There are only a handful of all wheel drive sedans. They include the Ford Five Hundred, the A6 Audi, the Infiniti G35, the Mercedes E Class, the new Cadillac, and the Lexus GS. For whatever reason Chrysler has decided to enter this niche market, and in doing so stuffed it so completely that it is going to be difficult for the others to breathe.

The reason is simple; the pricing and performance of the Hemi powered 300 C with all wheel drive are unmatched. The downside is that the all wheel drive makes the 300 C more bulky and less likely to even approach 18 mpg in daily driving.

Mom's view: The addition of all wheel drive makes this Chrysler feel much more heavy and instead of providing you a feeling of solidness, such as exists in the rear wheel drive version, the C feels overstuffed and cranky. Over bumps you would swear you were riding in a pick-up truck.

Even on smooth roads the all wheel drive sedan with its slightly raised stance never felt as connected to the road as its rear wheel drive sisters.

The point I am trying to make here is why do you really need all wheel drive? It adds weight, lowers the fuel mileage, does not significantly improve handling in normal driving, and costs more to buy and maintain. Of course, if you live where it snows or rains significantly an all wheel drive might be of value, but why not just get the much less expensive Ford or even a compact SUV for far less money?

The answer probably lies (yes, that's the word that comes to mind) in the mind of attention seeking males who feel it is important to have the latest toy. That is why less than five percent of all SUVs ever get off road, because many are essentially posers. They want the looks, but not the body and paint shop repair bill for their $40,000 excursion into the hinterland.

Bargain wise, there is nothing that can come close to the Hemi 300 C with all wheel drive. It either has a better price point or more room or more power or performance than the competition. However, the Ford Five Hundred is easier to live with, the Infiniti G35 is sharper handling, and the Audi is much more luxurious.

We had not tested the new Lexus GS with all wheel drive, but on paper it cannot compete with the Chrysler.

Inside the 300 the most remarkable item is the tortoise shell trim on the steering wheel, shift lever and door handles. The translucent glow when the sun hits the steering wheel is gorgeous. Everything else is easy to live with and you always have that powerful Hemi to play with when things get boring.

And, since the additional cost of the all wheel drive unit is under $1400 US it might be considered a bargain option if you truly need it. Our rather fully loaded test vehicle had a price listed of just under $38,000 (US).

Safety is a concern with high performance automobiles, especially when you have to order a fairly expensive option to get curtain side airbags as part of the protection package. My advice is not to leave home without this option. Other than that shortfall, the 300 C has a fine assortment of safety equipment and Chrysler's engineers have even used the spare tire in this regard.

In the trunk well the spare tire is mounted at an angle so if the car is rear-ended the tire will move upward allowing the frame to take the impact and defuse the impact.

My greatest disappointment with the Chrysler was how different it was to drive from the stellar rear wheel drive model. The second problem was anemic fuel mileage that bordered on 16 mpg and that was when we were trying to be good.
Continued...
Page 1 of 3 | Chrysler 300C Part 2 | Chrysler 300C Part 3