- sedan 137,315
- 9,995 overpriced
- Mount Vernon, IL
-
- autoshopper.com
2005 chrysler 300 review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Big, bold rear-wheel-drive sedan. Hemi available. introductionfor some time chrysler has been threatening to re-invent the sedan back to the way it used to be. And now they've done it. The all-new 2005 chrysler 300 is the first big rear-wheel-drive sedan to come out of chrysler in many years. It replaces the front-wheel-drive lh line, which chrysler has used for years. Back then, there were engineering cases for front-wheel drive, including reduced manufacturing costs and more compact packaging. But new technology has made rear-wheel drive preferable again. Traction control, electronic stability programs, anti-lock brakes, and electronic brake distribution all improve the driver's ability to control the car. And one thing hasn't changed: rear-wheel drive is much better than front-wheel drive for managing horsepower. The 300c, which comes with a 340-horsepower hemi v8, is too powerful for front-wheel drive. the 300 might be a case of back to the future, but there's little that's retro about it, except maybe the giant grille, with a shape like the 1958 300c. There have been some successful chrysler 300s along the way, but nothing to match the impact of the '55. one of the advantages of front-wheel drive is traction in snow, but that too has been erased over the years. All-wheel drive will be available for drivers who want more traction. the chrysler 300's 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. while the 5. 7-liter hemi grabs the headlines, there are 2. 7- and 3. 5-liter v6 engines available. A standard chrysler 300 with a 2. 7-liter v6 can be had for the eye-popping low price of $23,595 including destination. It's a large, modern, stylish, comfortable car for a small price. The 340-horsepower 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 less than $33,000, that's a killer car. lineupthere are three engines available: a 2. 7-liter v6, a 3. 5-liter v6, and the 5. 7-liter v8 hemi. The base chrysler 300 22,970) comes with a 2. 7-liter double-overhead-cam v6 engine making 190 horsepower and 190 feet-pounds of torque, and getting 21/28 epa miles per gallon. It gets 17/25 mpg on 89 octane recommended (87 acceptable). It also has bigger and more powerful front brakes, because the engine is some 300 pounds heavier than the v6 and the car is considerably faster. The hemi engine was brutally tested by chrysler engineers, and is covered by chrysler's 7-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty. options include front and rear curtain airbags, boston acoustics premium sound system, air filtration, ultrasonic rear object detection, self-sealing tires, hands-free cellphone capability, adjustable pedals, premium sound system, gps navigation system, sirius satellite radio, sunroof, walnut interior accents and xenon high-intensity headlamps. walkaroundthe new chrysler is clearly bold and, we would argue, cool. But mostly the styling is uncompromising and makes no apologies. Rear-wheel-drive architecture allowed this whole new shape. The wheelwell cutouts, wrapping around five-spoke 17-inch or 10-spoke 18-inch wheels, are striking. The wheelbase is very long but the overhangs are short, offering a visual sense of power. 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. interiorthe 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. it's a very clean cockpit. We felt blessed not to have to play games with the controls and switchgear to get them to function. 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 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. A 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. driving impressionthe 300c feels as solid as it looks, having inherited significant mechanicals from its parent company, mercedes-benz. From a handling standpoint, the 300 is heavily and positively influenced by a design borrowed from the mercedes e-class: five-link rear suspension mounted to a subframe, and the short-arm/long-arm front suspension, modified for the 300's longer wheelbase, wider track and bigger wheels. the ride in the 300c is very smooth and solid without any weakness that we could find in a half day of hard driving, and we wouldn't change a thing. The 120-inch wheelbase is longer even than that in the chrysler 300s from the 1950s, but the overall length is not. Nor is it longer than the front-wheel-drive 04 chrysler it replaces. Result: great ride, reasonable parking. and the cornering is good enough that higher-performance tires should be made available. The 300c comes with continental all-season tires, p225/60r18, but they squeal early and don't do justice to the chassis. Chrysler engineers have gotten the rack-and-pinion steering right; it's just the right amount of weighty, and provides a secure feeling. Anti-lock Brakes✔ Cloth Interior✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Navigation System✔ Chrome Wheels
9,995 Mount Vernon, ILMount Vernon, IL at autoshopper.com