Finally took a look at the new 300: My Impressions

[G-MAN]

I rode by the Chrysler dealer today when I got out of court and took a look at the one new 300 they had on the lot. Here are my impressions:

Exterior:
1. Doesn't look all that much different from the previous 300 until you get up on it and start looking at the details.

2. Once you examine the details you can see why they had to add a sail window to the rear doors and reduce the size of main window glass.

Interior:
1. Feels more cramped than my 300. Raking the windshield back affects the "open air" feeling you get in the front seat of my 300. Also, the floorpan has been changed which makes the footwells feel more cramped. Since this car is clearly based on the previous 300 the change in the floorpan is puzzling.

2. Leather feels softer, as do most of the plastic surfaces.

3. Attention to detail is better. The real wood on the model I looked at was very impressive.

4. Instrumentation and dash is really nice.

 

[buster]

Thanks. It's still a poor man's Bentley though.

 

[simple_gifts]

27-38 Grand, where do I sign up for being a poor man?

 

[buster]

I'm kidding. LOL

 

[Hallmark]

Now, if Chrysler could just overcome their rep for poor quality...!

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: Hallmark
Now, if Chrysler could just overcome their rep for poor quality...!


It looks like Fiat is well on the way to taking care of that.

 

[renegade_987]

Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Originally Posted By: Hallmark
Now, if Chrysler could just overcome their rep for poor quality...!


It looks like Fiat is well on the way to taking care of that.


Lets hope so. Till then, I'm sticking with FORD.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Originally Posted By: Hallmark
Now, if Chrysler could just overcome their rep for poor quality...!


It looks like Fiat is well on the way to taking care of that.

Fiat isn't exactly known for good quality either.

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Originally Posted By: Hallmark
Now, if Chrysler could just overcome their rep for poor quality...!


It looks like Fiat is well on the way to taking care of that.

Fiat isn't exactly known for good quality either.


They have ever since Sergio Marchionne took over.

 

[Vibe_2007]

Fix
It
Again
Tony

j/k, all in good fun.

 

[SLCraig]

All these newer Chryco's are much nicer.
I'm happy about it. As an ex Mopar or no car guy, it pained me to see the junk they were releasing for a while.

Always liked their RAM, and Dakota (until 2004) but the cars were suffering big time. Now they just need a solid focus/civic/fiesta/mazda2 competitor.

 

[BBDartCA]

Just spent a week in a Touring model. With the new Pentastar engine.

The car is obese, portly, fat feeling. In other words, a very plus and pleasant ride. If you are used to the tight euro luxury ride, this one will feel like a 1971 New Yorker. I've rented a few new Tauras in Limited trim and the 300 is hands down a much better car to ride in. Seats are very comfortable. Impressive.

Power is very good for a V6. Better than the Taurus. MPG not so great. 20 MPG with 80% highway miles. This car only had about 2000 miles on it.

Interior looks nice, but feels very cheap. Plastic is hard. Switches are crude, especially the dome lights. For all the media hype about improved interiors at Mopar, this one fails to deliver. Its nice to look at though.

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: BBDartCA
Just spent a week in a Touring model. With the new Pentastar engine.

The car is obese, portly, fat feeling. In other words, a very plus and pleasant ride. If you are used to the tight euro luxury ride, this one will feel like a 1971 New Yorker. I've rented a few new Tauras in Limited trim and the 300 is hands down a much better car to ride in. Seats are very comfortable. Impressive.

Power is very good for a V6. Better than the Taurus. MPG not so great. 20 MPG with 80% highway miles. This car only had about 2000 miles on it.

Interior looks nice, but feels very cheap. Plastic is hard. Switches are crude, especially the dome lights. For all the media hype about improved interiors at Mopar, this one fails to deliver. Its nice to look at though.



As the owner of a 2007 300 Touring, I can say that anyone who confuses the ride of this car with that of a 1971 New Yorker is either insane, or has never ridden in a 71 New Yorker. The ride and handling of the previous generation 300 is certainly not "plush" in the soft and floating sense of that term. It's tight and much more skewed toward the Euro side of the car spectrum than most anything else produced by a domestic maker. I can't imagine the new 300 has been softened up that much, if at all.

 

[BBDartCA]

Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Originally Posted By: BBDartCA



As the owner of a 2007 300 Touring, I can say that anyone who confuses the ride of this car with that of a 1971 New Yorker is either insane, or has never ridden in a 71 New Yorker. The ride and handling of the previous generation 300 is certainly not "plush" in the soft and floating sense of that term. It's tight and much more skewed toward the Euro side of the car spectrum than most anything else produced by a domestic maker. I can't imagine the new 300 has been softened up that much, if at all.


As a former owner of a 70 New Yorker, 2000 300C, 2010 Rt Challenger and 2006 300 Touring plus friends and coworkers with similar cars on these platforms, I can definitely say the ride of the 2011 Touring is extraordinarily plush. Every month I rent at least one or two premium rental cars for work. I was very surprised in the uncharacteristically plush feel of the new 300 Touring. At first it felt sloppy and unresponsive. But after burning a half a tank of gas (which did not take long), it was like a time machine. Floating on air feeling compared to what is on the road today. Nice.

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: BBDartCA
Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Originally Posted By: BBDartCA



As the owner of a 2007 300 Touring, I can say that anyone who confuses the ride of this car with that of a 1971 New Yorker is either insane, or has never ridden in a 71 New Yorker. The ride and handling of the previous generation 300 is certainly not "plush" in the soft and floating sense of that term. It's tight and much more skewed toward the Euro side of the car spectrum than most anything else produced by a domestic maker. I can't imagine the new 300 has been softened up that much, if at all.


As a former owner of a 70 New Yorker, 2000 300C, 2010 Rt Challenger and 2006 300 Touring plus friends and coworkers with similar cars on these platforms, I can definitely say the ride of the 2011 Touring is extraordinarily plush. Every month I rent at least one or two premium rental cars for work. I was very surprised in the uncharacteristically plush feel of the new 300 Touring. At first it felt sloppy and unresponsive. But after burning a half a tank of gas (which did not take long), it was like a time machine. Floating on air feeling compared to what is on the road today. Nice.


Please post a picture of your "2000 300C," especially a picture showing the badges.

 

[BBDartCA]

I meant 300M.

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: BBDartCA
Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Originally Posted By: BBDartCA



As the owner of a 2007 300 Touring, I can say that anyone who confuses the ride of this car with that of a 1971 New Yorker is either insane, or has never ridden in a 71 New Yorker. The ride and handling of the previous generation 300 is certainly not "plush" in the soft and floating sense of that term. It's tight and much more skewed toward the Euro side of the car spectrum than most anything else produced by a domestic maker. I can't imagine the new 300 has been softened up that much, if at all.


As a former owner of a 70 New Yorker, 2000 300C, 2010 Rt Challenger and 2006 300 Touring plus friends and coworkers with similar cars on these platforms, I can definitely say the ride of the 2011 Touring is extraordinarily plush. Every month I rent at least one or two premium rental cars for work. I was very surprised in the uncharacteristically plush feel of the new 300 Touring. At first it felt sloppy and unresponsive. But after burning a half a tank of gas (which did not take long), it was like a time machine. Floating on air feeling compared to what is on the road today. Nice.


Since you owned a 2006 300, are you saying the 2011 300 has a significantly softer ride than the 2006?

 

[BBDartCA]

Yes, the 2011 is a much better ride than the previous generation. My 300 touring was quite harsh. Harsher and less comfortable than my 300M. Felt pretty much like a buddies base model Charger. This new 300 touring is plush. They must have done some work with the spring and damping rates.

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: BBDartCA
Yes, the 2011 is a much better ride than the previous generation. My 300 touring was quite harsh. Harsher and less comfortable than my 300M. Felt pretty much like a buddies base model Charger. This new 300 touring is plush. They must have done some work with the spring and damping rates.


My 2007 300 Touring is firm, but not harsh--certainly no more harsh than my 99 300M was.

Since you had a 2006 300 did you get the same impression about the 2011 interior room that I did--that it feels more cramped?

 

[BBDartCA]

Did not feel cramped to me. Interior seems more spacious, but this may e more to do with the lower belt line. Riders in the back commented the leg room was great. I will say the AC power seemed weak. Took a while to cool the thing down. MFD is HUGE and I mean huge. Bigger than Bin Laden's television in Pakistan.

I read in the NY Times today the V8 and V6 get the same MPG on the freeway. But no way is this car worth anywhere near 40K, which is what it costs to get a Hemi I think.