Car Style - The 2010 Chrysler 300

Replacing the 300M and Concorde in 2005, the Chrysler 300 is a car that does nothing but turn heads. Considered a poor-man's Bentley because of its looks, the car delivers executive-level style without costing executive-level money. This car is offered as a four-door sedan or four-door convertible. In Australia, it is offered as the aforementioned styles, but also as a station wagon (or estate car). A wagon/estate version of this car was used as the Safety Car in the Australian V8 Supercar Series. No matter how you look at it, it is one of the classiest four-door sedans sold in America. Picking a Hemi-powered 300 only makes this sweet car even sweeter. This is a Car Style blog post regarding my thoughts on the 300's looks.

--- Car Style: The Chrysler 300 ---

Here is a Chrysler 300 for you:


^ original picture credit: automedia.com - the 2010 Chrysler 300 (SRT-8 model shown).

It's perfectly understandable why people say this car is like a Bentley in style. A car that exudes this much class on the outside makes a car like this seem much more expensive than it is. The car seems more like a Bentley Arnage than some plain jane economy car. However, this car doesn't have the extreme creature comforts you'd find in a super-high end, executive-style luxury car. It is still an absolutely classy car that you can proudly drive around the fancier parts of town without looking like some kind of poseur. But no worries... the real poseurs are the ones with the big hulking SUVs trying to look cool (then again, that's the point of a poseur, right? Trying to look and be cool when they really aren't?).

Exterior.

When you look at the car from the front, you instantly become convinced that this car should really cost more than it really does. What you are seeing is a beautifully-styled front end flanked by a huge front grill. You see a front end devoid of any "boy racer" or super-flashy details. Instead, it is a sophisticated and stylish automobile up front. The huge front grill was a common styling exercise among most cars of the mid-2000s. That practice still goes on, but just not as many recent cars with huge front grills. I also like the boldness of the front. If you look at the car up front from a either front fender, you note how the grill protrudes outward apart from the lovely headlights. It is an empowering touch. Even more empowering if it's a Hemi-powered 300. More recent 300s have done away with with the old grid-like grill design in favor of this chain link fence-style grill. The front hood/bonnet is styled aggressively to compliment the car's frontal character.

The sides offer up the image of a sophisticated and clean luxury car. It may not have the edgy character of a Cadillac on the sides, but it does plenty fine extending its classy image seamlessly. The most aggressive element of the front are the expansive fender flares. They offer the same amount of outward charm as the front grill. If I had a gripe, I probably wished some much cleaner and stylish wheels were offered for this car. The wheels are okay, but you may want to go get some more stylish and luxurious aftermarket wheels. The side mirrors only compliment the lovely and luxurious character of the car. The sunroof gives your car some lighting up top on sunny days. It is styled beautifully to compliment the rest of this car's looks.

The 300 has a lovely rear profile. It is really the only element of the car that doesn't seem overly boxy or aggressive. In fact, the rear trunk/boot is a bit angular. You really couldn't ask for a cleaner rear to offer extended beauty. A car's rear is supposed to offer a lasting impression as it passes you by or as you look towards the rear. If you believe in this, then the 300 offers a complete image that exudes class and charm. The brake lights nicely compliment the lovely trunk/boot lid. The rear bumper is flanked by a pair of single exhaust pipes on each side. The look is sporty while not being some real racing machine.

Interior.

Look on the outside of the 300 and see a car more that is more expensive than it really is. How about the inside? The interior is actually more like a mid-level luxury car than something really expensive. If the exterior screams Bentley Arnage, then the inside screams Audi A4. The car is devoid of any extreme creature comforts, as I mentioned earlier. The steering wheel isn't as stylish as the rest of the car suggests. The instrument panel itself is pretty bland in design. The gauges in the instrument panel, on the other hand, look exquisite and beautiful. They are styled more like expensive watches than average gauges you'd find in any basic car. The display in the center up top features the odometer, whatever radio station you are listening to, the outside temperature, and (I guess) either what direction you are facing or what direction winds are blowing. The center console has a small analog clock sandwiched between two rectangular air conditioning vents. Below this assembly is the navigation system and all the different instruments to adjust air conditioning and such. I would recommend this car with plastic and wood trim interior because it looks so much better than the plastic and metal offering. The seats are not super-luxurious, but they are still every bit as handsome as any more expensive luxury-type car.





You can't afford a Bentley or a Maybach. If you want something that is luxurious and stylish without spending too much, Chrysler's got your back with the 300. The car exudes a level of style that is unlike almost any car in its price range. The car starts at $27,260 USD, but looks like it costs five to ten times much more than it really is.

(USA readers only) Learn more about the Chrysler 300 (or build your own Chrysler 300 by visiting Chrysler 300 on chrysler.com (USA link). For international viewers, you may search the International link on the aforementioned site to build your own Chrysler 300 (if it is offered in your country).

Thank you for reading! Subscribe to my blog via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Click on the graphics below to subscribe to both of my blogs, and also Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page:
* Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
* Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)