2005 Chrysler 300C SRT-8

Did financially troubled General Motors and Ford lose their way by turning to highly profitable trucks and abandoning big, bold rear-drive sedans, which is the type of car they always did best?

Some analysts think that's the case, as enthusiasm for large and mid-size trucks such as sport-utility vehicles continues declining. Meanwhile, the new Chrysler 300 full-size sedan is a hit.

The large, roomy, fast Chevrolet Impalas, Ford Galaxie 500s and Chrysler New Yorkers of several decades ago were the envy of the world's automakers. The big, posh 1955 Chrysler 300 was the world's first mass-produced 300-horsepower car with its "Hemi" V-8, which had power-producing hemispherical combustion chambers. 

Domestic automakers slowly began leaving the large, fast sedan market to German and Japanese automakers. The Germans provide more refinement, but charge stiff prices. The Japanese have made sedans unexciting because they try to please too large a market.

The boldly styled Chrysler 300C from DaimlerChrysler's thriving Chrysler group has a "take-it-or-leave-it" look and is offered with two versions of the group's highly publicized Hemi V-8. The 5.7-liter version makes the 300C plenty fast with a 340-horsepower rating. But the ultimate version is the 6.1-liter Hemi, which produces 425 horsepower and propels the 300C SRT-8 model.

"The [300C SRT-8] is "the car we thought the American auto industry would not build again," Car and Driver magazine says in its June issue.

The $39,370 rear-drive 300C SRT-8 is from Chrysler's hot rod Street and Racing Technology (SRT) team. Besides the Hemi V-8, that team has given the SRT-8 a sportier suspension, huge 20-inch polished alloy wheels, big Brembo anti-lock disc brakes and other heavy duty components, besides aerodynamic body modifications that make the car look racier.

The heart of the 300C SRT-8 is its engine. It has a mellow, although somewhat menacing, sound at idle and a machine-gun exhaust note when the throttle is floored.

Acceleration is smooth and remarkable. The 300C SRT-8 takes only 4.7 seconds to reach 60 mph, and Car and Driver found it can hit 100 mph in 11.2 seconds, which is nearly exotic sports car performance. It doesn't take much of a push of the gas pedal to leave other traffic far behind.

The 300C SRT-8 has a lowered body and Bentley-esque styling. In fact, it's arguably the equal in many respects to England's big $220,000-$251,000 Bentley Arnage sedan.

For one thing, the R and RL versions of the Arnage have a 400-horsepower V-8 that's trumped by the 300C SRT-8 engine. And the Arnage has a four-speed automatic transmission, compared to this Chrysler's responsive five-speed unit. That transmission is designed by Mercedes-Benz and SRT-modified, with an easily used manual shift gate.

The Arnage weighs a whopping 5,750 pounds, while the 300C SRT-8 is much trimmer at 4,300 pounds. The Arnage's weight slows it and lets the 300C SRT-8 accelerate faster than even the hot rod 450-horsepower Arnage T model, which does 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds. The 300C SRT-8 hits 173 mph, while the Arnage T tops out at 168 mph -- and doesn't stop as quickly as the Chrysler.

The price for such performance, though, is mediocre fuel economy. The 340-horsepower Hemi V-8 has a fuel-saving four-cylinder deactivation feature when cruising, but the 425-horsepower Hemi lacks it. The SRT-8 thus delivers an estimated 14 mpg in the city and 18 on highways. (The Arnage gets 10 city, 14 highway.)

The Arnage drips with luxury items and is partly hand-built, but the 300C SRT-8 has solid construction and virtually every luxury, convenience and safety item one might expect.

The few 300C SRT-8 options are a $950 power sunroof, $440 curtain side air bags and a $1,965 option package containing an easily used navigation system and satellite radio.

The 300C SRT-8 has accurate steering and delivers sharp handling for such a large sedan -- thanks partly to a suspension with a Mercedes design. A specially tuned stability control system is standard.

Stopping power is more than exemplary, almost Porsche-like, although the brake pedal needs a more linear action.

The ride is surprisingly supple, considering the wide performance tires and stiffened high-speed suspension. An ultralong 120-inch wheelbase helps smooth out bumps.

There's good room for four tall adults. Five fit, but the rear seat is designed to comfortably seat only two adults. It's best to flip down the rear center armrest, which contains twin cupholders.

The quiet, upscale interior has a conservative, uncluttered look. Sporty black-on-white gauges can be easily read. Power window controls are a bit too far forward on doors, but most controls are nicely located and simple to use. Big door handles help allow easy entry and exit.

Adjustable pedals, a supportive power bucket seat and a power tilt-telescope steering wheel make it easy for drivers of various sizes to get comfortable.

The trunk is large but has a rather high opening. Seatbacks fold forward to enlarge cargo capacity but should sit flatter when lowered.

The 300C SRT-8 offers a lot for a surprisingly reasonable price. And it would be a lot cheaper to insure than a Bentley. 

2005 CHRYSLER 300C SRT-8
PRICE
$39,370

LIKES
Awesome V-8. Sure handling. Roomy. Upscale.

DISLIKES
Marginal fuel economy. High cargo opening. Power window controls not ideally located.