I need a first hand experience of a Chrysler 300 owner. Do you like it? Pros, cons?
Chrysler 300C:
Rented one for a week. I hated it by the time I had to turn it in. Initially the looks have their own charm, but the car is built very cheaply. The interior quality is worse than kid’s toys, the rear view is abyssbal. The engine is good, but if you try to use some performance the fuel penalty is huge. And if you are conservative with the gas pedal the car seems unduly underpowered. It rolls a lot in turns.
Rent one for sometime, see if you like it.
I have driven one (briefly) and in addition to what fawadquazi stated, I will add that the Chrysler 300’s styling (very small windows, high beltline) creates the feeling that one is sitting in a tunnel with very little vision to the sides and the rear. I don’t normally feel claustrophobic, but after about an hour in that car, I couldn’t wait to get out of it.
I think thats true for just about all new cars. with each redesign of cars, we get more and more blind spots on all sides. Pretty soon we’ll be driving cars with no windows at all, just video screens showing what the cameras are seeing
It is getting worse in general, but the absolute worst offenders are the Chrysler 300, the Dodge Avenger and the Dodge Magnum station wagon. At least they have now discontinued the Magnum.
Who ever heard of building a station wagon with a rear opening as low as the one on the Magnum? Carrying anything larger than a few grocery bags is out of the question with that ridiculous design. Apparently a lot of consumers disagreed with Chrysler’s non-functional design and poor sales sank that vehicle.
Rented one last year. Trunk is poorly designed for large luggage pieces (more than one won’t fit well).
chryslers ,work best when used as a collector car,then very reliable.and great place to set your drink… sorry but thats that
I also had one as a rental…Piece of cr*p car. Mine only had 10 miles on it when I rented it…Very very hard to start every morning…Press the gas…there’s like a 2 second delay before the engine kicks in…Also…was NOT impressed on how it handled…I wouldn’t buy it.
The more power you get, the more fuel it will use. Get the smallest engine you can. The Hemi will pass a lot of cars but very few gas stations.
I rented one and thought it was decent for a rental.
I would suggest you borrow one for 1/2 a day test drive from a dealer and then see if it fits your needs/desires. If one dealer won’t allow you to do this move on or asked for a used version if available. Most are willing to do what it takes to sell that car.
Wow, I can’t believe no one posted this, here is Tom and Ray’s review: http://www.cartalk.com/content/testdrives/Reviews/chrysler-300c-2005.html
Just proves none of us have good memories going back three years. This review is also in stark contrast to the relatively negative summary Consumer Reports provide in their Apr 2008 Auto issue. CR used words like cheap interior, the high belt line discussed above, etc, even though it turned out to be on the 2008 “recommended car list”. Will try to capture the CR review in more detail tonight and post parts of it.
I have to chuckle slightly when most of these replies are from people who rented a 300. I have yet to be in many rental vehicles that have many redeeming qualities, not to mention many significant upgrades. I have a 2006 300C with the Hemi and rear wheel drive and I LOVE IT. I’ve had it exactly a year and got a great deal on it since it was an 06 leftover, but still brand new. I have taken highway trips with four adults and luggage and have averaged 23 to 25 mpg (at 70 to 75 mph!). Pretty good for a 345HP car if you ask me. With the multi-displacement system, the engine drops down to four cylinders, greatly improving highway mpg. Combination driving tends to be 18 to 20 mpg, slightly less in winter, I believe due to additional additives for cold weather. Some will find the visibility an issue, especially if you are of shorter stature or not good with mirrors. I have no problem with it, but I am 6’-3" and could drive around the world backwards just using my mirrors. My wife is 5’-6", she will tell you it took a little getting used to, but she has no problems driving it now. raise the electric seat, that’s what it is for! The bottom half (chassis, suspension & drivetrain) of a 300C is essentially a Mercedes, not so with the other versions. My brother has driven the rental version and my Hemi, and he has stated that he couldn’t believe they are the same car. Unless you are comfortable with a rear wheel drive car in the snow, winter driving could be an issue as the combination of rear wheel with a lot of power can be tricky. Again, non-issue for me, but perhaps for you? I had a six cylinder Sebring prior to this, and the 300 gets BETTER gas mileage. I have another bro with a six cylinder Taurus and he is lucky to get a combined driving 16 mpg. I have also been told that the 300 with the HO six gets worse mpg than what I am getting. Mine is pretty loaded, leather, GPS, etc. and I believe the interior looks much better in the higher end versions than the low end ones. I love the exterior look of the car and I find with most people, they either love the look or hate it. And, I love driving it. I don’t beat on it, which would definitely drop the mpg in a big hurry if I did. But, when you need to get up and go, i.e.: pass a truck or big RV on a mountain side road (I live in upstate NY and often drive in those conditions) the Hemi will not disappoint. Hope this helps, good luck.
Are you saying that cars sold to rental agencies are DIFFERENT then the car you bought???
I’ve never driven one, my only impression is that they are strange looking (like they are trying to be a bentley sedan, but they got it wrong somehow).
The rental cars usually have stripped down basic interiors and smallest/least expensive engine and typically least speed auto tranny offered in the model line. Move up one notch and $5000 your into a decent 6 cylinder, nicer interior and extra speed or two in the auto tranny.
I like Tom and Ray’s description of the exterior: a cartoon gangster’s car.
That’s perfect.
For some reason, Chrysler came up with some very funny looking vehicles under DB’s ownership. I really don’t understand what they were trying to do with Chrysler, other than trying extend the life of the old benz parts from their previous generation cars by letting them “trickle down.” That doesn’t explain the looks, maybe drug testing of their styling department was in order.
The 300 I rented in North Carolina had a Hemi…Fully loaded as far as I could tell…All the options didn’t make one bit of difference on how LOUSY it started or the ride…or the delay in acceleration.