Chrysler 300C Huge Hemi is Hot, Even for Audio Lovers

“Hemi power!” isn’t exactly the battle cry of those of us more interested in our iPods, Palms or TiVos. So what is it about that popular mantra that gets guys in pickup trucks all excited? The power of that engine is rather seductive (or make that corruptive), hauling this large American-style sedan to illegal speeds easily. But a great engine alone cannot sell the technophile market.

Since Chrysler has been married to Mercedes-Benz (Daimler), the company’s product offerings have gone through major changes. Most of these changes have won over the hearts of automotive enthusiasts. In the new Chrysler 300C, Hemi power combined with a rear-wheel or all-wheel drive capability definitely captures the spirit of enthusiastic sedan driving. Rear-wheel drive has always been the enthusiast’s power-delivery method of choice because there is less torque-steer—the sensation the steering wheel is pulled from your hands when driving in the twisties.

But what about the creature comforts that have the rest of us interested? Have no fear, the 300C also coddles its occupants with a phenomenal audio system designed by Boston Acoustics. The 300C’s sound system is a product of a collaboration of different suppliers, much like what an aftermarket installer would do. The head unit is manufactured by Mitsubishi, the amplifier is designed by Visteon, the speakers are Boston Acoustics, and the Sirius Satellite Radio chipset and equipment is provided by Delphi. It delivers imaging and staging results more common in a high-end home stereo system that has a strong phantom center image and healthy bass response courtesy of a subwoofer in the rear. In the vehicle, this image is helped out by a center channel speaker, but stereo separation does not suffer. The eight-speaker system (five front, two rear, one sub) use a 380 watt digital amplifier rather than a bulky analog one to center the sound image in front of the driver rather than in the middle of the dashboard. The engineers at Boston Acoustics worked with Chrysler on tuning the system, and it shows, or sounds. About the only stereo systems on the market that trump it are those that use discrete multi-channel audio decoding.

If you happen to have a Bluetooth phone, then the 300C’s Uconnect system takes most of the stress out of talking while driving. UConnect is a voice-activated, hands-free in-vehicle communication system that transmits the cell phone’s audio over the car’s sound system. A really cool feature of UConnect is it how it transfers between the car system and the phone as you enter or exit the vehicle. The control buttons and the microphone for the UConnect system are located in the rear view mirror. Ideally, these buttons could be a little closer to the center of the dashboard, but it is not a major chore or a distraction to activate the system. Additionally, buttons can control the volume of the system from the steering wheel or the radio dial. The UConnect system can be navigated through voice commands.

For example, rather than taking your eyes off the road to glance at the phone keypad, you can press the phone button, then say, “Call,” which will prompt the system to ask you whom you wish to call. When you say, “Harry,” the system will confirm the name and display Harry’s information in the radio display. The major limitation to performance of the UConnect system is no fault of the Chrysler 300C, but rather, the high ambient noise floor of a moving automobile. For the best audio performance, make sure the windows are rolled up and the fan speed is set to a low setting. With those two caveats employed, I had no problems getting clear results.

Still, the most sophisticated weapon in the 300C’s techno-arsenal is tied to the Hemi under the hood. It is a multiple-displacement system incorporated into the powertrain management that automatically turns off four of the eight cylinders when the engine is under a light load, like when you’re cruising down the highway. The 300C is the first modern high-volume production vehicle in North America to feature cylinder deactivation.

The most amazing thing about this system is how seamlessly it operates. The powerful computers built into the 300C’s powertrain help to make the transition from four to eight cylinders undetectable. In fact, I would have loved to see a dashboard light to show when the system was working. Obviously, a large sedan with a Hemi V8 will never be passed off as an economy car, but at least the system helps to squeeze another few miles out of the thirsty engine. My fuel economy averaged 19 MPG on a 500 mile trip.

Another really cool feature is the rear park assist system. Although this has been around in a lot of vehicles, I think Chrysler really nailed the user interface on this latest iteration of this potentially life-saving feature. When the driver selects reverse, the system scans for objects behind the vehicle using four sensors located in the rear bumper. Objects can be detected from about six feet and the system goes into full-tilt alert mode when the car comes within 12 inches. The difference between this and other systems is that it uses visual as well as audio cues. Most other systems I’ve tested use audio cues only, which really confuses the driver into thinking he or she is operating a forklift. The visual cues are provided by a display located right above the rear window. The display contains two sets of yellow and red LEDs that can be viewed from the drivers seat by turning your head around or by just glancing in the rear view mirror. Each side of the vehicle has its own warning LEDs. As you get closer to the object, more LEDs illuminate until you get too close and you get all LEDs lit along with a solid warning tone.

The Chrysler 300C is a powerful, good-looking vehicle that is chock full of the latest technology at a price that is reasonable. The striking new proportions of this automobile combine classic American design and power with proven DaimlerChrysler technology to produce a car worth looking at, especially if you never thought you would ever drive a large rear-wheel-drive American sedan. -Brett Solomon