Chrysler 300C CRD
I like to think of myself as a laid back kind of person but one thing that really gets my blood boiling is to hear Americans whinging at the prospect of having to pay three dollars for a gallon of petrol. Dont they realise how fortunate they are, to be able to drive around in extravagantly powerful cars without having to foot a significant bill? It seems not.
Over here, things are very different. As much as I loved the 5.7-litre Chrysler 300C when I first tested it, the sobering fuel figure that emerged from my calculator at the end of the week was a meagre 18mpg. Admittedly, a lot of that was through urban areas but it still didnt make pretty reading.
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Generating 215bhp, itll haul the big Chrysler to 60mph in 7.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 143mph. Thanks to that massive 510Nm of torque, it doesnt feel significantly slower than the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 when youre up and rolling.
Perhaps the most telling fact about the muscle power of this car is the fact that it hails from Graz in Austria, rather like one A.Schwarzenegger. Even with that amount of torque, 1,928kg of car takes some shifting but the engine never sounds strained or harsh. The direct injection unit is very linear in its power delivery and the turbocharger gets going from very low engine speeds.
This means that even while trickling about town, letting the engine and gearbox do all the work for you, youll still return reasonable fuel consumption figures. Chrysler claim an average of nearly 35mpg for this car but possibly an even bigger attraction is the asking price.
"The real kicker is that that sticker price."
This looks like a £35-£40,000 piece of hardware and parked next to a BMW or Audi that costs this much, the Chrysler will draw more admiring glances. The real kicker is that the sticker price is just £26,250 on the road for the saloon and only £1,500 more for the Touring estate. Thats about the same as a decently specified BMW 320d. I know what Id rather have.
With this car, Chrysler aim to bring some passion back to the E-segment, with a great looking, well-equipped, competitively-priced car. They dont see the Chrysler 300C competing directly with the big German brands which is quite right. Apart from anything else, at under £27,000, the 300C is nearly a third cheaper than these saloons. Instead, the marketeers in Milton Keynes say that prospective customers are looking for a practical alternative with good fuel economy and interior space but dont want to compromise on looks or outright performance.
Standard features on the Chrysler 300C include Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and an all-speed Traction Control System, front and rear side-curtain airbags, xenon High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps, rain-sensing windscreen wipers and a rear park assist system. Air-conditioning and heated leather driver and front passenger seats also come as standard on all vehicles in the Range. In the UK, the car is covered by Chryslers three-year, 60,000 mile warranty. Like most American models, the handling isnt quite up to the standard of its key European rivals.
The steering is somewhat vague and the handling soon lapses into safe and predictable understeer. This isnt surprising given the weight in the nose, but it does make the 300C feel a little stodgy, an impression backed up by the nautical levels of body roll the car displays if the driver gets a little enthusiastic at the tiller. Despite this relaxed attitude to cornering, the ride quality is surprisingly garrulous. If you drive this car in a straight line, it will feel sporty - which is enough for the domestic market but may not satisfy customers here.
Unlike, say, Volkswagen, who are a little more generous in their platform sharing strategies, Chrysler is definitely the junior sibling in the Daimler Chrysler partnership and was beginning to receive a reputation for getting the hand-me-downs. Much has changed of late, with the V6 CDI engines of the latest Grand Cherokees and the specially developed chassis of the 300C. The Chrysler still hasnt caught up with Mercedes recent resurgence in build quality however. Inconsistent panel gaps, hard touch plastics and insubstantial glove box hinges arent what customers in this bracket expect.
The basic design of the fascia is clean and rather Spartan, but the execution leaves a little to be desired. Youll forgive it, however, when you get that turbocharged V6 spooled up. The five-speed Mercedes-sourced automatic gearbox slurs between the ratios nicely, the engines broad spread of torque helping here. Youll be grateful for rear parking sensors when you need to reverse it into a parking bay though.
The high rear shelf limits rearward visibility and youre left with a vague approximation of the 300Cs extremities. Next time I hear an American moaning about fuel prices, Ill have a little chuckle to myself and calm my soaring blood pressure by thinking about what a deal weve got on their Chrysler 300C CRD. Not sold in the US, this is a car we can keep to ourselves.
Facts At A Glance
CAR: Chrysler 300C CRD diesel
PRICES: £26,250-£27,750 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 16
CO2 EMISSIONS: 215g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 143mph / 0-60mph 7.6s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [combined] 35mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS, stability control
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 197/74/58 inches
