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Walk Around

The Chrysler 300 has collected a host of design awards around the world, and we'd call them well-earned. A handful of detractors claim the 300's styling, particularly its Bentley-esque front end, is derivative, but we think that's a superficial view. Certainly the 300 respects tradition and draws inspiration from the past, as many beautiful designs do. But it also redefined what a Detroit sedan can be.

With its rear-wheel-drive architecture, the Chrysler 300 might be a case of back to the future. Yet there's little about it that's retro, except maybe the giant grille, which clearly draws on 300s from the past. The first Chrysler 300 was introduced in 1955. It was called the C300 and its engine had hemispherical combustion chambers earning the Hemi nickname. It had two four-barrel carburetors, was rated at 300 horsepower (huge for the time), and it achieved fame as the most powerful engine of the day, winning the NASCAR championship in the C300's first year and setting top speed records on the beach at Daytona.

The current Chrysler 300 is just as bold. Its styling makes no apologies. It has a look that appeals to young and old alike.

The Chrysler 300 looks dramatic in profile because its rear-wheel-drive layout allows a distinctive shape. The wheelwell cutouts, wrapping around rims up to 20 inches in diameter, are striking. The wheelbase is long but the overhangs are short, offering a visual sense of power. The roofline, a sort of '30s gangster tease, beautifully complements the long, low lines, which appear to be carved from a big horizontal block of metal. The roof rakes thickly down to a short deck, and the sides are like large slabs.

Outside mirrors with supplemental turn signals and courtesy puddle lamps are optional. These cast a useful halo of light on the ground beneath the doors when the 300 is unlocked with the remote key fob. This feature adds some security in dark garages and is very useful if you happen to drop something as you're getting into the car.

The high-performance SRT8 may be the coolest-looking 300 of all. Its unique features include body-color front and rear bumper inserts, mirrors and door handles. The modifications are more than aesthetic: There are ducts to direct air flow to cool the brakes, while a specially designed rear spoiler increases rear downforce by 39 percent, helping keep the rear tires firmly planted at high speed without increasing drag. Yet the coolest thing about the SRT8 might be its 20-inch forged aluminum wheels and high-performance tires, which maximize that visual impression of power.

The Executive Series package, or long-wheelbase version, adds six inches to the standard wheelbase, all behind the front doors, and provides 46 inches of rear legroom inside. Outside, it gives the 300 a stately, limo-like look.

Interior

2010 Chrysler 300

The stylish theme set by the Chrysler 300 body carries through inside, though the style in the cabin is even more clearly defined by purpose. There's a definite form-follows-function approach, with little superfluous decoration.

The Chrysler 300 was among the first to adapt an increasingly popular high seating position, with seats that are higher than those in a typical sedan. This blueprint was perhaps a response to the booming popularity of sport-utility vehicles. It's probably the thing to do nowadays because buyers like to sit high, and because the high door sills add a feeling of security. The windshield rake is relatively modest, so visibility forward is enhanced over the 300's long hood. However, the roofline stretches out fairly far in front of the driver's seat, making stoplights hard to see if you get too close. Visibility is also blocked to the right rear by a large rear pillar.

Still, those who prefer a lower, leaned-back seating position can find it inside the 300. The up-down travel of the driver's seat bottom is significant, and the driving position easily adjusts for all sizes and tastes. Our loaded 300C featured power-adjustable pedals, which move back and forth with a button on the dash. The adjustable pedals are welcome in this car, because the steering wheel also telescopes. The seats themselves are on the firm side, but comfortable. They could use more side bolstering in the 300C, which has substantial cornering capability and could thus use seats that do a slightly better job of holding the driver in place when it's being driving enthusiastically.

The dash and instruments are both very clean, elegantly functional and with a minimum of decoration. It was a pleasant surprise not to have to play games with the controls and switchgear to get them to work. There are two horizontal rectangular climate vents on either side of an analog clock, above the sound system, and a climate system controlled by four simple knobs. The four gauges are round, clear and pleasing to the eye in a balanced layout with black numbers and needles on a white background. From the driver's perspective, it's all good.

Overall finish and material quality don't quite live up to the standards set by the design, but they're not bad, either. There is nothing so cheap or crude inside the 300 that it would keep us from enjoying the car. The 300C steering wheel is a nice four-spoke design with tortoise shell wood trim making a gradual arc along the top, like a Mercedes wheel. California walnut trim is an option. Our leather interior was a subtle two-tone, and again, Mercedes-like. The SRT8 seats raise the richness meter a notch, and the side bolstering is more prominent, but again, it could be more so.

In general, the 300 interior is marked by spacious silence. Chrysler engineers have made noticeable progress toward reducing interior and wind noise in all their recent vehicles, and the flagship sedan leads the way.

The space comes courtesy of the efficient exterior shape. The wheels are pushed to the corners, and the long wheelbase leaves lots of space inside for people. The door openings are extra large, making climbing in and out easy.

The Chrysler 300 models offer a relaxing 40 inches of rear legroom and outboard passengers will find plenty to like, including a folding center armrest with integrated cup holders. Of course, rear-wheel drive means a prominent driveshaft tunnel down the center of the car, so anyone sitting rear-center must straddle the tunnel or sit with knees pushed up toward the chest.

The rear seat in long-wheelbase 300 models is cavernous. These cars are aimed at the chauffeur-driven executive class long dominated by European makes. It remains to be seen if they succeed from the marketing perspective, but they certainly succeed in the practical sense. With 46 inches of rear legroom, the long-wheelbase 300 surpasses most everything else available. If you want a roomy back seat, the Chrysler 300 Executive Series has it. These cars are shipped from the factory for conversion by a company called Acubuilt, which offers a host of special features, including custom writing tables, lighting, extra power points and footrests.

Interior storage in the 300 is decent. The fast-food bin in front of the shifter is marginal, but the console is nice and deep, with coin holders and deep cup holders.

The trunk is adequately large. At 15.6 cubic feet, it has about three cubic feet less space than the largest you'll find in a sedan, but the 60/40 split folding rear seat (a rarity in this class) expands cargo capacity into the cabin. The trunk lid swings high, and the opening is large enough to easily slide a golf bag inside.

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