2006 Chrysler 300 Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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The Chrysler 300 combines retro-inspired styling with muscle-car underpinnings and a spacious cabin.
By the turn of the century, the American luxury sedan had lost a lot of ground to the established European players and the ever-improving Japanese luxury brands. Chrysler needed a vehicle to reclaim some of that market, and in 2005, it introduced the 300 sedan, which has carried over to the 2006 model year.
The Chrysler 300 is unlike the large sedan offerings from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Acura, or Lexus, as it seeks to establish its own niche in the space by calling upon the past. The “300” designation harkens back to a period in the 1950s and 1960s, when Chrysler’s large sedans were a symbol of swagger and style. The modern Chrysler 300 rides on a rear-wheel-drive platform shared with the Dodge Charger sedan, Challenger muscle car, and Magnum wagon, all of which are built as new cars in Canada at the automaker’s assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario.
Visually, the 300 dips its toes in the “retro” style that other American cars have embraced. The pronounced fenders, glistening chrome grille, and long, low roofline all conjure the heyday of postwar interstate travel. And yet, there is a restraint to these elements that keeps the 300 fully contemporary. Whatever you see in the 300’s styling, it’s hard not to look when it rolls up.
The cabin of the 300 has a sensible layout, and it benefits from touches like the white instruments and dash-mounted analog clock. But the look and feel are pretty basic and cookie-cutter. The bezel for the centre stack of controls consists of either full brightwork or full woodgrain, depending on specification, and it actually looks better without it. On the other hand, the smooth integration of controls into the steering wheel is a nice touch.
Trims for the 2006 Chrysler 300 include base, Touring, Limited, 300C, and SRT8. Standard features on the 300 include cloth seats, remote keyless entry with trunk release, power windows, air conditioning, cruise control, and 17-inch steel wheels. Uprated trims offer leather seating, heated front seats, upgraded aluminum alloy wheels, power-adjustable pedals, power driver’s seat, driver’s seat memory, a power sunroof, and navigation.
There are three engines available on the Chrysler 300. The smaller 2.7-litre V6 engine that’s the base engine in the US is not sold in Canada. Instead, our entry-level engine is a 3.5-litre V6 which makes power specs of 250 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. Power is routed to the rear wheels (RWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD) through a five-speed automatic transmission with AutoStick manual mode.
The Chrysler 300C comes with a 5.7-litre Hemi V8 making 340 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. This powertrain includes a five-speed automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels or available AWD drivetrain. This engine also features a multiple-displacement system that can shut down half the cylinders when full power is not needed.
The V6s provide adequate power, but the Hemi engine is the way to go, pouring on plenty of horsepower and torque. With the rear-wheel-based setup, the 300C is like a muscle car in a luxury-car disguise. If that’s not enough, the Chrysler 300 SRT8 features a 6.1-litre Hemi that makes 425 horsepower and can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. (0 to 100 km/h figures are not available.)
In any version of this car, the automotive sound-deadening efforts by Chrysler ensure a comfortable, composed ride at any speed. Cornering is solid and responsive, though not so precise that you’ll feel every bump in the road.
The 300 has a big, beamy cabin, which provides enough room to install spacious seats and still leave room enough in the centre, so occupants aren’t bumping elbows. The rear seat also provides plenty of legroom and a fold-out centre armrest with cup holders.
Despite its imposing proportions, the Chrysler 300 has just 442 litres of cargo space. This is better than the Cadillac CTS and STS, but falls well short of the DTS, which has a massive 532 litres.
The standard radio setup in the 300 includes an AM/FM receiver, an MP3/CD player, an auxiliary audio jack, and four speakers. An available Boston Acoustics premium sound system packs six speakers and a more refined sound.
Uprated trims are available with a DVD-based navigation system, which is very basic compared to other systems out there, especially from the German and Japanese luxury brands.
Standard safety features include tire-pressure monitoring, traction control, emergency braking assist, stability control, and four-wheel disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution. Optional safety features include Xenon HID headlights and a remote anti-theft alarm system.
The 300 comes standard with a full array of front- and side-impact airbags, as well as a front passenger seat occupancy sensor for the airbag system.
Base MSRP for the 2006 Chrysler 300 in Canada is $30,655 with Touring and Limited models available. The 300C starts at $43,995, and the Chrysler 300C SRT8 starts at $51,095. This pricing is better than that of the similarly sized Cadillac STS, which costs between $56,600 and $97,995 depending on trim. Compared to the slightly smaller CTS, the 300 still has a pricing edge, as the CTS starts at $35,555.
The most efficient version of the 300 is the base 3.5-litre V6, which with RWD consumes 12.5 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving and 8.1 on the highway. Add AWD and those figures rise to 13.9 city, 9.0 highway. With the 5.7-litre V8, expect to burn 13.9 L/100 km in city driving and 8.8 on the highway with RWD, and 13.6/9.0 city/hwy with AWD. And in the 6.1-litre V8, your fuel economy is anything but at 16.5 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 10.9 on the highway.
Note: Images show a US model.
