2009 Chrysler 300 Review

by Andy Mikonis

2009 Chrysler 300 Prices
2009 Chrysler 300 Road Test
2009 Chrysler 300 Competition
2009 Chrysler 300 New Car Quote

2009 Chrysler 300 buying advice
Since its debut in 2004 as an ’05 model, the Chrysler 300 has helped lead the rear-wheel-drive renaissance in the U.S., and brought big, bold American sedans back into vogue.

The boldly styled Chrysler 300 has sparked a rear-wheel-drive revival among American cars.
The base Chrysler 300 LX with its 2.7-liter V-6 is a loss-leader; even some midsized cars are better values. More power brings out the best in this platform. While Touring and Limited models with a more-potent 3.5-liter V-6 offer a nice blend of performance and handling, technological advances to the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 make the six-cylinder engines yesterday’s news.

Hemi-powered 300Cs have always offered impressive acceleration and reasonable highway fuel economy for a V-8, and in light of revisions to the 5.7-liter Hemi, the rear-wheel drive Chrysler 300C is the way to go.

Avoid the available all-wheel drive, it’s not necessary and comprises an insignificant percentage of production, which could possibly hurt parts and service availability in the long term. And consider the Chrysler 300C SRT8 model, with its 425-horsepower 6.1-liter Hemi V-8, only if you’re fond of muscle-car performance, and the fuel thirst that comes with it.

What you’ve got to know about the 2009 Chrysler 300C
In August of 2007, Chrysler officially ended its merger with Germany’s Daimler, parent company of Mercedes-Benz. While the alliance was supposed to save the companies money through shared parts and technology, the Chrysler 300 emerges as one of the few survivors that actually benefited.

Two things are responsible for the 300’s fine handling. One is that its suspension components were derived from the luxury Mercedes-Benz E-Class models. This other is rear-wheel drive. While front-wheel drive provides good traction in snow due to having the weight of the engine over the drive wheels, rear-wheel drive more evenly distributes the weight of the drivetrain and is valued for its balanced handling characteristics.

Chrysler seems to think its hit a winning combination here, so while drivetrains will evolve over the coming years in the quest for better fuel economy, don’t expect the 300C’s basic engineering to change much.

What’s changed about the 2009 Chrysler 300C
Love or hate it, the Chrysler 300 was something of a styling sensation, so 2009 models won’t look much different. The 300 got mildly freshened styling for 2008, but Chrysler’s attitude was to not mess with success, so the 2008 updates are most noticeable on the tail end and in the passenger compartment, where Chrysler fights to shake a well-earned reputation for cheap materials.

No change to the 2009 Chrysler 300 will significantly alter its performance or passenger accommodations from those of the 2008 model. Statements in this review about performance and accommodations are based on detailed test drives of the 2008 Chrysler 300.

Big news for 2009 will be the next-generation 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engine. Exact specifications haven’t been released, but the same 380-horsepower rating as found in the 2009 Dodge Ram pickup looks likely.

Like today’s 5.7 Hemi, it will save fuel by shutting off half of its cylinders while cruising, and bring in some other new technologies, including variable valve timing, which tailors the amount of fuel taken in by the engine under different conditions, to increase fuel efficiency.

In 5.7 Hemi-powered 300Cs, a “fuel saver mode” indicator has been added to the information display on the instrument panel to let the driver know when the cylinder deactivation feature is on, to potentially help modify driving habits for optimum fuel mileage.

What you can expect from the 2009 Chrysler 300
Revisions to the Hemi V-8 promise more power and better fuel economy, but Chrysler 300s with a V-6 engine will have to wait at least another year – perhaps for the next generation of the car -- for the all-new Phoenix V-6 engines. These will use some of the same fuel-saving technologies as the 2009 Hemi.

If you like the looks of today’s 300, the 2009 model will be one of the last chances to pick one up with this design. A full redo is expected for the 2011 model year.