2011 Chrysler 300 Review

The 2011 Chrysler 300.

This is the second 2011 Chrysler 300 the press fleet folks have sent our way in the past few months. I wrote about the first one for High Gear Media's Carnewser.com a couple of weeks back.  That first car came option-free...sporting a price tag $7590 less than the 2011 Dodge Charger reviewed here on TireKicker in late September.

The Carnewser.com piece focused on my trying (and failing) to understand why Chrysler, working to set itself apart as an upscale brand would build and sell such reasonably priced examples of their flagship, the 300.

Since then, though, word has come that Chrysler's dropping the ax on the Dodge Grand Caravan. Come 2013, they'll only be selling the Chrysler Town and Country, setting off speculation that once Fiats, Alfa Romeos and Lancia-sourced Chryslers begin appearing in showrooms, the product mix between those brands, Dodge and Jeep may be very different from what we see now.

So let's assume a plan is in the works and assess the 300 on its own merits, absent percieved price crowding with its cousin, the Dodge Charger.

The 2011 Chrysler 300 rear view.

First of all, even in base form. the 2011 Chrysler 300 is drop-dead gorgeous. It's a completely different design from the last generation, relying on subtle cues to tie the two together. The details are superb and the effect sets the 300 apart as the only big American sedan of its kind.

The new Chrysler Pentastar V6 is a revelation...strong, smooth and economical. Even with a five-speed automatic (an 8-speed is on tap for 2012), the EPA says 18 city, 27 highway, and we saw a rock-steady 20 miles per gallon in a week of nothing but city streets.

The 2011 Chrysler 300 interior.

Like example number one, this 300 was the base model, with a base price of $27,170. Unlike the first car, this one had options...but just two. $295 for Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl Coat exterior paint, and another $295 for Customer Preferred Package 27E...Chrysler's Uconnect voice command with Bluetooth.

Fold that in with the standard equipment (4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, stability and traction control, brake assist, hill start assist, all the airbags a car can hold, power locks, keyless entry and pushbutton start, 8-way power driver's seat, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, an AM/FM/Sirius/CD/mp3 audio system with 6 speakers and USB and auxilary connections, and dual-zone climate control and while you don't have the pinnacle in luxury, you do have a remarkably equipped, very quiet, comfortable and reasonably quick big sedan for $28,585 with destination charges.

I've decided to stop worrying about why Chrysler offers this car for so little money. There are people who will be very glad they do.

2011 Chrysler 300

Base price: $27,170.

As tested: $28,585.

Likes: Room, quiet, fuel economy for its class.

Dislikes: Pairing and connecting phones with the Bluetooth system is a lengthy, hit-and-miss proposition.

EPA estimate: 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway.

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2011 Dodge Charger Review

The 2011 Dodge Charger.

I'll admit it. I was among those who thought naming a four-door sedan "Charger" was an act of sacrilege and doomed to failure. After all, the real Dodge Charger was a two-door.

Well, as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, "foolish consistency sucks" (or something like that). Fact is, Dodge has built a very good sedan and calling it "Coronet" (the four-door the original Charger was based on) would have been a far worse idea.



And, Dodge has dialed up the menace factor for the 2011 Charger. Look at the picture above. That's a six-cylinder family sedan. Pretty cool.

It helps enormously that under the new sheetmetal is a new six...the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 with variable valve timing. Not only is it smooth and refined...it packs 292 horsepower. That's close to 100 horses more than the previous base engine...and only 58 fewer than the Hemi option used to bring. Suffice it to say, it gets up and runs. It's mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission and gets a very respectable 18 miles per gallon in the city and 27 on the highway, according to the EPA.

The 2011 Dodge Charger rear view.

Our tester was a Charger Rallye Plus. It started as just a base Charger SE ($25,170), which comes with a full complement of airbags, reactive head restraints, anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, electronic stability control, all-speed traction control, hill start assist, rain brake support and ready alert braking.

Next comes the "27J Charger Rallye Plus" package. $4,000 that buys you an 8.4-inch touch-screen display, Uconnect Touch, voice command with Bluetooth, Bluetooth streaming audio (just because you have it for hands-free phone doesn't mean you can play music too...but here you can), Sirius satellite radio, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with microphone, a remote USB port, an audio jack, a 276-watt amplifier and six premium speakers. There's also a remote start system, security alarm, dual-zone automatic climate control, humdity sensor, universal garage door opener, Nappa leather seats (heated in the front and rear...and 8-way power controlled with 4-way lumbar adjustment for the driver and front passenger), a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather-wrapped shift knob, a heated and cooled front console cupholder, a compass, front overhead LED lighting, front and rear LED map pockets, driver and passenger lower LED lamps and an upgrade to 18-inch chrome-clad aluminum wheels.

Stopping right there would give you a remarkably well equipped car for $29,170...even the destination charge of $825 wouldn't send you past $30K.

The 2011 Dodge Charger interior.

But Dodge wanted us to sample all the goodies, so the press fleet crew packed this one with:

• The Driver Confidence Group ($1,495 for blind spot and cross path detection, rear parking assist, a backup camera, low-beam HID headlamps, rain-sensitive windshield wipers, SmartBeam headlamps, outside mirrors that automatically adjust when you put the car in reverse, and a driver's side automatically-dimming outside mirror).
• The Driver Convenience Group ($575 for power adjustable pedals with memory, memory for radio, seat and mirrors, and a power tilt/telescoping steering column).
• The Adaptive Cruise Control Group ($925 that goes to adaptive speed control, forward collision warning and a heated steering wheel).
• The Navigation/Rear Backup Camera Group ($450, integrating a Garmin navigation system with the already-there backup camera and 8.4-inch color touchscreen).
• The Rallye Appearance Group ($1,195 for an upgrade to a 506-watt amplifier, 9 amplified speakers with subwoofer, a further jump up to 20-inch chrome-clad aliuminum wheels, 245/R20 all-season performance tires, a rear body-color spoiler and performance suspension).
• A power sunroof ($950).

And that, folks, is that. Total price: $35,585. Yeah, there are some things I could quibble about (like how a 506-watt amplifier and speakers wound up in an "appearance" group), but the fact is, this car was a complete joy to drive. It looked great, it drove well, the new interior is just wonderful, it had every imaginable convenience. Yes, you could make do with less for a daily 20-mile commute. But this car whispered things like "Hey, let's go to Denver for lunch."  And Denver's 821 miles from TireKicker World HQ.  Plus, it can blow the doors off any other domestic family sedan that isn't packing a Hemi.

"Charger" was the right pick, after all.

2011 Dodge Charger Rallye Plus

Base price: $25,170

As tested: $35,585

Likes: Styling, power, handling, attitude and a great new interior.

Dislikes: Some silly option packaging on the part of Dodge's marketing guys.

EPA estimate: 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway.

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