The 2012 Chrysler 300

The 2012 Chrysler 300 is newly redesigned for the 2012 model year, incorporating smoother body lines and a more aerodynamic front end than previous models. That's not to say, however, that the Chrysler 300 has lost any of its individual attitude. Quite the contrary, the Chrysler 300 has gained quite a lot. The 300 is an extraordinarily luxurious vehicle that can be had in ten different different option packages, including the powerful SRT-8 version.

New to the 2012 Chrysler 300 is an eight-speed transmission that delivers as much as 31 miles per gallon out of the 3.8 liter V6 engine. This new transmission is not available with the SRT-8 version, but the enthusiasts who opt for the big HEMI V8 engine won't be likely to miss it very much. As you would expect, the Chrysler 300 has all the bells and whistles to make it an effective rival against less impressive cars like the Buick Regal and the Chevrolet Impala. In its very best trim levels, it even manages to rise up to the level of the Cadillac CTS.

The trouble with the 2012 Chrysler 300 is that it takes 6.4 liters of displacement from the HEMI V8 to produce 470 horsepower. By comparison, the CTS-V produces 556 horsepower out of its supercharged 6.2 liter engine, and there are a few BMW engines that produce as much as 400 horsepower from naturally-aspirated 4.4 liter engines. You might say that this is irrelevant, but really it isn't. The 2012 Chrysler 300 is an attractive car, but the SRT-8 engine weighs on the front of the car like a brick. That simply isn't acceptable in a $52,000 car.

At the tame end of the spectrum, the $27,000 V6-powered Chrysler 300 has plenty to enjoy. The engine boasts 292 horsepower along with the eight-speed transmission, and can be outfitted with practically all of the premium options you'll find on the top-spec SRT-8 version, except that you'll actually be able to drive it past a gas station now and again. Some of the mid-level Chrysler 300 trim levels allow you to select all-wheel drive, adaptive cruise control, heated seats and a power moonroof. In all, the car remains very, very cool, though it does seem to have grown up a bit and shed itself of some of the dead-weight trim and rap video extras that made the previous incarnations of the Chrysler 300 popular. Perhaps the best advice for anyone looking to buy the Chrysler 300? Get the V6, skip the SRT-8 and save the extra $20,000 to buy yourself a little sports car. The new Chrysler 300 SRT-8 tries, but just isn't.

Sources:
Chrysler.com: 2012 Chrysler 300: http://www.chrysler.com/en/2012/300/