Topic: Test Drive: 2012 Chrysler 300S V6

[Autos_Editor]

Twenty-inch wheels and monotone paint give it street cred, but that's not the best thing about the new 300S.

Read More...

[JohnnyMac]

I like that they improved the styling and base engine, not to mention that new 8-speed tranny.  What I'm not really a fan of is that they basically added all that to the same vehicle with not much change at all.  Of all the Chrysler product on sale now this is probably the best offering over the past 7 years, but that doesn't mean the chassis couldn't be improved upon.  Personally if I was in the market for a car like this I'd probably just get the Hyundai Genesis V6 instead.  It seems to be a bit more grown up and offers more.

[redman]

I do like the V6 and new 8 Speed transmission but this car just no longer has that novelty aspect it once had, which once set it apart from most of the capsules on wheels on the road. I agree that the front lights are lacking either size of design.

[Jaeger]

If I buy 20" wheels, will I get street cred, too?  I sooooooo want me some street cred! 

I like the new 300 quite a bit.  There's a white and a black version in my neighborhood, and every time I see one of them roll by I think they look real sharp.

About the retina-searing cathouse-red interior - I'm a big fan of something-other-than-grey-or-black, but while this particular shade might play well in sporting roadster, it's um...... a bit freakin' MUCH in a B-I-G luxury sedan.

Jaeger

[dragonfly]

 I think you're right on with just about everything in this article...and I really love this newly styled 300...I could love me some red leather seats....Mmmmm..Very nice.. The mileage on the highway is fantastic for such a large car...Thanks   Jack

[aaronk]

Brilliant car, I really like the changes Chrysler made to the 300. It looks like they kept the boldness of the original but focused on refining and detailing the overall design. The result may be slightly less shocking (compared to when the original 300 debuted), but it does come across as aggressive, strong and somewhat timeless in a sea of cars that are trying to find definition. The V6 seems like the right engine here, offering power and good fuel economy - leave the V8's to the Challengers and sports cars, not the family sedans. I personally would choose RWD, but I'm sure many will make the jump to the optional AWD for winter driving and improved poor-weather acceleration, so it's good Chrysler offers it.

[dirtyjeffer]

looks decent enough, but if i were spending $45k on a well equipped full size car, i would also get the V6 Genesis Sedan with Premium Package...perhaps a drive between the two would change that, but i doubt it...as "pretty" as Chrysler products are nowadays, i just rarely hear any good things about them (after the sale).

[bridgecity]

Looks and sounds like a great overall package.  Now where's the wagon 

[jyarkony]

If I buy 20" wheels, will I get street cred, too?  I sooooooo want me some street cred! 

I like the new 300 quite a bit.  There's a white and a black version in my neighborhood, and every time I see one of them roll by I think they look real sharp.

About the retina-searing cathouse-red interior - I'm a big fan of something-other-than-grey-or-black, but while this particular shade might play well in sporting roadster, it's um...... a bit freakin' MUCH in a B-I-G luxury sedan.

Jaeger

pictures that I've seen of the 300S in white look absolutely killer... I was shocked when I read that Greg liked the red interior, but I bet my mom would love it too - every new appliance she gets lately is about that shade of red... the coffee maker, blender, toaster... I think the red interior would be pretty cool with the white exterior (very canadian!), but not for any other colour...

I would pick this over the Genesis in V8 or V6 trim - the Genesis is just a bit too generic and 'cultured' - i like the mix of its classic boxy shape with the LED light strips in its headlights and the monochromatic treatment of the S package. but it's funny how both the 300S and Genesis ended up with fairly similar wheel designs, both polished facings with black painted inserts...

[Sir Osis of Liver]

If I buy 20" wheels, will I get street cred, too?  I sooooooo want me some street cred! 

I like the new 300 quite a bit.  There's a white and a black version in my neighborhood, and every time I see one of them roll by I think they look real sharp.

About the retina-searing cathouse-red interior - I'm a big fan of something-other-than-grey-or-black, but while this particular shade might play well in sporting roadster, it's um...... a bit freakin' MUCH in a B-I-G luxury sedan.

Jaeger

pictures that I've seen of the 300S in white look absolutely killer... I was shocked when I read that Greg liked the red interior, but I bet my mom would love it too - every new appliance she gets lately is about that shade of red... the coffee maker, blender, toaster... I think the red interior would be pretty cool with the white exterior (very canadian!), but not for any other colour...

I would pick this over the Genesis in V8 or V6 trim - the Genesis is just a bit too generic and 'cultured' - i like the mix of its classic boxy shape with the LED light strips in its headlights and the monochromatic treatment of the S package. but it's funny how both the 300S and Genesis ended up with fairly similar wheel designs, both polished facings with black painted inserts...

Good!

Monochrome: single colour
Monotone: single sound

/Pet peeve

[nsmyhte]

looks decent enough, but if i were spending $45k on a well equipped full size car, i would also get the V6 Genesis Sedan with Premium Package...perhaps a drive between the two would change that, but i doubt it...as "pretty" as Chrysler products are nowadays, i just rarely hear any good things about them (after the sale).

I would get the 300 over the Genesis.  The Genesis has a good engine and maybe some more gadgets but the tranny shifts slower, the steering feel is worse and the suspension tuning is not as polished.  The 300 has a much more cohesive feel and gives better feeback.  Plus, I think it looks much better.

[Bubba]

2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan vs. 2012 Chrysler 300S [w/video]

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/29/2012-hyundai-genesis-sedan-2012-chrysler-300s-comparison-review/

[nsmyhte]

2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan vs. 2012 Chrysler 300S [w/video]

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/29/2012-hyundai-genesis-sedan-2012-chrysler-300s-comparison-review/

Here's a Motortrend comparison between the 2:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1104_2011_chrysler_300c_hyundai_genesis_comparison/

and corresponding video:
http://www.motortrend.com/av/roadtests/sedans/1102_2011_chrysler_300c_vs_2011_hyundai_genesis_video/

Its the V8 versions, but close enough.

[Jaeger]

If I buy 20" wheels, will I get street cred, too?  I sooooooo want me some street cred! 

I like the new 300 quite a bit.  There's a white and a black version in my neighborhood, and every time I see one of them roll by I think they look real sharp.

About the retina-searing cathouse-red interior - I'm a big fan of something-other-than-grey-or-black, but while this particular shade might play well in sporting roadster, it's um...... a bit freakin' MUCH in a B-I-G luxury sedan.

Jaeger

pictures that I've seen of the 300S in white look absolutely killer... I was shocked when I read that Greg liked the red interior, but I bet my mom would love it too - every new appliance she gets lately is about that shade of red... the coffee maker, blender, toaster... I think the red interior would be pretty cool with the white exterior (very canadian!), but not for any other colour...

I would pick this over the Genesis in V8 or V6 trim - the Genesis is just a bit too generic and 'cultured' - i like the mix of its classic boxy shape with the LED light strips in its headlights and the monochromatic treatment of the S package. but it's funny how both the 300S and Genesis ended up with fairly similar wheel designs, both polished facings with black painted inserts...

The two are natural competitors and I can see sound reason to choose either one.  The OLD 300 versus the current Genesis would be no contest for my purchase dollars - which would go to the Hyundai store.  Everything I've read and seen of the all new 300 makes me think it would be a very close fight.

Why is it that we don't hear arguments about whether the V8 300 is a legitimate alternative to the likes of the Infiniti M and such, I wonder?

Jaeger

[Fobroader]

I saw one of those propoganda "test drives"  on speedvision about the new SRT-8 300......I gotta say, I wouldnt mind driving that on a daily basis. I heard a 300C hemi with a custom exhaust take off once.....if I were to buy a 300, it would be with a hemi and even though I lament the lost "street cred" of the 20" rims thats not my style. The red interior, thats a little much IMO as well. Cool car, but this is definetly a V8 only type of car.

[dirtyjeffer]

Here's a Motortrend comparison between the 2:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1104_2011_chrysler_300c_hyundai_genesis_comparison/

and corresponding video:
http://www.motortrend.com/av/roadtests/sedans/1102_2011_chrysler_300c_vs_2011_hyundai_genesis_video/

Its the V8 versions, but close enough.

it's also the 2011 models...both models are improved in 2012, so i wouldn't use last year's reviews towards this year's models.

in any case, as i said, i haven't driven either, but despite the "more conservative styling" of the Genesis, i actually prefer it...the 300 looks neat in its own way, but i prefer the more (what i consider) upscale look of the Genesis...the Genesis (to me) looks more like a Mercedes whereas the 300 simply looks like a "nice" Chrysler...as has been said before, when some people see the Genesis, they say "What is that, a Lexus/Mercedes?"...that isn't the case for the 300...it is unmistakably a Chrysler...and as great as driving dynamics are, 99% of us never use them anyway...we drive back and forth to work, get groceries and get stuck in rush hour traffic, so in most cases, how many Gs it can pull in a corner and how great its "steering feel" is while carving corners on a track is meaningless to every day driving and owning a car for 10 years and being happy with it.

[bridgecity]

....how great its "steering feel" is while carving corners on a track is meaningless to every day driving and owning a car for 10 years and being happy with it.

Really?  Even in my Pilot I appreciate the better steering feel than in comparison to my Tundra, in every day driving.  If I am going to own a car for 10 years, having good steering feel would be a big positive for me.

[ajay]

....how great its "steering feel" is while carving corners on a track is meaningless to every day driving and owning a car for 10 years and being happy with it.

Really?  Even in my Pilot I appreciate the better steering feel than in comparison to my Tundra, in every day driving.  If I am going to own a car for 10 years, having good steering feel would be a big positive for me.

+1

[Scaerio]

I love the look of this thing.  I wanna buy on of the Lancia Thema-badged diesels and bring it home to Canada when I return to Ottawa from Serbia this summer!   

[nsmyhte]

....how great its "steering feel" is while carving corners on a track is meaningless to every day driving and owning a car for 10 years and being happy with it.

Really?  Even in my Pilot I appreciate the better steering feel than in comparison to my Tundra, in every day driving.  If I am going to own a car for 10 years, having good steering feel would be a big positive for me.

Steering feel is one of my very top criteria when buying a car since steering is something I'm doing at every second I'm driving a car and a car that doesn't feel good isn't worth owning for 10 minutes let alone 10 years.  Same with brake feel.