I’ve always had an interest in the RWD Chrysler 300, ever since the pre-production test drives and first impressions appeared in print. Here was an all-new vehicle that looked like a classic American car (no faux-Mercedes or phony-Lexus looks, here) with a V8, long wheelbase, and right-wheel-drive! Nice.
For a long time in 2013, I was seriously considering a 300. Not for a while of course, but I am always interested in “the next one,” and never mind if that next one is years away.
A lot of it had to do with the 2011 refresh of the 300, which is that rare redesign that looks even better than the original. They looked really nice, and I’ve always preferred the “three-box” style to the fake-fastback style so prevalent on modern sedans. But another big part of it was the 300S model’s interior.
This! Yes, friends and neighbors, you could get a genuine color in your 300S. A real color, unlike the prevalent choices of beige, light beige, medium light dark beige, gray, ebony, light medium ebony, and black.
Seriously, do those red leather thrones not look luxurious? Comfy? I’m not sure about only the armrests being red, but overall, it looks good.
As did the car. I went so far as to have a salesman show me one, and I sat in both the front and back seat of a gunmetal-gray one at the dealer, but I didn’t drive it. I liked what I saw though.
One thing picked at me, though. A former co-worker who drove Cadillacs was interested in the 300 when it debuted. When she and her husband went on vacation, they rented one to see how they liked it. Well, they couldn’t see out of it. The biggest problem was when you stopped on the white line at an intersection, they could not see the traffic light–the windshield was too shallow. So they bought a Cadillac CTS instead.
But another friend of mine had a dark green 300C, and he just loved it. It had a beige leather interior, but the door caps and dashboard were dark green–a nice touch to the dark green paint. John absolutely LOVED that car, until some stupid kid rear-ended it. It was fixed, but it was never the same dynamically, and it was traded in. So I am a bit conflicted about the 300.
Until I bought my Town Car, I considered the 300 a similar car. Luxurious, very American styling, RWD, V8, etc. But then I rolled the Cartier up to this 300 Limited (an AWD model, judging from its six-spoke alloys). Comparing the two, the Lincoln appears to both longer and lower. Does the Chrysler’s blocky styling make it appear more full-size than it is?
Yes. At 196.8″ long and 74.1″ wide, the Chrysler is both shorter and narrower than the Lincoln’s 215.3″ length and 78.2″ width. However, the 300 does have a slightly longer 120″ wheelbase, to the Lincoln’s 117.7″.
Of course, as a Chrysler, the interior is suitably plush, with leather and the usual assortment of power assists and stereo choices. The door panels are rather plain though, save for that spiffy chrome spear at the top. Remember, this car was developed when Daimler-Benz was heading the Mopar ship, and they chiseled every nickel and dime out of the lineup–as they’ve done with their own automobiles since about 1992. Still, it looks good, and I can attest to the room these cars have. A 120″ wheelbase does wonders for space!
As with previous IIBTATC posts, I tried to align my car’s nose even with the 300. That extra 18.5″ is definitely noticeable out back. And despite the 300 being much blockier than the Lincoln, its C-pillar is much more angled. Still, much better than the Altima-Accord-Camry brigade, with their super-sloped C-pillars, resulting in not only reduced rear passenger headroom, but a trunk lid that appears to be one foot deep. The 300 has a similar issue, actually, but at least the trunk is clearly separate from the greenhouse!
Here are the noses again. My Lincoln is certainly not a small car, but the bluntness of the 300’s styling makes it look almost delicate.
I still like the 300, but after a few months with my Town Car, I am less and less inclined to acquire one. Perhaps some day, when it’s time to trade the wagon. But I am so happy with my Panther that I may just wind up with another Lincoln instead!
We rented a 300 a few eyars ago for a road trip and it was great, escept for th aforementioned problem with traffic lights! But, after a day or so, I learned to hold back a bit if I was first in line at a light. I’m sure people who drive them reguarly get used to that. I wonder if the refresh solved that problem. Ours was one of the original designs. But overall a great car for the highway.
I should have liked the 300, but the styling of the first generation was as appealing to me as a Brinks armored truck. I think that the recent refresh is a big improvement. It even has little vestigal fins on the back! I also like the grille on the new ones, where the horizontal bars look like they’re floating within the frame, not connected to anything.
I don’t like the wheels on the featured 2006 300 either. Six spoke wheels do not look good on cars, only trucks and SUVs. They especially don’t look good on a car that’s supposed to convey a luxury image.
There was an available wheel for the 300 Touring model that I think looks much better. It was more of a solid disk with D-shaped cutouts around the perimeter. Like this one:
http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2011/09/12/19/16/2006_chrysler_300_touring-pic-8663536688290970724.jpeg
My dad’s 300 limited has those wheels, I always tell him that it would look better with whitewalls haha. But seriously, I think that those wheels were a size too small and that there was too much sidewall. I think those wheels in 18 inch wouldve been even better looking.
I wonder what the sales staff was thinking as they looked out from the showroom at you lining your car up? 🙂
The only advantage I see in the 300 is more modern safety features. Lincoln let the Town Car die on the vine without such things as head curtain airbags. I will never understand why they threw the Town Car market away as they had the livery business wrapped up with a very dependable car.
As for the 300; I would love to see a full red interior offered,,,on any car for that matter.
It was Sunday; they were closed.
Tom, Great comparision. I really like the looks of the 2011 plus 300. It along with the Town Car is definitely on my short list of my next road car. It is just hard to justify when I am not sure I would like one of them as well as one of my 96 Big Bodies. Also something would need to go since I am out of covered parking at my house now.
Like the color in the 300 S interior, just wish they did more than the seats and armrests in the red, not sure I care for the two tone. Also wish the S model had a little more chrome. I guess I would have to opt for the 300C or Limited with 20″ rims. It is funny how the how the older full size cars have a lower roofline than the newer ones. I know my Fleetwood is not as tall as my Dad’s 08 Saturn Aura.
What do you think of the Charger? I kinda go back and forth on them.
I like the Charger, but I like the 300 better. Broughamier 🙂
The 300, especially the C models, is a really under-rated car. When I was at Chrysler, we were amazed how good the cars were. This really is a Faux Mercedes! The suspension is straight off an E Class, as is the steering. The cars drive like it, too. The 5.7 motor has loads of torque and power.
The interior is nothing to write home about, however. If you want a good, low km car with a V-8, less than $10k here in Soviet Canuckistan will get you a very good one indeed, a 2007 or 2006. When I was shopping for my Acura, I seriously considered buying one. In the end, V-8 thirst (and there is no other reason to own this car except for the V-8) and American reliability scared me off.
These were quite popular in the UK when they first came out, but not so much now. The first series was available with a Mercedes V6 turbodiesel, which almost everybody chose, so the V8 options were dropped. There was also a rather nice 300C Touring model, but I haven’t seen one in the second series.
“American reliability”. Ironic, considering they’re made in Canada.
It wasn’t designed in Canada.
The European-market ones are built in Austria.
“Canuck” is from Canada I assume, where they’re made. Irony.
The ones sold in Australia are Austrian-built too.
Ironically by a Canadian owned company, Magna International, headquartered in Aurora, Ontario. Magna has $30 bn in operating revenue and equity of $9.4 bn.
I remember seeing spy photos of the 300 prior to it’s release. I thought Chrysler/Mercedes was smoking the good stuff – what the heck were they thinking?
The first time I saw one was on a business trip in Las Vegas. I stopped, I stared and I was in love.
Just goes to show, photos and real life are often two completely separate things. This is still a gorgeous car.
Love the 300 and Hemi. The used examples have held their value exceedingly well, to the point where I can’t justify the price vs miles on a used example.
It’s not the make but the size-class that separates the fastbacks from the 3-boxes. Ford Fusion, new Chrysler 200, Volvo S60, Lincoln MKZ etc. all have fastback styling and very shallow trunk lids, while Hyundai Equus, Lexus LS, Ford Taurus etc. (in the same size class as the 300) are 3-boxes.
Great comparison of two cars that are nowhere near as similar as they might appear on paper. I love them both, but for different reasons. The Lincoln is a big, smooth, comfy teddy bear of a car. Automotive comfort food. The Chrysler is lean, mean and agressive.
Like some others, I have been waiting to see how these do in the long-term reliability department. So far so good, from what I have been able to see. I could easily see one of these in my garage at some point.
I’ve always loved the original Daimler-Chrysler 300C. To this day it is the only great handling full-size sedan to come out of Detroit. I’ll never forget the first day I took one for a spin. Sure it was big and roomy and felt a bit heavy but man could you hustle one down the road. Not only that but it wasn’t your typical BMW sport sedan clone in the feel department, with a thick rimmed steering wheel connected to a high effort system. No sir the wheel had a large diameter and was thin, just like on a good old-fashioned American cruiser, and the effort was delightfully light. What a unique feel (and sound) that car had.
I had read where the rear suspension was based off of the Mercedes design so that surely helped the handling. But so did the meaty low profile tires, RWD and solid structure.
Another un-American thing about the 300C was the shift lever. Whether it was a column or floor shift American shifters never gave you the desire to shift manually. But the one in the 300 sure did because the slick ball joint design was straight out of a Mercedes. You could select a lower gear for an upcoming turn without having to take your eyes off the road.
Add to that the gorgeous and original exterior styling and the wonderfully simple instrument panel and you had a winner. Imagine all this good stuff and I still haven’t mentioned the Hemi!
Alas they screwed it all up with the facelift. The front end in particular went from being strong and unique to weak and common. The original grille was big, bold and upright and really played up the short front overhang. The headlights were cool too. The facelift got all soft which is kind of the opposite of what you see going on right now where newer designs are more upright for better pedestrian protection. Odd.
It was like what happened on the 2nd gen Town Car where the original ’90 model looked brilliant but then got dumbed-down and softened with the ’95 facelift.
The original Damiler-Chryler Charger design I did not like, too heavy handed. The new model looks much nicer and has a much nicer dash. Very popular out here and I’m seeing them now in police service.
I feel the original Hemi-powered 300C will be a highly collectible car in the future. It had it all including good highway fuel economy from the variable displacement engine.
300s seem fairly popular here mostly in CRDI form. when they were magazine road tested the diesel had the same on highway performance as the V8 on a lot less fuel and of course underneath its an old Mercedes so it should be ok.
Interesting review which makes the 300 sound much more attractive than it ever seemed to me. I had dismissed it as a detention of the Faux-retro look of the PTOLEMAIC
I’ve never be been in the ’98 and up Town Car. I’ve ridden and driven the ’90 – ’97. I imagine the interior dynamics are pretty similar – maybe a bit less rear headroom in the ’98 and up.
The Town Car as I know it is VERY spacious inside. I don’t recall how obtrusive the tunnel is, but as a four place car, it is a factory limo compared to virtually any modern car, including the S Class Mercedes.
The rear seat of the 300 is surprisingly cramped for a 120 inch wheelbase car. Especially if the front seats are adjusted to my 6’1″ frame. The tunnel is fairly obtrusive. The high belt line creates gun slit windows, adding to the feeling of cramped conditions. We tried to take a 300 out of an Airport garage where they let you pick your car and we could not get our 5 medium size roller bags in the trunk. We ended up taking a Pacifica instead.
I’ve wanted to like the 300 as on paper there is a lot to like. But, I’ve never found it able to serve the duties of a large car. With the death of the Panther, the definition of the American full-size car has truly been reassigned to crossovers, SUVs, vans and trucks.
If you want some grunt from the engine compartment and a more modern attitude, the 300 is the ticket. If you want a solid spacious interior and trunk the Town Car wins hands down.
A shame Ford didn’t update the Town Car. Heck, I’d bring back the ’90 – ’97 body with a few updates, put the 5.0 and 6 speed auto in from my 2012 F-150 and you’d have a winner. Kind of like the B-52 bomber which is expected to serve into the 2040’s, the Town Car could have been around indefinitely.
While I do like these I think they would look so much better if the hood was extended a foot and the trunk another 2 feet. They look too stubby. At least its a real car unlike the baby Lincolns mk whatever that replaced the town car. I would take a town car over a 300 any day even with the pregnant lhs newyorker styling.
One of the guys here that’s good at Photoshopping pics did the hood and trunk extensions in another post and it looked good. I think the consensus here was that Chrysler should build it ans call it the new Imperial.
I don’t know if this is the one you were thinking of BOC, but I did this 300 coupe last year: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/what-if-2013-chrysler-300-coupe/
83markvi, how about something like this? I actually kind of like it. The 300C Fifth Avenue Edition. For folks who want a traditionally Broughamy new car 🙂
This is either the funniest or the scariest thing I have ever seen, I can’t decide. Get some help, Tom – before it’s too late. 🙂
Man, that is just plain gnarly. I am sure an old lady with a beehive is driving it in Florida.
I went looking for a 300s new or slightly used at the end of august last year. Somewhat Locally the where three new ones and two slightly used ones and none had that red leather interior that I really really like so I didn’t even go and look. The 300s must be a very popular option as there are very few new or used even now. I’m going to make another honest effort at the end of this month to try and find a black on red leather 300s and I can’t wait to park it next to the CTS and compare them. Somehow I hope the 300 wins.
I love this site. I’ve got a Panther but I’ve been drawn to the 300 since it launched. I wanted one bad- until I sat inside. The original interior just wasn’t luxurious enough. So I bought a 2 year old Marauder. The 300 refresh brought a much improved interior- and like others have posted, a greatly restyled exterior. I too love the vestigial fins. And yes, they raked the windshield back so you now can see stoplights. But they lost the powerful looks of the front end. Payless rentacar has been stocking a few 300 Hemis- I got one outta Pittsburgh one time and couldn’t believe my luck. They drive and handle as well as an S-Class, but the punch of the hemi is so all-American. I love this car- but still not enough to part with the Marauder. If the 300 had the Charger dash, in real wood, an all-red interior and the front end of the previous version, I’d buy it now! One other thing I’d change- the tail of the new 300 is begging for the teardrop shaped tailights of the final Imperial of 1975. Oh- and a bench seat. Then I’d have to have it.
I’ve had to drive a friend’s Town Car several times over the last couple of years and while it was OK, I liked my Charger a lot better. He had to replace the TC, it was past 250K miles and had serious engine issues. He has a 300C now, all black, and he loves it. I don’t know why anyone would choose a Panther over a 300/Charger.
American badge. Italian Lancia Thema based and built in Austria. Truly a world car!.
Havent seen many in the Uk yet.. Brits consider it bland compared to the departed model.
The old CRD version had the same power as the 2.7 v6 gas engine. Hemis were more powerful but thirsty. A Hemi 300c Rhd sits on a driveway just up the road from me.
LOL, you have that backwards. The Lancia Thema is a rebadged Chrysler 300. Still a world car though: an Italian badged American car with German underpinnings, assembled in Austria by a Canadian company (Magna).
The 300 is basically a 1995 Mercedes E class with better looks and actual rust resistance. Here in England, every 1995-2005 Mercedes I’ve seen has huge amounts of rust- and did from a few years old, whereas I haven’t seen (or owned and that is in salty Kansas City) a rusty Chrysler that was made after about 1980. As mentioned earlier, it wasn’t Mercedes who ‘bled Chrysler’ by cheapening their cars out more than Mercs, but they simply built them to the same low standards set by Mercedes after they decided never to make cars as good as the 124, 201 and 126. My mother in law has an early 2000’s C class estate and it has holes that I can put my fist through. I haven’t seen rust that bad since 70s Fords and Datsuns. If I could find parking spaces big enough, I’d have a 300 here in England now- especially with the quite sweet Mercedes diesel we get.
Another “is it bigger than” conundrum I just noted yesterday: while riding on San Francisco light-rail in the Richmond District, I spotted two SF Police patrol cars at the curb: a now-classic Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (Panther) and a brand-new, FWD-Taurus-derived Ford Police Interceptor. By itself, the new one’s sleek lines make it look smaller than the old CVPI, but parked nose-to-tail, its indisputably greater height (by about five inches) caused it to look surprisingly bulkier which made its streamstyled shape cause it to look longer than the Crown Vic too, though it is really not. That’s something the Chrysler 300 can’t pull off because of its blocky lines and stubby rear deck.
It was a reminder that the current Taurus and Police Interceptors are actually SUV chassis with a carlike body.