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The Chrysler 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-Benz 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 Chrysler 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. The power assist is constant-rate and not speed-sensitive; it's been a while since we felt a constant-rate system, and we like its accuracy. It felt heavy but not big, and was responsive and confident.
We tossed the big 300C from side-to-side through switchback turns, and it beautifully maintained an even keel, with an insignificant amount of body lean, especially considering that it's called a family sedan, not a high-performance sports sedan.
Driving the Chrysler 300C hard over some twisty mountain roads, the big Bosch-built brakes really did the job. In fact, we called them "great" in our notes, inspiring surprising confidence in a car that weighs just over 4,000 pounds. The front brakes on the 300C are bigger and better than those on the V6 models, with 13.6-inch vented rotors and dual-piston calipers compared to 12.6 inches and single-piston. The 300C rear rotors are 12.6 inches and vented (same size but unvented in the other models). Antilock brakes with electronic brake distribution, which balances front and rear, are standard on all but the plain 300.
With brakes big enough for towing, the Chrysler 300C is rated to tow up to 3,800 pounds, using a trailer hitch available from the MoPar catalog. Part of the reason for the rebirth of the large rear-wheel-drive sedan (Ford and Cadillac are there too) is that buyers are beginning to ask what they need an SUV for. But mostly, with 390 pound-feet of torque, you sure won't be getting in anyone's way with your trailer.
The Chrysler 300C won't snap your neck, because it does have two tons to carry, but you'll love the deep growling Hemi exhaust note along the way. And that big torque can't be underestimated for its fun and convenience.
This V8 introduces an important new technology: a system that shuts down four of its eight cylinders when the power isn't needed. The transfers from 8 to 4 to 8 cylinders happen in 0.04 seconds, and are undetectable by the driver. As a result, the Hemi is a 340-horsepower engine that can get up to 30 miles per gallon, for example cruising at 60 mph on the freeway. So if you want to cruise with a light foot, you're only using four cylinders and half as much gas.
We also got some miles in a Chrysler 300 Limited with the 3.5-liter V6 engine, which we found to have quite decent power even after we'd been driving the 300C. But we like the Mercedes five-speed automatic transmission (built in Kokomo, Indiana) with its sharp shifts, better than the Chrysler-made four-speed that comes with the V6.
We haven't had a chance to drive the 2.7-liter V6, but it's got a proven record as used in other Chrysler vehicles, and for the 300 it's been modernized with a new intake manifold providing more torque, and electronic throttle control.
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