Introduction

When it debuted as a 2005 model, the Chrysler 300 revived the long-dormant tradition of the full-size, high-style American performance car. While a 2.7-liter V6 was standard, and a 3.5-liter V6 optional, the engine that grabbed the headlines was the top-tier 5.7-liter Hemi V8 developing 340 horsepower. The 300's namesake and inspiration, the original Chrysler C-300 of 1955, was one of the defining members of the big-muscle breed, powered by the original edition of Chrysler's famous hemispherical-head V8 known as the Hemi. With 300 horsepower from dual four-barrel carburetors and a solid-lifter cam, the C-300 achieved early fame as one of the most powerful automobiles built by Detroit. It won the NASCAR championship in its first year out, and set top speed records on the beach at Daytona. Later 300s featured bigger Hemi engines and better-handling chassis. And now Chrysler is following this tradition, too. Released in the spring of 2005, the 2006 Chrysler 300 SRT8 upped the Hemi ante with 6.1 liters of displacement, 425 horsepower, and a chassis tuned for grand touring. Meanwhile, Chrysler announced more than a dozen refinements across the 300 model range for 2006, including new colors, new special editions, higher levels of standard equipment, and a new DVD entertainment option integrated into the center console. The Chrysler 300 styling is distinctive, and its interior is roomy, efficient and stylish. The instrument panel and switchgear are easy to read and operate. Pieces of Mercedes-Benz are slipping into Chrysler cars nowadays, and the 300C features a Mercedes-like steering wheel, leather under an arc of wood at the top. A Chrysler 300 with a 2.7-liter V6 retailed for the low price of $24,450 including destination. You can't put any new car in your driveway that looks more expensive for less. It's a large, modern, stylish, comfortable car for a small price. Better is the Touring model, with leather, a powerful 3.5-liter V6, and all the latest active safety features. With the 300C, it's all about the growl, the sweet-sounding exhaust note coming from subtle pipes under the rear bumper. The 340-hp Hemi has to carry 4046 pounds, so it won't run with a Corvette, but it is plenty fast, with a 0-60 time of 6.3 seconds, according to Chrysler. At the same time, the ride is smooth, solid and comfortable and the cabin is very quiet. With a base price of $34,400, it's a deal. Along with the new Dodge Charger, the 300 is the first big, rear-wheel-drive sedan to come out of Chrysler in many years, replacing the front-wheel-drive LH line which, in one form or another, had served Chrysler since 1993. Back then, there were engineering cases for front-wheel drive, including reduced manufacturing costs and more efficient packaging. But the way Chrysler sees it, more prosperous times call for more performance-oriented cars, and rear-wheel drive remains much better than front-wheel drive for managing horsepower. New technology has also helped the case for rear-wheel drive. Traction control, electronic stability programs, anti-lock brakes, and electronic brake distribution all improve the driver's ability to control the car. One of the most oft-touted advantages of front-wheel drive is traction in snow, but that too has been erased over the years. To prove the 300's traction and handling in snow, Chrysler invited automotive journalists to its testing facility on a frozen lake in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in early March 2005, and the 300 received excellent reviews. All-wheel drive is available for drivers who want more traction.

Walkaround

The Chrysler 300 is clearly bold and, we would argue, cool. But mostly the styling is uncompromising and makes no apologies. Curiously, maybe magically, it might appeal to both young and old. The 300 looks dramatic in profile. Rear-wheel-drive architecture allowed this whole new shape. The wheelwell cutouts, wrapping around 17 or 18-inch wheels, are striking. The wheelbase is long for a modern car at 120 inches (the 1955 original stretched 126), but the overhangs are short, offering a visual sense of power. The sedan roofline, a sort of '30s gangster tease, beautifully complements the lines which are long, low and carved as if from a big horizontal block of metal. The roof rakes thickly down to a short deck, and the sides are like large slabs. The long hood glides forward and drops off a cliff whose face is the massive grille, so strong it dictates the car's lines. The high-performance SRT8 may be the coolest-looking 300 of all. Its unique features include body-color front and rear bumper inserts, mirrors and door handles; and the modifications are more than aesthetic. The front and rear ends direct air flow through unique ducts that cool the brakes, while a specially designed rear spoiler increases rear downforce by 39 percent, helping keep the rear tires firmly planted at high speed without increasing drag. Yet the coolest thing about the SRT8 might be its 20-inch, forged aluminum wheels and asymmetrical high-performance tires. These maximize that visual power, and they're staggered in the classic track-performance tradition, with the rear tires slightly wider than the fronts.

Interior Features

The interior of the Chrysler 300 is marked by spacious silence. Chrysler engineers have been reducing interior and wind noise with all their new vehicles, so it's not surprising that the flagship sedan should get the treatment. Chrysler has its own $36 million aero-acoustic wind tunnel, and they've been trying to get their money's worth out of it. The cabin is roomy, thanks largely to the efficient shape of the exterior: the chassis is pushed out to the wheels, and the wheelbase is long, leaving 106.6 cubic feet (SAE standard) inside. The 60/40 split rear folding seat, with a folding center armrest and integrated cupholders, offers a relaxing 40 inches of legroom, although because it's rear-wheel drive the driveshaft tunnel on the floor down the center of the car has returned. The door openings are extra large, making climbing in and out noticeably easier and more pleasant. It's a very clean cockpit. Our 300C had a satin silver center stack, which was elegantly functional, nothing decorative about it. We felt blessed not to have to play games with the controls and switchgear to get them to function. There are two horizontal rectangular climate vents on either side of an analog clock, above the sound system and climate system controlled by four simple knobs. The 300C steering wheel is a nice four-spoke design with tortoise shell trim making a gradual arc along the top, like a Mercedes-Benz wheel. The four gauges are round, clear and pleasing to the eye in a balanced layout, with black numbers and needles on a white background, almost Italian-looking. From the driver's perspective, it's all good. There is a gated shifter for the AutoStick, forward of which is a marginal fast food bin, but the console is nice and deep, with coin holders and deep cup holders. Our leather interior was a subtle two-tone beige and gray, and the seats were on the firm side but comfortable (again, Mercedes-like), although they could use more side bolstering in the 300C which has the engine and tires to corner harder. They are elevated by 2.5 inches, as this is the thing to do nowadays because buyers like to sit high, but because the door sills are also high for safety, it's a good overall relative fit. Because the windshield rake is relatively modest, visibility forward is enhanced over that very long hood. Visibility out the rear is also excellent, without much intrusion from the roofline. The trunk of the 300 holds 15.6 cubic feet, and opens forward to the fold-down rear seat, so the ability to tow a boat and carry all you need is there. A European-style safety innovation can be found in the trunk. The well in the cargo floor, holding the spare tire, is built at an angle, so if the 300 is crashed into from the rear, the tire will rotate upward allowing the frame structure to deform as designed.