And behind the set-back seat, there was just enough room for me to fit without my knees brushing the seatback. With the front seat all the way down and back, I could easily have driven the car, and I’m 5’9 usually when I max out the seat travel in large vehicles, I can barely touch the gas pedal. But the 300 really has midsize space at best. We classify the 300 as a Large Car, which its 198.6-inch length and 120-inch wheelbase would imply (being about 8 inches and 11 inches longer, respectively, than those of the midsize Toyota Camry). But the big car really settles down on the highway, providing a very quiet, solid, confident ride that combines with comfortable seats to make it a great long-distance cruiser-something I really came to appreciate during a 250-mile road trip.Īlso surprising was the interior room-or rather, the limits of it. While the suspension soaked up large speed bumps with incredible aplomb, the short sidewalls of the low-profile, performance-oriented 245/45R-20 tires weren’t as adept at ignoring minor pavement imperfections, which made themselves known with some nervous patter. While the Platinum’s suspension handled speed bumps with uncommon poise, its low-profile, 20-inch tires weren’t as adept at soaking up minor pavement imperfections.
There’s strong power everywhere, and the 8-speed automatic transmission (which replaces a 5-speed on V8 models for 2015) provides quick kickdowns in passing situations. Our tester carried a 16 city/25 highway/19 combined rating, and it returned 20.2 mpg in 403 miles of about 70-percent highway driving so, pretty close to what one would expect.Īlso as one would expect, the Hemi delivers fine acceleration. Moving up from the Platinum’s standard V6 to the Hemi V8 costs $3000-initially-as it also brings a 3- to 6-mpg penalty in EPA fuel-economy estimates. There used to be even stronger SRT8 versions available, but those, too, got lost in the 2015 shuffle. Though a 3.6-liter V6 is standard-and is the only engine choice if available all-wheel drive is desired, as the V8/AWD combo was dropped for 2015-the tested top-line 300C Platinum was fitted with the famed 5.7-liter Hemi V8 producing a stout 363 horsepower. That applies not only to its rear-drive layout and available V8 engine, but also to its comparatively boxy body design. In a class now dominated by front-drive/V6-powered competitors, the 300 stands as an old-school holdout. The 300 is one of the few “traditional” V8-powered rear-wheel-drive sedans currently available (though V6 and all-wheel-drive versions are also offered), and it’s further set apart by its rather boxy profile. Size didn’t change and the look didn’t much, either (Chrysler says the grille is 30-percent larger), but the interior is revamped and there are some powertrain alterations (which actually come down to “losses”). Lest one look at the photos of the 2015 300 and think, “Gee, that doesn’t look like much of a redesign,” it’s worth noting that … it really isn’t. Now in its third generation, the redesigned 2015 Chrysler 300 carries on as a traditional, rear-drive American sedan that straddles the line between a “regular” full-size car and a “premium” one. More Chrysler 300 price and availability information The not so good: Mediocre interior space for such a large car, patter over small bumps The Good: Clever interior storage, control layout The great: Powertrain responsiveness, interior materials, serenity in highway driving
Options on test car: Package 26R (includes 5.7-liter V8 $3000) Tested was a top-line 300C Platinum, which started at $42,395, but with the optional Hemi V8 and destination charge, ended up at $46,390.ĮPA-estimated fuel economy: 16/25/19 (city, highway, combined)īase price: $42,395 (not including $995 destination charge) Although considered a “redesign” by Chrysler, the 2015 edition of the company’s flagship 300 sedan doesn’t look much different than it did before–on the outside.
0 kommentar(er)
