2006 Chrysler 300C

In the mid-2000’s the American large car market was undergoing somewhat of an identity crisis. The only large cars still being made domestically were the Ford Crown Victoria, its Mercury equivalent, and the Chrysler LHS variants. Of those, only the Ford offerings were available with rear-wheel drive, and it seemed that the lack of choice was driving consumers to purchase trucks and SUVs in order to satisfy their craving for a vehicle with considerable size and rear-biased driving dynamics. Chrysler saw a chance to use their relationship with Mercedes to capitalize on this perceived hole in the market. They introduced the 300C, and the vehicle was an almost instant success.

The 2006 Chrysler 300C is based on the LX platform, which in turn is derived from the outgoing Mercedes E-class. The vehicle is a rear-wheel drive four-door sedan, like the Crown Victoria, but that is where the similarities end. The 300C boasts an independent rear suspension instead of a solid rear axle, as well as much more power under the hood: A 5.7 liter hemispherical (Hemi) headed engine making 340 horsepower and 390 lb-feet of torque, a significant upgrade over the Crown Victoria. The 300C can also be had with all-wheel drive, and although the big V8 engine is thirsty at the gas pump in the city, while cruising on the highway the engine can shut down 4 cylinders via cylinder-management technology and use the remaining 4 to maintain speeds and keep fuel economy at a bearable 23 miles per gallon.

The exterior styling of the 2006 Chrysler 300C can only be described as striking. The large car has a high, slab-sided profile, with a low roofline that almost looks as thought it has been chopped, hot-rod style. The flat front and gently sloping, almost flat rear create an overall package that favorably compares with ultra-luxury sedans from Bentley. In fact, it is not uncommon to see owners who have replaced the honeycomb grille with a mesh design more reminiscent of the British manufacturer. This sharing of visual cues has done a lot to increase the prestige associated with the 300C, and many owners have approached ownership of this vehicle as an affordable way to live out their dreams. The fact that the incredibly potent engine can launch the car from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 6.4 seconds is far from a consolation prize, however, and the handling of the 300C is top notch due to the carefully configured driving dynamics of the former Mercedes platform. The 5 speed automatic transmission is also sourced from Mercedes, and it offers driver-controlled semi-automatic shifting.

The interior of the 300C doesn’t disappoint either, with power-adjustable leather seats, a potent stereo system and a well-designed dashboard that uses an almost iridium green illumination system to light up the round gauges buried deep in the dash. Heat and cooling controls are well laid out with easy to read dials sitting at the lower end of the center console. Tortoise-shell highlights can be found on the steering wheel, door trim and door handles, as well as the shift knob. Other features of the 300C include rain-sensing windshield wipers and a stability control system designed to keep the powerful rear-wheel drive sedan pointed in the right direction.

The 2006 Chrysler 300C is a revelation for the American auto industry, and with a more powerful, 425 horsepower SRT8 version of the car available for muscle car enthusiasts, it seems as though Chrysler has decided to move forward with using this car as the centerpiece of its future lineup. General Motors and Ford are now playing catch-up behind this excellent piece of automotive engineering.







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June 2, 2008, 7:13 am