Hot Wheels: Chrysler's 'Poor Man's Bentley'

MSNBC ^ | May 23, 2004 | Keith Naughton

[klpt]

Once Howard Sucher saw the audacious Chrysler 300 on the Internet, he had to have it. But the Chrysler dealer near his home in Boca Raton, Fla., told him he'd have to wait five months. So Sucher and his wife traveled 180 miles to get a $38,000 satin-jade 300C, the model with a steroidal 340-horsepower Hemi engine. Sherrie Sucher is giddy about a car that "looks like a Bentley" and gives her a break from the hulking family SUV.

[BrooklynGOP]

I am not a big fan of Dodge/Chrysler, but 300C does look nice...

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Let's see what this $38,000 car is worth in 12 months.

[goldstategop]

Poor Man's Bentley... with dealer's discounts, its yours for a cool $30,000 - if you can pay all cash up front.

[perfect stranger]

[SoDak]

I forget which show I was watching, something on CNBC I think, but they had two reviewers on who each claimed it might be the best built American car in 40 years. I do think it looks interesting.

[Tunehead54]

This is a Chrysler 300 too (1955) but I think you got the right pic for the article! ;-)

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[motzman]

Let's see what this $38,000 car is worth in 12 months.

Exactly. Chrysler has a bad habit of making great looking and performing cars that fall apart within 6 months and you have to pay to take away after a full year.

Which is a shame because they're puttin' out some fine looking vehicles lately.

[tet68]

That is one ugly car.
And those wheels! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

[Right Angler]

I've got a '98 Dodge Ram Quad Cab 4x4 that has been flawlessly reliable and pisses off the ecoweenies to boot!

[Recovering Hermit]

Pretty car.

I can't drive one of those. I drive this:

Got me through 2 feet of water off of Center and Green today. I won't drive anything else.

[Lurking in Kansas]

Sucher and his wife traveled 180 miles to get a $38,000 satin-jade 300C, the model with a steroidal 340-horsepower Hemi engine.

Dope.

I seem to recall a P.T. Barnum quote that would be appropriate here. Anyone….anyone….anyone?

[BrooklynGOP]

The base invoice price is only $21,513 for a 2.7L 190 hp V6 version.

[goldstategop]

Its a traditional sedan - no four wheel drive and all that modern junk and yet it shuts off half the engine to give you more gas mileage on the road. Cool in a time when gas prices give drivers sticker shock every time they fill up. The Chrysler 300C is one hot baby. It'll be a best-seller right alongside the retro PT Cruiser and scorch the roadway.

[BrooklynGOP]

Final assembly: Canada.

[goldstategop]

Whooo hoo! The styling reminds me of Mercedes Benz. Not coincidental at all when you consider Chrysler is owned by none other the folks from MB.

[isthisnickcool]

I just got back from driving a Dodge Magnum. The first one the dealer has received. It's basically the same drivetrain as the Chrysler 300.

Unfortunately, it was not the RT with the hemi engine but the big V-6 in the car I drove runs nice. A tight vehicle that drives like something much more expensive.

Chrysler and Dodge are going to sell a lot of these vehicles.

[AngryJawa]

Nice...but a little too much "bling-bling" on the wheels.

I'll let Consumer Reports brief me on just how well-made the 300 is after a couple of years. Until I win the lottery, I have no interest in dropping money down the new car rathole...again. The idea of losing such a huge chunk of resale value once you drive off the lot has become nauseating to me.

[Bella_Bru]

Very pretty...

[goldstategop]

Agreed. And when kids give thumps up, you can pretty much expect dealers to charge full price - no wonder there's a waiting list for orders.