2018 Chrysler 300S V-6 RWD Review

2018 Chrysler 300S V-6 RWD Review Sixty-two many years ago, Chrysler kicked off its now famous 300 model line using the introduction in the C-300 coupe. Armed that has a 300-hp five.4-liter V-8 engine, the C-300 grew to become an instantaneous NASCAR icon. Through the shut on the 1955 NASCAR season, the C-300 had taken home 23 checkered flags-13 in excess of second-best-finisher Oldsmobile.

2018 Chrysler 300S V-6 RWD Review


How times alter. Chrysler extended ago traded the C-300’s stately two-door styling and racing pedigree for the square-jawed seems to be and sedan entire body fashion that have marked the modern-day 300 for greater than a decade. And whereas the unique C-300 was unavailable with luxuries such as air conditioning, the 2017 Chrysler 300 embraces its part since the brand’s flagship sedan. Even the entry-level 300 Constrained comes typical with capabilities this kind of as leather upholstery, powered and heated front seats, a proximity important with push-button start, and dual-zone automatic climate management.

These searching for a 300 with greater driver engagement will must step up to the $36,770 300S. It is denoted by a menacing blacked-out grille and reduce fascia, black headlamp bezels, and beautiful 20-inch wheels. The car or truck also comes equipped which has a firmer suspension and a specially tuned variant of Chrysler’s 3.6-liter V-6 engine which makes 300 horsepower and 264 lb-ft of torque (gains of eight horses and four lb-ft more than other V-6 300s). A standard eight-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters channels the 300S’s output to the rear wheels. All-wheel drive is a $2500 selection, and $3000 buys an upgrade to your 363-hp five.7-liter V-8-but you can not combine the two.

Whilst the V-6 during the 300S will not win this massive brick any drag races, the 300-hp engine provides enough grunt to move the two-ton-plus sedan off the line with confidence. Our 4089-pound test automobile charged to 60 mph in six.3 seconds and with the quarter-mile in 15.0 flat at 96 mph, besting a 300 with all the 292-hp V-6 by 0.two and 0.1 second.

2018 Chrysler 300S V-6 RWD Review - Features:

Even though the eight-speed automated swapped cogs with all the alacrity of an exceptionally competent old-time switchboard operator, the transmission’s eagerness to achieve top rated gear harm the 300S’s passing effectiveness. The Chrysler needed 4.9 seconds to accelerate from 50 to 70 mph-a total second longer compared to the Nissan Maxima. Push the dashboard-mounted Sport button plus the transmission holds gears longer; additionally, it cuts shift times from a claimed 400 milliseconds to a snappy 250 milliseconds. Furthermore, Sport mode companies up the steering and quickens throttle response.

Even in Sport mode, though, the 300S under no circumstances absolutely seduces the driver. Despite the fact that our test car’s Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar summertime tires-a steal at $95-helped the sizable sedan pull an impressive-for-its-class 0.88 g all-around our 300-foot skidpad, the Chrysler feels additional at your house cruising within the highway than it does tackling twisty two-lanes.

Regrettably, this model’s stiffer suspension setup ends in a rougher trip above pockmarked pavement compared with its softer-sprung stablemates. We’d strongly take into account sacrificing the 300S’s additional ponies for your extra refined trip of the lesser 300 Limited V-6 or the luxury-lined 300C, the latter of which could be optioned with all the Hemi V-8, too.
No matter trim, every single rear-wheel-drive 300 V-6 earns exactly the same EPA ratings of 19 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. During our time with all the 300S V-6 we recorded 23 mpg total, matching the EPA’s combined figure. Likewise, our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test resulted in thirty mpg, again spot within the EPA number.

Superior Interior - 2018 Chrysler 300S V-6 RWD Review

In spite of its rather staid styling, the 300S’s cabin is often a fine place to while away the miles, with its well-cushioned front bucket and rear bench seats. Our test auto let in just 69 decibels of noise at 70 mph, building its cabin as quiet as that from the a great deal pricier Volvo S90 T5. Each 2017 Chrysler 300 also rewards from Chrysler’s latest Uconnect 4 infotainment application. It functions the prior Uconnect system’s logical menu framework, basic ease of use, and eight.4-inch display but adds sharper graphics, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability, along with a host of new touchscreen functions, such as the capability to pinch to zoom in or out around the optional $995 navigation system’s map.

We’d gladly do without having the 300S-specific piano-black trim that is definitely a magnet for fingerprints, and we’d likely skip our test car’s $1795 panoramic sunroof, as it cuts front-seat headroom by one.7 inches and rear-seat headroom by one.0 inch.

Notably missing from our $39,655 300S V-6 test motor vehicle was the $2995 SafetyTec Plus package that incorporates active-safety products this kind of as adaptive cruise manage, automatic high-beams, automated emergency braking, a blind-spot monitor, and lane-departure warning. Likewise, our Optimum Steel gray check motor vehicle also lacked the new-for-2017 S Model Appearance package for $1295, which adds aggressive exterior cues such as being a decklid spoiler plus a front fascia taken in the 300 SRT that's accessible in other markets.
Though the Chrysler 300 nameplate has legitimate racing heritage, the sporting overtones with the 2017 Chrysler 300S look counter on the sedan’s modern-day mission like a luxury cruiser. People looking for a comparatively cost-effective, high-performance full-size sedan would be far better served through the 300’s Dodge-branded sibling: the Dodge Charger R/T, which comes typical which has a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and, at $35,990, expenses $780 much less compared to the V-6-powered 300S.