A couple weeks ago, I stumbled upon an issue of Time magazine from 1939 at a flea market in Syracuse, N.Y.
On the cover was K.T. Keller, the man who took over Chrysler Corp. from Walter P. Chrysler Sr.
As unusual as it was to read about Hitler as breaking news, the magazine’s cover story was a remarkable coincidence; the vehicle I had chosen to make the excursion north from Virginia was the redesigned 2011 Chrysler 300C.
For 300 owners, the new model, which will be unchanged for 2012, holds a bit of controversy. Chrysler has softened its tough-guy stance through an extensive facelift.
While the overall shape is similar, many details have changed. Up front, the all-new grille features seven horizontal blades. Flanking the grille are revised headlamps with LED-illuminated daytime running lamps, which form a “C” when lit. Revised fenders and distinctive horizontal tail lamps, which take their shape from 300s of the late ’50s and early ’60s, endow the car with a tailored appearance.
While the car’s distinctive proportions mimic those of its predecessor, the windshield has been raked back 3 inches and the doors have thinner pillars to improve outward visibility.
The styling refinements trade some of the 300’s gangsta look for a sophisticated grace.
This same dose of civility can found inside the car, as designers reworked the cabin. The cabin is significantly richer in feel, thanks to an abundance of soft-touch materials, real wood trim, Nappa leather seats and French seams. A new instrument cluster features two large gauges with soft blue lighting and chrome accents that would look at home on a chronograph.
But the main feature of the cabin is the screen in the center of the instrument panel, which is framed in a shape taken from the grille surround. The screen’s software is user-friendly and among the easiest I have ever used. But the navigation system graphics seem crude and lack the sophistication of the rest of the car.
The cabin is very roomy, both front and rear. Front seats are wide and comfortable, despite the lack of side bolstering. Seat ventilation and heaters are available as options. The rear seat is spacious enough that if someone back there hollers, “Home, James,” you shouldn’t be offended.
The trunk isn’t quite as large as you might expect, but still roomy enough and usefully shaped.
The 2011 Chrysler 300 is offered in four trim levels: base 300, 300 Limited, 300C and top-of-the-line 300C All-Wheel-Drive.
The 300 and 300 Limited feature Chrysler’s excellent new 292-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 engine, which returns 18 mpg city, 27 mpg highway.
The 300C and 300C AWD use Chrysler’s powerful 263-hp 5.7-liter Hemi V8, which returns 16 mpg city, 25 mpg highway with rear-wheel drive, 15 city and 23 highway with all-wheel drive.
Both engines are mated to a five-speed automatic transmission that can be shifted manually.
My 1,200-plus mile test drive of a 300C AWD, consisting almost entirely of highway driving, returned a surprisingly good 25.5 mpg, as good as some front-drive V6 midsize sedans, and amazingly good for a full-size, all-wheel-drive sedan. Credit should go to the engine, which shuts off up to four cylinders at cruising speed.
While Chrysler recommends midgrade fuel, regular is acceptable, although I found fuel economy and performance suffered.
Despite all of the changes, the best parts of this car remain unchanged. The 300C still delivers power with amazing grace, albeit with more than the old car.
Power is effortless, as it should be, but often isn’t, in a true luxury car. The transmission has a mere five cogs, but still dispatches the shifts quickly. Look for Chrysler to install an eight-speed automatic for 2012.
Thanks to the all-wheel-drive system, handling is very secure. If it had snowed in Syracuse, I would have been covered. It did, however, rain.
Still, this car never loses its poise, balance or traction.
And when it came to crumbling interstates and poorly designed on-ramps, the 300C dispatched bumps and squelched body lean in a civil manner. The car’s suspension has seen extensive revisions, and it shows. Compared to the 2010 300C, the 2011 model feels more agile, and its quiet cabin enhances its sublime feel.
The car’s thick steering wheel, which could be heated, made piloting this ship an easy chore.
Gobbling up the highways in a large Chrysler, loaded with the latest in luxury features, sublime materials, good build quality and gobs of power sounds as if it could be a headline from that old Time magazine. Certainly it could be.
But the fact that it could do so while returning the mileage of a significantly smaller car — that, too, is news.
