Inside The 300: Just Better, Or Actually Good Enough?

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Chrysler has earned the reputation of having some of the shoddiest interiors in the business, a perception they’re working hard to address with their new products. Jack Baruth calls the new Grand Cherokee’s interior “class competitive,” and the new 300 will aspire to at least match that accolade. And though we won’t know just how good the 300 is until we fondle the materials, jiggle the dials and knock the dash, we do have a few pictures of the 300’s interior to pass snap judgment upon. Leaving aside details like whether the 300’s wood trim has ever seen a forest before, is the 300 shaping up to be a pleasant place to spend time behind the wheel?



Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Acd Acd on Dec 14, 2010

    As an owner of a 2006 the biggest problem with the current 300C is the cheap, crappy interior and this seems like a step in the right direction. The new V6 may make the V8 unnecessary but there’s nothing like a big rear wheel drive American car with 360 horsepower.

  • Lorenzo Lorenzo on Dec 14, 2010

    Having recently driven, for three months, an original 2005 300, I can say the center stack is a huge improvement. I'll take the original instrument cluster with it's crome bezeled white face and black numerals. It looks classier than the blue light fad instruments. The 2005 door arm rest needed more padding, but I'd prefer that over the newer one. The original seats were very comfortable, but I'd have to plant my tush in the new ones before passing judgement. The original dash was plain and needed something extra, but as has been said, too much wood, and too light in color. The steering wheel is so ugly, if I bought a 2011, I'd shell out $ to install the older wheel.

  • Brandon I would vote for my 23 Escape ST-Line with the 2.0L turbo and a normal 8 speed transmission instead of CVT. 250 HP, I average 28 MPG and get much higher on trips and get a nice 13" sync4 touchscreen. It leaves these 2 in my dust literally
  • JLGOLDEN When this and Hornet were revealed, I expected BOTH to quickly become best-sellers for their brands. They look great, and seem like interesting and fun alternatives in a crowded market. Alas, ambitious pricing is a bridge too far...
  • Zerofoo Modifications are funny things. I like the smoked side marker look - however having seen too many cars with butchered wire harnesses, I don't buy cars with ANY modifications. Pro-tip - put the car back to stock before you try and sell it.
  • JLGOLDEN I disagree with the author's comment on the current Murano's "annoying CVT". Murano's CVT does not fake shifts like some CVTs attempt, therefore does not cause shift shock or driveline harshness while fumbling between set ratios. Murano's CVT feels genuinely smooth and lets the (great-sounding V6) engine sing and zing along pleasantly.
  • JLGOLDEN Our family bought a 2012 Murano AWD new, and enjoyed it for 280K before we sold it last month. CVT began slipping at 230K but it was worth fixing a clean, well-cared for car. As soon as we sold the 2012, I grabbed a new 2024 Murano before the body style and powertrain changes for 2025, and (as rumored) goes to 4-cyl turbo. Sure, the current Murano feels old-school, with interior switchgear and finishes akin to a 2010 Infiniti. That's not a bad thing! Feels solid, V6 sounds awesome, and the whole platform has been around long enough that future parts & service wont be an issue.
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