2011 Chrysler 300 test drive

It's never easy to redesign a car that has become an icon -- and icon status is exactly what the previous Chrysler 300 achieved. Chrysler has made major changes to their road-going bad boy, and there's no question the new 2011 Chrysler 300 is better -- but it's also a lot more tame. Will buyers take the new 300 to heart the way they did with the old one? Read on.

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When the Chrysler 300 made its debut in 2005, it was unlike anything else on the road: Big, brash, and brutish, with aggressive styling outside and a man-eating HEMI V8 under the hood. The 300 was uniquely American, and buyers happily overlooked shortcomings like its cheaply-made interior, over-boosted steering, and the aging Mercedes platform on which it was built. Sales were strong right up until the 2008 gas price spike, and the 300 remained a steady seller -- albeit in much more modest numbers -- right up until 2010.

Which brings us to 2011, and an all-new 300. Well, it's sort of all new -- the platform (the architecture that determines the car's basic characteristics) is the same, but almost everything that bolts to it has been extensively reworked. Though the profile is familiar, the feel, fit and finish of the car is entirely new.

Most noticeable is the softened styling. The old 300's huge chrome grille and goggling headlights are gone, replaced by smaller, smoother pieces that the 300 wears like jewelry. Fender arches, rocker panels, body-side creases -- everything that stood out on the old 300 has been softened and matured on the new one. It's as if the 300 has grown up, bought a suit, cut its hair and trimmed its beard. It's not a bad-looking car by any means, but I do miss the old 300's in-your-face attitude -- wasn't that one of the major selling points?

Larger interior photo

The new 300's cabin is completely different than the old car, and I couldn't be happier. Where the old 300 felt cheap and plasticky -- emphasis on "icky" -- the new 300 is luxurious and refined, with a posh soft-touch dash and buttons and dials that feel pricey and precise. The instrument panel (link goes to photo) is a work of art, a big change from the old car's no-frill gauges. The cloth upholstery in the $27,995 base-model 300 isn't great -- it's the kind of stuff my kids use for school art projects -- but the Nappa leather that comes standard in the $31,995 300 Limited and $38,995 300C is excellent.

The cabin's centerpiece is an 8.4 inch color touch screen for the climate, stereo and (optional) Garmin navigation system. Screen graphics are crisp, clean and attractive. Under the screen are redundant controls for basic stereo and climate functions, making it easy to carry out basic tasks like changing radio stations or turning down the fan without taking attention off the road. There are a couple of chintzy bits here and there -- the sunglass holder above the windshield is made of credit-card-quality plastic and the door for the storage bin ahead of the shifter feels cheap and crappy when you close it -- but for the most part, interior quality is a revelation.

Big cars should have lots of stretch-out space, something many automakers seem to have forgotten -- but not Chrysler. The 300's front seats are roomy and supportive, while the back seat provides good back and thigh support and more legroom than I knew what to do with. The trunk was a bit of a disappointment, though -- big fender intrusions give it an odd shape and at 16.3 cubic feet it trails the Lincoln MKS (18.7) and the Ford Taurus (20.3).

The top-of-the-line 300C is powered by our old familiar friend, the 363 hp 5.7 liter HEMI V8. Tuned for 363 horsepower, it's as good as ever, able to fling the 300C towards the horizon with a bellow worthy of a drunken Southerner. As with the previous 300C, the V8 comes with a 5-speed automatic and choice of rear- or all-wheel-drive.

Lesser 300s are powered by Chrysler's new 3.6 liter Pentastar V6, tuned for 292 horsepower. This, in my opinion, is the engine to have. Though not as explosive as the HEMI V8, it shrugs off the 300's two-ton curb weight and accelerates as you'd expect a 300 horsepower car to do -- smoothly, briskly and evenly to speeds well above 100 MPH. EPA fuel economy estimates are 18 MPG city and 27 MPG highway -- impressive for such a big car, all the more considering that it burns cheap 87 octane fuel. I averaged 26.5 MPG in gentle driving punctuated by several full-throttle acceleration runs. For now, the V6 comes with a 5-speed automatic and rear-wheel-drive; all-wheel-drive is coming later, as is an 8-speed automatic which should boost both acceleration and fuel economy.

The 300's ride is spot-on for a big cruiser: Smooth, serene, and admirably quiet, in keeping with the 300's newfound refinement. Handling is steady, if not terribly stimulating; the steering isn't quite BMW quality, but nor is it as light and lifeless as the old car's. The new 300 goes straight when you want it to and darts eagerly into the curves. I sampled a base-model 300 with 17" wheels and a 300C with optional 20s, and the bigger wheels with their lower-profile tires had noticeably more responsive steering. Overall, I found the new 300 very satisfying to drive.

Compared to rivals, the new 300 is pretty darn good. Many of today's large cars have sacrificed interior space for style, but not the 300 -- it seats five people in comfort worthy of royalty, plus it has a well-finished interior, excellent V6 engine, and it's good to drive, delivering a level of balance and refinement that front-drive rivals like the Buick LaCrosse, Ford Taurus, and Lincoln MKS can't quite match. Ditto its interior quality: While the 300 isn't quite up to Lexus standards, it's very, very close, and that's something I never expected from Chrysler. That said, with prices starting at $28,000 and ranging up to almost $46k with options, it had better be nicer than its rivals.

I think I could be very happy with the mid-level 300 Limited, which builds on the 300's standard equipment list (12-way power driver's seat, dual-zone climate control, push-button ignition) with heated leather seats, a backup camera, and an Alpine stereo. I'd add the Luxury Group, which upgrades the Limited to 300C interior trim with a heated wood-and-leather steering wheel, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, heated and cooled cupholders (which work like a charm, by the way), even a power-adjustable steering column. I'd get the Technology Package, which adds an excellent adaptive cruise control system, active headlights, parking assist (which you'll need, as docking this land yacht is tricky), rain-sensing wipers, and a blind-spot warning system. And while I'm at it, I'd throw in the dual-pane panoramic sunroof. Bottom line: $39,335 -- more than a similarly-equipped LaCrosse or Taurus, but well shy of a Infiniti M-class or a BMW 5-series, and the 300 fits well into this middle ground.

Still, I can't help but compare the new 300 to the old 300. No question, the new car is streets ahead of the old one in most respects. But I miss the old 300's attitude -- and I think buyers will, too. -- Aaron Gold

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