Chrysler 300M

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $24500.00 from Adamsons Rochester M

Year / Model Reviewed:
2004 Chrysler 300M

Strengths:
Styling Power Handling Interior Styling, LOTS of leg/headroom both front and back for five and backseats flip down

Weaknesses:
Rear backup/visibility despite side mirror automatically bends down (don't want to try and parallel park it) 6 disk CD changer has all the features and power but I must say the Infinity speakers in our Grand Cherokee have better bass - a nit Another nit: why no hood engine light or better door and side turn lights on a (list) $33,000 car?

Summary:
I will add a very early review for the benefit of those looking to pickup an excellent deal on a NEW 300M luxury sports car as I did a similar thing on our 01 Grand Cherokee and then added another (positive but less glowing) review a few years later. We've had 2 Grand Prix's the past 15 years and could not fit into the new smaller body style as I am 6'4, wife 5'9 and son is 6'1. So after considerable internet research using this site, Edmunds, CarAndDriver and others we narrowed down to a sporty Accord, Galant, Bonneville or 300M, subsequently narrowed by the wife to the Bonne or 300M (Accord too plan, Galant not refined). My son & I did not fit in the Bonne with a sunroof and we got incredible deals on the 300M since it was changing to a new model with REAR wheel drive, not what we wanted living in rural snow belt area. After the first few hundred miles we really love the 300M; the are on line clubs and considerable accolades around to the loves people have with this car. Our loaded red model w/sunroof has everything going for it so if the reliability holds up so will I for I hope a 7-10 year ownership. 7/70 warranty and minimal scheduled maintenance are a plus too. But we really fell for the styling, power, handling, interior. So far mileage is 18 in town and 26 highway with only few hundred on odometer. Again, I will add more in another year or two as I really like this site and Edmunds for the most intelligent info for car buyers. Note: besides the $4000 rebates dealers are knocking$3-4000 off but you have to take what's on the lot, however an incredible deal around $24-25K for a car comparable to a low end Lexus or other eurosport sedan but US made (ok, like caravans it's made in Canada).

Similar Products Used:
1989 and 1994 Grand Prixs not in same league but also sports sedans...we still own the 94 as a kid car and also have a 01 Grand Cherokee

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.40 of 5, 5.00 votes

Price Paid:  $32000.00 from Chrysler Dealer

Year / Model Reviewed:
2003 300M

Strengths:
Looks - very unique- eye catcher That 80's feel and look

Weaknesses:
Not realible Always at the dealer for warranty work Leather seats could have been sewn better It looks like Chrysler put all efforts in superficial stuff like the car's looks and loading it with gadgets but fell short in substance such as realibility and quality. Trade in value is very low compared to it's competitors.

Summary:
Car looks great but has to many gadgets that need fixing. Within a couple of purchasing this new vehicle, the CD changer broke. It had to be sent back to the manufacturer with my CDs and all. Then the car started leaking fluid and back to the dealer again. The check engine light came on about 3 times and the dealer could not figure it out. Then car began leaking fluid again, this time it was anti-freeze (red anti-freeze). Two weeks later the check engine light came back on and this time the dealer replaced air and temp sensors. All this and the car has less than 22k miles. Lastly, the breaks needed replacement before 15k miles. The car looks great but is not reliable because you never know when the check engine light will come back on or when it will leak fluids again. For the price of the car, we should expect and should have received a better quality car. Most of this is all warranty work, but the warranty does not cover the time lost going back and forth to the dealer, having to find other transportation while the car is in the shop.

Similar Products Used:
Conquest Iroc z28

Price Paid:  $31000.00 from Gladstone Chrysler P

Year / Model Reviewed:
2003 300M Special

Strengths:
Good build quality, great analog instrumentation, sweet engine, great rear legroom, voluminous trunk, nice lines, killer headlamps. This car sits LOW to the ground. It took a few days for me to get used to being so low, partly because my previous ride was a Yukon, but I know Chryslers pretty well. I've been in and out of them for 15 years. The ground effects on this car, plus the 1/2" lower ride for the Special version ... well, the top of the roof is barely at my belt buckle. I've been sneaking up on the speed bumps because it looks as though there is not a lot of clearance down there. So far, so good though. I think the first 15" New England dump of snow is going to garage this vehicle until the snow plow is out. That's not a weakness ... it's just not an SUV (PhD. in "duh").

Weaknesses:
I've only had the car a week, but having owned a Concorde LXi for four years, I feel very much at home in the cockpit. The climate controls and music center are right where I'd expect to find them. I don't drive with a lot of accessories like laptops, PDA's, file folders, etc. I just have a wallet and a cell phone. The wallet fits well in the door pocket, but the cell phone is still looking for a home. The cup holders are overkill for that, the "non-smoking" package I specified leaves a preciously-small insert where the ashtray would be (can't even get the fingers in there for change; you need to pull it out to dump your dimes). Strangely enough, the cell phone fits very well into the hand-grab for opening and closing the door, and while convenient, it begs the question why I couldn't put it somewhere specifically design for the driver's detritus ... This is a small shortcoming because the car is absolutely wonderful. It corners effortlessly, and the transmission always seems to be in the perfect gear; occasionally I've dropped it into the autostick mode, and it's in the gear that I wanted to select anyway. So ... it's breaking me of that inclination. Great car. This may b

Summary:
A very solid road machine with excellent torque for most driving conditions. It is a comfortable cabin for both driver and passengers and begs you to scream into corners ...

Similar Products Used:
Dodge Intrepid, Concorde LXi, Audi A6.

Price Paid:  $32000.00 from ALHAMBRA CHRYSLER JE

Year / Model Reviewed:
2003 /300M

Strengths:
Style of course,good engine power,good handling,braking.Comfort. Big trunk. Full size spare with alloy wheel.

Weaknesses:
Noise level, interior bits not consistant quality. Great seats, so so dash material etc. Marginal audio system.

Summary:
I wanted a car that was roomy, had nice handling,good acceleration, and above all "STYLE". The 300m gives me all I want, and much more than I expected. I can understand the options list being short because this car is so well equiped. I have had another Chrysler product, a Dodge 2001 Neon that provided yeoman service but was just too basic for my lifestyle. The 300m opens up a whole new adventure. Its 3.5 V-6 puts out plenty of power and scoots the 3500 plus pound car smartly. Handling is very good for such a large car. The steering is well weighted with good off center feel, and not overboosted like some other luxo-boats I have driven. Braking is quite good again for such a large car. Stops are reasonably short without any drama at all. The low speed Traction Control is a nice bonus for those wet and slippery climes. Comfort is very good too with the power multi-adjustable seats with heaters. The front passenger also is treated with power for his/her seat as well. The materials for seats are nicely done with straight seams and good tailoring. The guage cluster with its' clock face styling is very well done and easy to read. The dash material could be of better material as the piller panels too, but otherwise fit and finish inside is good. Thank goodness Chrysler did not fall into the trap of using a CRT based info system for the HVAC etc.. Thoughtful ergonomics are plentiful, like the radio control buttons on the steering wheel etc., but I wish the radio would sound better than it does. It doesn't sound much better than my Neon did. Rear seat room is great for 2 adults, good for 3. My head doesn't even touch the headliner back there. I am about 5'9". Good foot room and the rear air vents for the back seat area is greatly appreciated. The ride is good with supple controlled damping for the bumps, but interior noise is alittle higher than I expected for this class of vehicle. Still miles ahead of my Neon. So all in all, for me at least, this 300M is a keeper. I bought all the goodies to protect it, including the extended warranties, and lojack etc., so along with my other friends who already have a 300m, one of which bought one just recently, we can enjoy one of the best values and luxurious style and good performance today, and hopefully for many tomorrows to come. V.C.

Similar Products Used:
Acura,Honda,Cadillac,Toyota,Nissan etc.

Price Paid:  $19995.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
2002 300M

Strengths:
handling, engine, styling, interior are all excellent the driving lamps are well designed and useful.

Weaknesses:
sun roof sliding shade could be smoother in operation power windows may be a weakness, I had to get the regulator replaced (warranty item) on driver's window.

Summary:
I purchased this vehicle used (so-called "program car") with 23K miles. [Dodge] Dealer provided an extended warranty to 70K miles. In general, I'm well pleased with this vehicle. It gets a solid 29 MPG on the open road at 75/80 MPH. Running average since I have owned it is over 23 MPG. Yet the car has very good performance, in spite of very quiet operation. Handling is quite good, the car is fun to drive fast in the mountains. I like the Michelin tires better than the Goodyear Eagles on the wife's 98 Concorde, quieter, better ride, and seem to hold up well. The 300M's good looks get a lot of praise, it's a very practical car, yet extremely comfortable and well mannered. Although the manual shift feature is fun, most of the time I just leave the transmission in auto mode. It's a very enjoyable vehicle that I would recommend to most anyone

Similar Products Used:
98 Chrysler Concorde LS, also a very good car. With 3.2L engine, it is not quite as powerful as 300M. This car is holding up well.