Recently had a 2012 Chrysler 300 as a rental for a business trip. I used to be a Chrysler bigot but after three days with the 300 I am reformed now

Pretty nice car overall, but what really blew me away was the interior and instrumentation. The driver MID had the typical scrolling feature with a steering wheel mounted switches.

The MID had typical displays for gas mileage, average speed, distance to empty, odo/trip odo, but also had digital AND bar graphs for oil pressure/temp, transmission fluid temp, and a engine hour meter (when's the last time you saw a engine hour meter besides a tractor or race car). The MID was designed for geek engineers like myself

Also the radio was touch screen which worked really well for selecting stations and controls. Also a little different was there was no gas cap, it's built into the gas flap door.

Overall pretty impressive, drove well, quiet, pretty responsive handling and steering, decent brakes, and good acceleration and mileage for a V6. And the quality of materials was pretty good, Chrysler who used to have awful switches have really nice feeling controls now. Chrysler's come a very long way in recent years.

 

Looks like a nicely equipped rental. The digital readouts are awesome, every car should have those.

Oh, and Chrysler totally ripped off Ford on the capless fuel filler

 

On my last business trip I had a 2011 Charger. I was impressed as well as 2 weeks prior, I had a 2010 Charger and it's a night/day difference.

 

I recently had a 300 for three weeks because some drunk woman decided to make a right hand turn from the left hand lane even though I was right beside her, but that's another story.

Just to let you know, I am not, never have been and never will be a Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep fan and after driving the 300, that fact is even more solidified.

To start, the steering wheel is antiquated with its nearly switch-less wheel (the front). Aside from being able to adjust the MID there isn't anything else you can do. Chrysler still retains the stereo adjustment knobs BEHIND the steering wheel. Never used them, basically adjusted the volume the old fashioned way.

The hood has the old style windshield sprayers - with todays technology most other car companies are tucking them away either directly under the hood lip or buildiing them into the windshield wipers themselves.

The rental I drove had only 2300 miles on it. That being said, I literally had to slam the trunk shut each and every time. Anything less than a full push and the trunk wouldn't close.

The strangest thing though was with the rearview mirror. Whenever a vehicle came into view on the mirror, it was minimzed (laterally "pinched" and longitudinally "stretched"). Never saw anything like that before. For some strange reason it made me think of the old time Japanese monster movies. I chuckled each and every time that tractor trailers came into view.

Can't understand why someone would plunk down a nice piece of change for this car with a hemi. No thanks!!!

 

The new 300 is one of two new Chryslers (Durango being the other) I haven't been able to sit in/drive, but it looks great in pictures/from a distance. I was very impressed with the Challenger, Charger, and GC, so I'm looking forward to my opportunity to get into one of these. Thanks for the pics and review.

 

Well depends on what model you get. My car is night & day over a regular rental 300.
I test drove a new 300 srt8 recently. Also night day better then your rental 300. Not a huge difference from mine performance wise. IMHO. I wouldn't get one because I hate techno gadgets. I like simple. Also never like the 3rd+ gen TL's tech either.
And it's a 1st year redesign.

 

The new SRT8 is HUGE difference performance wise from your current SRT...50hp and 70tq. Or you meant something else?

The advances in the suspension/ride might have your "butt dyno" thinking they felt the same?

 

Stock. I'm not stock so I didn't feel much of a difference. It's heavier too. I'm sure it's faster still, but not something I would notice that makes me want to have it. I rather have a 6MT honestly. Not saying it wasn't a nice car, just not for me

 

Was just curious...When one of our club members got his 392...he was SPANKING 6.1s that were superchargered at the drag strip...the 6.4 is just a beast.

I know at one point Stack was converting a 6.1 Charger to 6MT...cant remember if he finished or if the owner ended up going on to a different project...I do know the conversion has been done.

Speaking of which...you ever contact Stack Perf?

 

Sounds like a nice rental but would you buy one?

 

Not enough to buy one (never been a fan of the 300 styling), but it's still a nice car.

 

This is 2011 Chrysler 300.

2012's have a full color MID (EVIC).

 

all cool features but not enough to buy one!

 

I love the way Chrysler updated the 300 series. That car has road presence like no other. I love the external design. Only time will tell whether the old Chrysler gremlins rear their ugly heads....