Misses & I went to Chrysler premiere night 2004. The Crossfire is a neat little sports car, but very pricey, and under the hood they have the cheapest looking heat shield (?). But the 300C we both liked it alot. We are debating getting rid of a couple cars (Suburban & Z24 convt) and getting a large passenger car. I think Chrysler will be selling many of these. Plus they had all kinds of goodies to eat and gave us an uncir. US silver dollar just to drive a couple cars. I have only owned a couple Chryslers and that was a long time ago, but who knows.
Posted by 99 HOSS (Member # 109) on :
...we've thought about it, too. I like the chopped roof look. The V8 power, RWD, room for the grandkids.
How'd you like the fit, the room inside (& the trunk), the price, etc?
Posted by Opie (Member # 2007) on :
We both really like this car. It has very nice lines and they way the hood and rear window is designed does give it a very agressive look. The hemi is rated at 340hp and has plenty of power. Tons of head room and leg room. You could put 3 bodies in the trunk. The sticker loaded was $34,000. The seats are very comfortable with lots of adjustments and the pedals are adjustable too. It has memory for two drivers which we both liked (adjusts with the push of a button). This is important as I am 6-4 and the misses is 5-0.
We have also been looking at the CTS strongly. Wife likes the 300C better and it does have more room and costs less. I think Chrysler will sell tons of these. It seats 5 people without a problem. If you are looking for a large passenger car you should at least take this one for a drive. We both were very impressed.
Posted by Hawkeye (Member # 88) on :
I'm thinking of one as well. But, I want to see the Magnum as I like the wagon 4X4 with 18" wheels. Should sell a like hot cakes as you say!
Posted by chrisL (Member # 97) on :
Sat in a touring edition (HO V6) a few weeks ago.
I was impressed with the interior.
JeffY has gotten to drive a few... he said you can push them pretty hard too. they can handle it.
Posted by poSSum (Member # 119) on :
Saw the 300C and Magnum at the Toronto Auto Show. If the Magnum had a little better tow rating (3,800 lbs now) it would make a great replacement for the Envoy.
I agree that Chrysler has a hit on their hands. I think a lot of truck and SUV buyers will go for the better ride, handling and ecomy without having to give up the power and RWD.
Posted by MY02SSLE (Member # 2178) on :
quote:Originally posted by Opie: Misses & I went to Chrysler premiere night 2004. The Crossfire is a neat little sports car, but very pricey, and under the hood they have the cheapest looking heat shield (?). But the 300C we both liked it alot. We are debating getting rid of a couple cars (Suburban & Z24 convt) and getting a large passenger car. I think Chrysler will be selling many of these. Plus they had all kinds of goodies to eat and gave us an uncir. US silver dollar just to drive a couple cars. I have only owned a couple Chryslers and that was a long time ago, but who knows.
Was that the party on S. Commerce Rd? I was at that dealership to see some cars, and I test drove a 300 also. It is a very nice car. But I wasn't interested, as I am looking in to a truck.
Posted by 35TH ED/ed (Member # 1709) on :
Would be great to look at other cars but with the wife at GM I Have to buy GM .Crossfire sharp,new Mustang sharp,Camaro .Well I have the LE and the most I canhope for is some styling down the road.
Opie if you need a certificate for GM there are several on the board that can get you one. Makes a difference in what you pay.
Posted by KurtK (Member # 1779) on :
The 300C has a great review in C&D. They do end it with a comment concerning quality.
I own a 96 Eagle Vision, and I would have some real questions (or doubts) about quality. Like: paint, interior plastics and leather, engine gaskets, transmission- just to name the more memorable ones. As a big car, it handles pretty good for a front driver.
Posted by agmSS (Member # 853) on :
I drove a new 300C last weekend. It's quite an improvement over the car it replaces. I'm currently driving an '02 300M Special and the one thing (2 actually) that I would have liked to see was more power and a 5spd Auto. My Special is outfitted with an aggressive 3.89 final ratio and with the tranny's gears, it makes for a higher than desirable highway cruise rpm and poor gas mileage. After 2 years and 15000 miles, the best I can get all around is 20-21mpg. My best ever highway mileage was 26. The SS got better mileage than that !!!
The new car makes a full 85 hp (rated) more than my 300M and makes 132lb*ft of torque. You can really feel the difference, it's night and day better. The new car will easily show its taillights to the 300M. The new transmission is also better. Besides having an extra gear for better highway cruising, it's auto-stick features have been enhanced and no longer require the driver to manually pull the selector back into a separate gate to activate the feature.
I felt that the interior plastics looked a little on the cheap side. The coachwork on my Special definitely looks more upscale and opulent. The fit however was excellent. The leather seats are a little firmer and material feels richer. The interior amenities are abundant even in the base car. The one I drove stickered a little over $36k and was missing the Nav system and perhaps a couple other options. You opt the car to a sticker of $38-39k if you check off everything on the option list.
The new car is overall larger than my 300M and offers much more interior room, particularly in the back seat. It weighs a couple hundred pounds more, but it makes no difference with that awesome hemi engine. The car rides very quiet and smooth. It's a little pillowy, but not like a Buick.....The car rides on 18-inch wheels but the tires are more of a touring tire. The have a higher aspect ratio, so there's noticeably more sidewall flex. My Special is factory equipped with 18-inch wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sports 245-45ZR18. It rides really firm, handles amazingly, but still does a good job soaking up most bumps. Chrysler achieved a really good compromise on the set up, firm enough to be fun without forgetting the car's real mission.
I agree with everyone else that Chrysler has hit with this car. They should sell a lot of them.
Posted by Broomer (Member # 1372) on :
I agree with your commments. I was thinking seriously of a CTS-V but didn't want the 6 spd. (already have one in '02 SOM SS Camaro) I've been waiting for Detroit to build this car for 20 years and having Mercedes E Class parts does'nt hurt any either. I know GM will catch up in a few years but for now a loaded 300 C in dark grey metalic will do just fine.
Posted by Opie (Member # 2007) on :
35th, thanks for the offer, but I get the GM discount. My father retired from GM after 38 yrs. I also use my GM credit card. Also why I have 2 chevs and a pontiac in garage.
The 300C has 5 spd auto and 18" wheels. There were a couple things I didn't like. There are some gaps, which I thinks should have been fitted tighter. You have to open doors and look in places most don't but I do see a problem with lots of places for dirt, salt, ect to collect. Also why I will wait a year or 2, let them work out the kinks.
I think all Chrysler dealerships were participating in this premiere.
Posted by Happy_Dan (Member # 118) on :
Sorry FBodfather. I had nothing to do with all of this. Posted by agmSS (Member # 853) on :
I understand Opie's thought that it might be a good idea to wait a couple of model years for any fixes and refinements to be made. American cars have made dramatic leaps forward in getting new model introductions right, but there's still a nagging perception that it takes a couple of years after an intro to get any quirks out.
Having said that though, I gotta be honest and say the 300C I drove was pretty dang good as is. Id call it a 93 out of 100. This one was Bright Silver Metallic with the Light Taupe Leather interior, the same combo as my Special. If I had to offer any suggestions, it'd be these:
1) Improve the look and feel of the interior trim and plastics. It looks and feels like the stuff used on dashboards and door trim back in the '70's. This is a definitive step backwards from the 300M. 2) Consider changing the carpet color and mat color for the Light Taupe interior. The 300C I drove had a matching Light Taupe carpet. It was gorgeous, but will be an absolute bear to keep clean, especially with children. My Special has a black carpet which IMHO is an elegant contrast to the lighter colored seat materials.
For clarification on my post above RE the engine torque, I meant to say the new engine makes 132lb*ft more torque than the 300M. My bad...
Posted by agmSS (Member # 853) on :
Dan,
Throw a nitrous bottle on that hemi and you'll be in trouble Bub..... Posted by JohnS (Member # 1073) on :
I like what DC is offering as well. V8 power, rear wheel drive, good looks, and a competitive price. Hey, those are the reasons why I bought the SS. Posted by blkragss02 (Member # 1801) on :
Nice looking car
Posted by SS1LE02 (Member # 1192) on :
It's funny, Chrysler led the way in front wheel drive/4 cyl. back in the eighties for domestics. Now they are leading the way again in rearwheel drive/V8 cars.
Posted by Blu SS 98 (Member # 1812) on :
I'll stick to chevy, the wife and I love our new Impala LS.
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.Well I have the LE and the most I canhope for is some styling down the road.![[Cool]](cool.gif)
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