Evenflow545

I really, really, really like the 300c Hemi.

As a rental car.

Hamann5

This is like comparing apples and oranges... more of a comparison would be the 7 series and the 300... the 300 has a decent look to it but the interior is jsut freaking sad... their engine, yeah powerful... their handeling I've seen better on bicycles LOL.. I have driven in the 300c its a decent thrill in the back seat goin in a straight line... a godam nightmare in the back see trying to see that thing taking a turn...

Evenflow545

I will say this:

For its price, the 300c Hemi is a pretty solid car.

EBMCS03

Aww man! 5.5 vs 5.3.... Damn chrysler!

Guest

BMW has nearly identical as measured acceleration performance from an engine that is 22.2% smaller than the Chrysler HEMI (4.398l vs. 5.654l). Based on BMW's hp/liter output, the same size BMW engine (5.654l) would output 417.8 hp -- imagine how fast the 5 series would accelerate with 417.8hp!

Unfortunately, neither the mileage nor the curb weight of the 300C are provided for a more direct comparison. Since Pennetta appears to like hp, perhaps he should buy a 300C!

Hormazd

Guest, you are being abnoxious. If you have a personal issue with pennetta then PM him.

uwsc11

Before deciding on buying a 545i, I was seriously considering the 300C. This car is a solid vehicle with great numbers. The parts are half Mercedes (suspension, steering, transmission, etc.). The looks are great. The inside is very nice. The price is unbeatable. You can get a fully loaded 300C with the V8 Hemi for $38K in the US. I know in Europe they are going for a little bit more - but then again so does the 545i.
The main reasons for why I chose the 545i, was the handling. The 300 is more a cruiser, very GT like. The 545i is a sports car. The other main reason is reliability. Chrysler does not have the best reputation in terms of product quality and reliability. I hope for their sake, that these are issues of the past. But I was not going to fork out $38K to proof it. With the BMW I know that they are German built, solid cars, with great quality. The resale value alone speaks volumes. But you also pay $20+K more for the car.

All in all you can not say too much negative about the 300C. The next few years will tell more about its reliability and build quality. Until then I will drive my 545i.

heezy545i

If the 300C had a bmw roundel on it, then it would recieve praise from everyone. The 300C may not handle like an e60, but for it's size I wouldn't expect it to. (I pretty sure it's a bigger car, but looks can be decieving.)

The 300C may be more of a cruiser as mentioned above, but I'm sure it would suffice for many of the e60 owners out there. Many of us on this board probably bought the e60 in part for it's handling characteristics, but let's face it, the majority of 5 series owners out there will never approach or even attempt to approach the handling boundaries of this car.

skaffa

Funny to see that nothing much have changed in 30-40 years! Still people who want handling like European cars and US cars appeal to power hungry "I have the biggest" people. (IMO)

I like to go to corner and be sure that chassis follow the frame, BUT it's nice to hear (American build) V8 and feel the sound, when cruising warm summer night.

It's good that people in here understand that some can have other kind of taste too.

Skaffa

ISUK

It is always interesting to see which cars people compare to the E60. There will always be subjective opinions such as the competition offers more HP for less money or greater equipment levels or fully functioning electronics etc. These arguements seem to come from people who appear to be insecure with their purchase of an E60 and wonder whether they should have gone for something cheaper or "better value" in their opinion. These people seem to be constantly worried about new models coming along from other manufacturers that may appear to be better in some areas than their E60 on paper.

There will then be some extreme counter arguements that it is a BMW and this fact alone should prevent criticism.

I prefer to take the approach that the E60 model I chose was the best car available for my requirements at the time I purchased it. Things move on and if I were going to buy an E60 again I'd go for the 535d which wasn't available when I bought my car. The only reason I'd do this is because I have been so impressed with the performance of the 530d I've got a desire to have even more power. I guess the same will apply to 545i owners when the 550i hits the streets. Other cars such as the new Audi A6 have been launched since I bought my E60 but I'm not worried by that at all. There will always be new models hitting the market.

You could compare any number of cars to the E60 and find certain aspects of them that are better but yet the whole package falls well short of what the BMW offers. Most European auto manufacturers have given up trying to compete in this prestige sector because they don't have either the engineering skill or brand cachet to out BMW, BMW. Mercedes usually fall short of BMW in any subjective driving test in the motoring press so I cannot comprehend how their "budget" division Chrysler are ever going to have a serious E60 competitor in the shape of the 300C when the E class which is more expensive, has a higher standard of engineering, is more technically advanced and wears a more prestigious badge fails to do the job. I doubt if the board in Stuttgart would consider the 300C as their groups main rival to the E60.

Top Gear on the BBC recently did a test of the 300C against the Jaguar S Type and the Holden Monaro coupe from Australia in a "muscle" car V8 shoot out. The 300C was praised for it's low price and straight line speed but that's where the positive feedback stopped. The interior cabin quality, handling and braking performance were all panned. The summary was good value for money for such a large car but steer well clear if you are looking for good handling.