Chrysler 300C Range : STAR OF THE STRIPES

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If many modern cars look the same to you, Chryslers muscular 300C will come as a breath of fresh air. Jonathan Crouch reports

Chryslers 300C has been something of a surprise hit on these shores. Rather unexpectedly, British executives have decided that they rather like its bad to the bone image. Its proved a refreshing change to the massed ranks of German alternatives.

But as with any fashionable purchase, theres a danger of it getting left behind as the market moves on. Hence Chryslers attempt to refresh things with a few well judged nips and tweaks. Outside, there are changes to the rear fascia and rear light clusters. The rear saloon boot lid is also restyled and now incorporates an integrated spoiler and high-mounted stop light.

Inside, theres a fresh instrument panel and centre console design, highlighted with satin silver bezels.Â Soft touch surfaces on arm rests and door panels and a darker interior colour offers more of the kind of feel youd get in a prestigious German alternative. Other changes include an ignition key with one-touch start-up, a fully adjustable steering wheel and LED lighting that extends to the front cup holders and front and rear door pockets. In addition, seat-mounted airbags have been added to the front and side-curtain airbags to the rear. The basic recipe though, remains the same.

Theres just something about the 300C that makes it special. Settle behind the wheel, fire up the engine and thunk the shifter into Drive and youll start checking your rear view for blue lights, no matter how virtuous your driving. Fit one with a set of chromed spinners, hydraulic suspension and a thumping sub-woofer and it would be the perfect San Fernando Valley low rider. Whether it acquits itself quite so well in the Thames valley is open to debate.

"Theres just something about the 300C that makes it special."

After all, for the £27,495 Chrysler are asking for the most affordable 300C, theres quite an array of tempting alternatives (allow £1,000 more if you want the Touring estate bodystyle). The cars history will also be lost on many. Chrysler first C300 was launched way back in 1955, fitted with a 5.4-litre hemi (named after the hemispherical combustion chambers) engine.

Billed as Americas most powerful car, the 300 cleaned up in various road racing events including Nascar and the Mexican Carrera Panamerica. Fast forward to the modern day and the 300C offers Chryslers third iteration of the hemi powerplant which youll find in throaty 6.1-litre form fitted to the flagship SRT-8 variant. Not surprisingly, most British customers go for the more affordable Mercedes-sourced entry-level 3.

0 CRD diesel version. If you opt for the diesel but wish it had a little more of the SRT-8 models street racer look about it, then fear not: an SRT-Design diesel variant has been introduced just for you, though youll need to find a £5,000 premium for it. With the rear seats in place, the 300C Touring models load area holds 630 litres of cargo, compared with the saloons 504 litres. With the rear seats folded down, cargo capacity rises to a monstrous 1,602 litres. In case youre wondering, thats better than established class benchmarks like the Audi A6 Avant and Saab 9-5 Estate can manage.

A rear cargo organiser and cargo cover are also included to keep luggage safe and sound. Equipment levels are very competitive across the range. The SRT-8 300C gets a whole lot of standard equipment thrown in. Stretch out in that generously proportioned cabin and crank up the excellent Boston Acoustics stereo while ticking off the standard satellite navigation, sports seats, adjustable pedal set and a technical finish to the dashboard with added leather.

Youd need to tack a good £5,000 onto the cost of its German rivals to get anywhere near this. Even the entry level cars get ESP stability control, Bluetooth phone integration, automatic gearboxes and metallic paint at no extra cost. Like most American cars, 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. Although the 300C is relatively inexpensive to buy, theres no getting away from the fact that its a sizeable slug of automotive real estate that has started to lose its novelty value for many.

As such, there are quite a few about if youre looking for a used bargain and residual values reflect this. The best three year residual figure is 39 per cent for a diesel saloon with an SRT-8 saloon retaining just 30 per cent of its new value three years down the road. Of course, this is just one aspect of running costs and a 300C 3.0 V6 CRD saloon costs just 57 pence per mile to run.

Compare that to the supposedly more cerebral Audi A6 2.7 TDI S line also retailing at around £30,000 which will cost 63.4ppm to run and you have to wonder where the smart money is really going. Fuel economy is good in the diesel (34.

9 mpg combined) and distinctly fuhgeddaboudit (20.2mpg) for the SRT-8. Carbon dioxide emissions on the top V8 are enough to make Al Gore plead for the poor polar bears. Insurance is a bargain group 16 for the diesel model and a predictably supersized group 20 for the SRT-8.

The 300C story could best be described as The Good, The Bad and The Unfortunate. The 3.0-litre V6 CRD diesel models are the good. Good economy, sparkling performance and very reasonable running costs give you all the 300Cs image and presence but without the downsides.

The bad is the SRT-8 and it really is bad to the bone. Packing 435bhp, able to get to 60mph in five seconds flat and looking meaner than Mike Tyson with a migraine, the SRT-8 is no shrinking violet. Both saloon and Touring versions more than make a case for themselves, especially taking into consideration Chryslers very competitive pricing policy. Cynics will argue that the 300C represents style over substance; quantity at the cost of quality.

That would be one view. Another would be to say that living larger than life has something to be said for it.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Chrysler 300C range
PRICES: £27,495-£40,995 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 16-20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 215-330g/km
PERFORMANCE: [3.0 CRD] Max Speed 143mph / 0-60mph 7.6s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [3.0 CRD] (urban) 26.2mpg / (extra urban) 42.8mpg / (combined) 34.9mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS, stability control
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 5015/1880/1475mm