2008 Chrysler 300 Review Summary & Specs
LX Sedan
Bold, handsome, roomy and satisfying.
Summary & Specs
reviewed by
The Chrysler 300 delivers bold styling. It's smooth and quiet, with a great ride and tight handling. Getting in and out is easy, and it's roomy inside. Models are available for all tastes and budgets. Its traction and stability electronics work well, but buyers who want to be prepared for bad weather should opt for all-wheel drive. The base 300 is a lot of car for the money, with a proven V6 that has adequate power for many drivers. We prefer the Touring and Limited models, with their more powerful V6 and higher levels of features. The 300C comes with a Hemi V8 that can dust expensive luxury cars in performance and value. The SRT8 delivers outstanding performance in civilized style at a price that's hard to beat.
NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Kirk Bell reported from Detroit, with Tom Lankard in Northern California.
Specs
| Vehicle Category |
Fullsize Cars |
| Editor |
New Car Test Drive |
| Model Lineup |
Chrysler 300 LX ($24,595); Touring ($28,590); Touring AWD ($31,445); Limited ($31,620); Limited AWD ($33,815); 300C ($35,395); 300C AWD ($37,495); SRT8 ($41,385) |
| Engines (standard) |
5.7-liter overhead-valve hemi-head V8 with Multi-Displacement cylinder deactivation |
| Engines (optional) |
178-hp 2.7-liter V6; 250-hp 3.5-liter V6; 340-hp 5.7-liter V8; 425-hp 6.1-liter V8 |
| Transmissions (standard) |
5-speed automatic with AutoStick manual-shift feature |
| Transmissions (optional) |
4-speed automatic; 5-speed automatic |
| Safety Equipment (standard) |
two-stage front airbags with passenger weight sensors, anti-lock brakes (ABS) and Electronic Stability Program (ESP) |
| Safety Equipment (optional) |
front and rear curtain-style head protection airbags, torso-protecting front side airbags, self-sealing tires, tire-pressure monitor, rear obstacle detection |
| Basic Warranty |
3 years/36,000 miles |
| Assembled In |
Brampton, Ontario, Canada |
| Manufacturer Phone |
1-800-CHRYSLER |
| Manufacturer URL |
www.chrysler.com |
| Base Price MSRP |
$24,595 |
Specs as Tested
| Model Tested MSRP |
Chrysler 300C ($35,395) |
| Standard Equipment |
leather seats and trim with tortoise shell accents, heated power-adjustable front seats with position memory, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel with audio controls, power adjustable pedals; dual zone automatic climate control, AM-FM stereo with single CD, audio input jack and six Boston Acoustics speakers, electronic vehicle information center, Sirius satellite radio with 12-month subscription, auto-dimming rearview and driver's outside mirror, universal garage-door opener, solar control glass, fog lights, 18-inch alloy wheels |
| Destination Charge |
675 |
| Options as Tested (MSRP) |
Protection Group II ($1,080) includes curtain style head-protection airbags, rear park assist, self-sealing tires, UConnect, auto-dim rearview mirror wit microphone, and cabin air filtration; Navigation and Sound Group II ($2,290) includes DVD-based GPS navigation system, 368-watt audio output with six speakers plus subwoofer AM/FM/CD/DVD/MP3 with six-CD changer; Luxury Group II ($1,490) includes heated rear seat and outside mirrors with turn signals, courtesy lamps and auto-dimming on passenger side |
| Gas Guzzler Tax |
|
| Layout |
rear-wheel drive |
| Price as Tested |
$40,930 |
| Horse Power |
340 @ 5000 |
| Torque |
390 @ 4000 |
| Fuel Economy |
15/23 |
| Wheelbase |
120 |
| Length/Width/Height |
196.8/74.1/58.4 |
| Track Front/Rear |
|
| Turning Radius |
38.9 |
| Seating Capacity |
5 |
| Front Head/Hip/Leg room |
38.7/55.9/41.8 |
| Middle Head/Hip/Leg room |
|
| Rear Head/Hip/Leg room |
38.0/55.9/40.2 |
| Trunk Volume |
15.6 |
| Payload |
|
| Towing Capacity |
2000 |
| Front Suspension |
independent, short-long arm with coil springs and stabilizer bar |
| Rear Suspension |
independent, five-link with coil springs |
| Ground Clearance |
5.6 |
| Curb Weight |
4097 |
| Stock Tires |
P225/60R18 self-sealing |
| Brakes Front/Rear |
vented disc/vented disc with ABS and Brake Assist |
| Fuel Capacity |
19.0 |