed Sylvania BrightStar bulbs. Best way you can spend $40 to improve your lighting. Also you can adjust them for more distance lighting without problems for oncoming cars. Go from yellow lights to white.Not as bright as HID but great improvement.
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After several years of not posting at Edmunds, I’m surprised and delighted to see Mark here, as well as other folks from the ranks of Audi drivers. Though I’m not in the market for a new car right now, I find the 300C occupying my automotive fantasies as an eventual replacement for my former non-sport ‘01 A6 2.7T. I was fascinated by the aesthetic of the new 300, and excited by the many glowing reviews of the driving experience. The pleasure an auto offers while driving it is probably paramount among my criteria. I prefer a roomy, fast, good-handling touring sedan to sports cars. If I like it’s looks, so much the better. The new Durante grill on the A6 and other new Audi’s isn’t as great a turn off for me as it seems to be for many. Other aspects are more disappointing. The original new ’98 A6 was a WOW of design departure with creativity and brilliance evident in almost every detail. Its replacement is not. The exterior goes from “huh?” to yawn. While its interior is less attractive, and amazingly, perhaps a tad snugger even though the car is bigger. The quality of materials and fit and finish are still excellent, though not to quite as high a standard as my old ’01. I haven’t driven one yet. I began to satisfy my curiosity by visiting the nearest Chrysler dealership where there were originally plenty of 300’s sitting around the lot. My reaction echoed what I’d read in automotive magazines; “This is a Chrysler?” They were well put together with an excellent (Though not quite Audi) level of fit and finish. The interior was very roomy and comfortable, and the materials were better than reviews had led me to believe. And the 300C’s stickered for about $10K-$12K less than my A6 had. Over several months I watched 300’s arrive and depart the dealership. I saw a few that had botched paint jobs with plenty of orange peel and poorer fit. Though in fairness, I’ve seen new Mercedes with plenty of orange peel too, and have even seen it on some body panels on some new Audi’s. I noticed when looking at the construction and welds in the door jam, engine compartment, etc., that this is obviously a simpler and ruder technique of body construction than that used to produce an A6. That doesn’t bother me very much, as the overall result in appearance and solidity is impressive. However, I wouldn’t accept delivery of some the cars that had really screwed up paint. The dealer salesman with whom I dealt was charming, but the process was a little comical. He likes trucks, the dealer likes trucks, and they like to sell trucks! He really didn’t seem to know what to make of the 300C, or $30K+ sedans in general. Chrysler seems to have lightning in a bottle. Let’s see what they do with it. The initial dealer response to low inventories has been predictable; I’ve seen dealers trying to add $3K to $5K to the sticker! My first impression on the RWD 300C test drive was that this was the best American car I’d ever driven by a huge margin. It didn’t feel as big as I thought it would. It was both much quieter and smoother than my ’01 A6. The interior is delightful. It is attractive, roomy and very comfortable to drive. I would sum up the driving experience as stately. I treat new, unbroken-in cars pretty gently. Given that, I thought the engine powerful, though not in the ripping, kick-in-the-pants nature of the 2.7T. I found myself exceeding the speed limit by 10 to 20mph in 40 and 50mph zones with no sensation of the extra speed. The handling is very good, though not quite as nimble as the A6’s, though the excessive body roll of the older non-sport A6’s is absent. The brakes were adequate, though much less powerful than those on my A6. Break-in may alter this comparison, as it will almost certainly affect engine performance as well. Much of the brilliance of an A6 and other Audi’s is found at the extremes. As I’m not willing to bring any new, unpurchased car to that point, I found myself wondering how the 300 would compare in those situations to the A6. My initial test drive suggests the A6 would be substantially superior. But I don’t spend much time driving a car at its limits, so I don’t think these extra margins would necessarily affect a buying decision for me. I too am most interested in the AWD version. Those of us familiar with Audi’s quattro know that there’s a trade-off. The extra weight and friction result in a slightly slower car, and reduced gas mileage. I doubt the effect will be too great on the 300. The few posts I’ve read here about the 300C with AWD are very promising since the drivers seemed to love the result of AWD on the driving experience. I do wonder about the difference between the center differential system used on the AWD 300 compared to the Torsen center differential of Audi’s. That’s one thing that has worked very well, and has been bulletproof on Audi’s. I also wonder about the overall level of problems the 300 is likely to experience. Audi’s aren’t nearly as bad as many think, but they are sometimes not flawless. I would be surprised if the overall number of trouble a 300 driver will experience will be either much greater, or much less than has been the experience among A6’s. |
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Replying to: steve22 (Jan 28, 2005 10:51 pm) The wheel fender gap bothered me when I first saw the car (ordered it sight unseen) but with the 18's it isn't that bad. Probably about 1/2 inch more fender gap than the RWD 300C though. The news I'm receiving on changing the wheels isn't good however. An addendum to the manual states that all wheels must have the same size and type tires. Unequal tire sizes must not be used because it may cause failure of the front differential and/or transfer case. Looking into lowering springs. Will keep you posted. |
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Replying to: greasykid1 (Feb 13, 2005 10:47 am)
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Replying to: quocpfnk (Feb 14, 2005 7:49 am) |
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| does anyone know when orders stop for the Chrysler 300 2005 models and when 2006 production starts. I'm asking because it was just about a year ago that the 2005 went into production - so will 2006 start soon, or not until the traditional August time frame? Also, if anyone knows how the '06's will be structured content-wise; apparently i'ts a Detroit mode of operation to decontent cars as they age, model-wise. | |
The '05 orders have already stopped. You can now order the '06. Only minoe differences like they are finally offering the TPS.
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That sort of info is typically available (free) here: http://www.us.leaseplan.com/fleet_resources/fr_pnews.htm - Ray Not leasing right now . . |
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Replying to: jeep (Feb 15, 2005 4:37 pm)
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