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OK, this review is easy. I love this car! They say you can never be to rich or to thin in California. And in the world of automobiles, you can never have too much horsepower. However the 2006 Chrysler 300C SRT 8 may come close to this extreme. Before I talk about the 425 horsepower of the SRT 8 Package let's review the Chrysler 300 history. When the 1,725 original Chrysler 300's hit the streets in 1955 they were the fastest production sedans in the America with a top speed of over 127 MPH. As years went by and the 1970's saw the death of performance, the Chrysler 300 nameplate sank into obscurity. Chrysler made a futile attempt at reviving the moniker in 1999 but the vehicle failed to create any real excitement. Then came 2005 and a completely redesigned Chrysler 300. The car was beautiful. It had plenty of room and excellent quality. And while you could enter the game with a roomy four-door sedan powered by a very adequate V-6 engine for around $25,000, the excitement was all about the optional Hemi pumping out 345 horsepower. An era was born again. Rap stars, gangsters, professional ball players, and car aficionados the country over traded in Mercedes and high-end prestige vehicles for the awesome Chrysler 300. Aftermarket grills, tinted windows, wheels, and tires, personalized the Chrysler 300 for this highly demanding group of owners. Chrysler could have rested on its laurels, for it had a certified hit in the Hemi powered Chrysler 300C. Instead they handed over the car to their Street and Racing Technology (SRT) team to jack up the performance of an already awesome car. The result may be the most exciting sedan on the planet for under $50,000. The beauty of the 2006 Chrysler 300 is that it comes with choices ranging from around $25,000 all the way to near $50,000. In this range you can select both Rear Wheel Drive as well as All Wheel Drive models. Two V6 engines are available including the standard 190 horsepower 2.7 liter engine and the 250 horsepower 3.5 liter V6. Two V8 Hemi engines are available including the awesome 345 horsepower 5.7 liter Hemi and the special little jewel powering the 2006 Chrysler 300C SRT 8. Reminiscent of the American muscle car era, the 2006 Chrysler 300C SRT 8 with a special 6.1-liter Hemi engine is horsepower heaven. The 425 horsepower and 420 lb ft. of torque rockets this full size four-door sedan from a dead stop to 60 MPH in less than six seconds. In about 13 seconds you can exceed 100 MPH leaving most sports cars in the dust. Of course with your foot into the pedal you most likely reach the advertised 14 MPG in the city or 20 MPG on the highway. Displacement on demand technology shuts down cylinders at cruising speed allowing this big car and engine to reach efficient fuel economy when not showing off. This amazing vehicle posts these performance numbers in pure luxury. With a tomb quite ride and glue like suspension the 2006 Chrysler 300C SRT 8 reaches luxury levels never imagined for an American made four-door sedan priced below $50,000. Equipped with the new Kicker(r) high-performance audio system Sirius Satellite radio, GPS Navigation and available rear-seat video system my test vehicle had it all. Fit, finish and design of the Chrysler 300 is excellent. Even the paint has a depth and glow like few vehicles rolling off an assembly line. My only complaint was that the Auto-stick function of the 5-speed automatic transmission would slip into the manual mode too easily. And when in the manual mode it is too hard to return to full automatic mode. Did I say I love this car? Totally loaded the 2006 Chrysler 300C SRT8 is bargain priced at only $47,455. Power, room, style, economy, and luxury, what's not to like?
2006 Chrysler 300C SRT 8 5.1 liter V8 Hemi engine
MSRP as driven $47,455 Additional Web only Information and Resources For Additional Reviews: |
©2006 - Stan Risener