Chrysler 300M

yosito

Despite of what "SOME" members might say about Chrysler(300M, "C"), Chrysler has a HIT with the LX cars, just be patient, and don´t listen to people who are full of envy, and most because they are driving another "thing" like an "Acura" etc..etc..
 Don´t worry Chrysler is going to sell those very well, in fact Chrysler already relieved many positive comments from media and general public from all over, so do you think they care if someone here is speaking against them just because they are full of envy?
 I just hope those members will stick with their sushi and never come back to Chrysler, in fact we are amazed that after having such a nightmare with Chrysler they are STILL posting at ALL Chrysler topics, I think they should post at their cars topic, what´s the need or their interest to post at Chrysler if they had such a terrible experience???
 well anyway I´m not the one to say here who can post, but it´s just my opinion, because I think those people should post elsewhere, I imagine they might have tons of good things to post about their sushi, so why waste their time here?????
 My two cents.

kosh_2258

Cadillac CTS V:
5.7 liter V8 400HP/390 lb/ft torque, aluminum block.
So what where did DC misplace the 60hp?
And why no aluminum block to improve the weight to HP ratio for the car application?
At least GM is achieving a competitive level with this car and engine design.

Audi S4:
4.2 liter V8 340HP/309 lb/ft torque, aluminum block, DOHC.

Explain to me again what's so great about the Hemi.

I decline to accept lowered expectations when I fully believe Americans can and should do better.
At least GM is coming notably closer.

emale

ummmh, just cause the truck hemi is 345hp/375 lb/ft doesn't mean the car hemi will be the same output...!

in fact chrysler execs at the ny auto show said the lx hemi will be around 400hp...

btw, kosh - can't you find some other place to try and be irritating??

oh, here is a link where you can learn more about the hemi...:)

http://wwwsg.daimlerchrysler.com/SD7DEV/GMS/TEMPLATES/GMS_PRESS_KIT/0,2970,0-945-41203-1-1-text-0-41227,00.html?

kosh_2258

If not just accepting corporate propaganda at face value and digging deeper is irritating so be it. At least I provoked a little thought and if that ruffles a feather or two, eh.

For my part, I'm not the least bit irritated. It was nothing more than a spirited debate and I played the devil's advocate.

Bottom line: I want to see American cars reclaim their status in the world but that won't happen until they're BETTER than the competition, not just getting close or breaking even. I want to see the world following our lead again.

If the Hemi hits 400hp in the 300C I say bully for them. But right now that isn't what DC is claiming publicly. As for what the PR flaks say at car shows, maybe you can believe them and maybe you can't.

Time will tell.

bigmike5

You need to "chill" a little bit. The design of the new 300C was a BIG disappointment to many, like me, who have had the M since July 98. We were hoping for a follow-on model that would evoke the instant attraction that the M produced. I never owned a Chrysler product in 40 years of driving, and yet I fell in love with and bought the M within a couple of weeks of first seeing one in Platinum. That kind of "wow" is missing with this new boxy version of a cross between an old MB and a Buick. And DC saying this car is a lift from the Chronos concept car is stretching to say the least. So we will have to wait to see if the big engine [and comparable price tag] will make people stand in line to get em. Quite frankly, if DC didn't sell enough M's [the Motor Trend Car of the Year in 99] it was directly traceable to horrible marketing work, and a failure to correct a few nagging part deficencies in a timely fashion. My M has been great, and it was an early build. In fact, I am still trying to convince the wife to let me keep it [since it is now officially an instant "classic" since DC is completely changing the 300 design] when I go for something else. Right now I want to see what the RX-8, CTS-V, and Crossfire look like up close. An 03 Vette may end the waiting though before they ever hit the showrooms.

wire2

>>Cadillac CTS V:
5.7 liter V8 400HP/390 lb/ft torque, aluminum block.
So what where did DC misplace the 60hp? <<

I believe that's a Northstar DOHC design? That's comparing apples to oranges.
Even the new Viper, at 502 cu in and 500 hp (pushrod) makes 1:1. To redo it with dohc would vastly increase hp but destroy the image.
Anyone old enough to equate the number 426 with track and street domination will recognize the value of a hemi design.

>>ummmh, just cause the truck hemi is 345hp/375 lb/ft doesn't mean the car hemi will be the same output...!<<

It could be more. The older Viper V10 (450 hp) was given a cast iron block and "detuned" to 325 hp for use in trucks. The emphasis in a truck is work, compared to performance in a car.

wire2

>>Cadillac CTS V:
5.7 liter V8 400HP/390 lb/ft torque, aluminum block.
So what where did DC misplace the 60hp? <<

I believe that's a Northstar DOHC design? That's comparing apples to oranges.
Even the new Viper, at 502 cu in and 500 hp (pushrod) makes 1:1. To redo it with dohc would vastly increase hp but destroy the image.
Anyone old enough to equate the number 426 with track and street domination will recognize the value of a hemi design.

>>ummmh, just cause the truck hemi is 345hp/375 lb/ft doesn't mean the car hemi will be the same output...!<<

It could be more. The older Viper V10 (450 hp) was given a cast iron block and "detuned" to 325 hp for use in trucks. The emphasis in a truck is work, compared to performance in a car.

wire2

All I did was click refresh. Don't know why it posted again.

dustinnewton

Just 2 weeks shy of my 3rd purchase anniversary, my baby went into the shop today for the first time ever. No A/C, and that doesn't play well in the deep south! Not bad, 3 years and 50K miles and this is my first ever problem! I was beginning to regret that extended warranty purchase. Hopefully they will have the part in stock and I can get her back soon. I'm driving the in-laws 95 base model Grand Prix. What a difference an M makes!!

pster

Dustin, did the compressor fail, or stop working due to lost refrigerant? My compressor vaporized at 52K miles and prior to that I had a leak in the evaporator coil which I "think" I fixed with some a/c system leak stuff ($10/can). The dealer told me if the refrigerant gets too low, the compressor will not operate to prevent damage to it.

ottowrkr

Tonight on Speedvision at 10 PM ( monday may 5) there will be a segment on the 300C ,

blowbyu

Is that 10 PM Eastern Time? What is the name of the show? BTW I think they changed the name to THE SPEED CHANNEL...personally, I preferred SPEEDVISION.

pster

My guess is it's The Speed Channel, 10PM EDT (9PM CDT): Motor Trend Top Speed Shootout...Motor Trend had the recent blurb on the 300C in their magazine:
http://www.speedtv.com/schedule/index.php?m=05&d=5&week=&- amp;- amp;- amp;ts=1052107200&wholeMonth=&subcat=AUT&program=&amp- ;amp- ;amp- ;usecal=yes&startMonday=

pat

pster, would you drop me an email please? pat@edmunds.com

Thanks!

yosito

It all depends on your taste, for some people the 300 M is not nice, in fact I remember standing at NAIAS in front of the 300M and listening to some people saying it was not nice, they didn´t like the grill, the tail, etc.etc..
 I maybe wrong, but I do think the new design of the LX cars will be a hit; current design was very good when it came out. I think Chrysler needed to change the style ASAP, consumer are already tired of it.
 In the automotive business you have to keep moving, improving, bring new stuff and different, etc.etc.
 Wait till you see the complete LX line, I do think one of them will like you, and don´t forget to have test drive.
 Just go to your dealer and test drive the Pacifica, it´s fabulous, I´m worried about those NASTY dealers, because their sales, service, practices are STILL terrible.
 They´ll screw the product, with those NASTY marketing people!

emale

yosito,

i think most people here are sad to see chrysler revert to such conservative and traditional styling. chrysler has always pushed the envelope since the early 90s. but not anymore. if the new style sells, great! but i have my doubts. visibility in the new LX is somewhat limited due to hardly any side glass...and the huge C pillars.

as for the pacifica, it would be great it it only had a decent powertrain. the 3.5l, 41ae tranny just isn't good enough in this heavy 40k dollars machine!

indydriver

Got a new one. My ABS light stayed on for the first time. After parking the car and turning it off, I read the owners manual which basically says ABS isn't working but the brake system works fine-take it to a dealer at your convenience. Started back up and the light went off and its been off since. Anyone had this light stay on and have it investigated by a dealer?

fastdriver

It's 10 PM EST- do you know where your 300C will be? Speed Channel? Motor Trend Show on now. NO word yet about 300C.

fastdriver

dustinnewton

My dealer called this afternoon and said that it didn't have any Freon in the system at all! I had complained that the compressor was very noisy, and he agreed. They filled it with Freon and a UV tracer dye to try to locate the leak. He drove it home tonight to keep an eye on the cooling and will call tomorrow with an update. It was cooling fine in January and all of a sudden one day I just couldn't get it to cool. They replaced two window motors, took care of the seat recline bolt recall notice I got last week, fixed the issue of the minor seat shifting on accel/deceleration. Hopefully they will get the AC fixed tomorrow and I can get it back.

easyrider300m

We are taking a poll of opinions of the 300C. We may end up submitting the results to the head honchos at Chrysler to make them aware of public opinion of their new vehicle. The more opinions we can gather the better. So please submit your vote at our polling booth:

Chrysler 300C Poll

Thanks for casting your vote.

EasyRider300M

bigmike5

Your comment on the Pacifica was apropos. I checked the DC internet site last Friday and saw that my local 5* had two Pacificas in stock-- Red and Silver. Nicely stickered in the high 30's. Its just up the road a few miles from my home, so I dropped by there on Saturday p.m. to take a look at them. Guess what? The head salesman says, "Yes, we do have two but they are locked up out back in the security yard because they have not yet been prepped for the showroom or for test drives." How about that for great marketing. They had to have been there for some time because one of the other salesmen said he had test driven the red one a few days ago. The first sunny weekend around here in quite a while and no Pacifica out front to stop traffic and bring in the hungry hoards to order one. Oh yeah, and they still have not even gotten the computer input from DC that will allow them to take orders on the new Crossfire. Maybe DC is still thinking about putting a bigger engine in it, and that has slowed things down. Not. Just bad marketing skills.

russklass

Tried voting in your poll, got an error message: only registerd members can vote"
What gives?

pster

Dustin, they put dye in mine and said the leak was in the evaporator coil. It had been cooling fine and them all of a sudden the next day it was warm. Rather than pay $1200 to replace the evaporator, I filled the system with a $10 can of leak repair stuff and had the system flushed and refilled with refrigerant. About 2 months later the compressor ceased and disintegrated. I had the compressor replaced, refilled and its been working fine for 2 months now. Fingers crossed.

bigmike5

easyrider and RussKlass--I also got the not registered note. I don't understand that, as I post over there all the time, but every time I try to vote on a poll [in the last few months anyway] it says not a registered user. I sent a note to SDMike [a computer guru] asking about a solution but haven't got an answer yet. At leaast I am not the only one.

dustinnewton

That sounds VERY familiar. Luckily, mine is covered under the extended warranty. I expect to hear from the service manager anytime now. He indicated that I was correct with my statement that the compressor was unusually noisy and gave me the impression that it would be replaced as soon as they got the leak taken care of. Fingers crossed here too.

ruski

mine leaked out just before the lease ended. I just kept filling it with refrigerant until I turned it in. Didn't feel like taking it in to get fixed.

emale

i thought chrysler fixed their stupid leaky evaporators/condensors?? i remember when i owned a '96 intrepid they sent me something in the mail telling me that the a/c system warranty was being extended to 6yrs/100k miles. apparently they are still having problems with them????

ronnoc

I have seen several references to decontenting the 300M in recent years. Since I am thinking of purchasing, what features have been "decontented". Thanks

ottowrkr

no 300C on speed . We were told of the show from work , so I guess they lied to us . Sorry if you stayed up to watch

intrepidspirit

I have a 2000 300M which will be going off lease shortly. My wife has a 2001. I have just purchased a 2003 to replace the leased vehicle.

From 2000 to 2001, I believe they improved the M as follows: Michelins rather than Goodyears (big improvement!), crystal lenses on the rear, fold back exterior mirrors, radio controls on the steering wheel. In addition, they added chrome around the door windows. My 2000 ATC was always too cold, the 2001 works fine.

From 2001 to 2003, the leather has changed (no pin-holes on the seat & back). The 2003 radio (I have the optional cassette included with the 240 watt standard system) has lost the mid-range adjustment on the equalizer, but the sound quality is excellent. I have gained a messaging system on the radio supplied by the station that tells me the song and artist plus other messages like updates on sports scores, etc. Otherwise, the 2003 is the same as the 2001.

I believe they dropped the price of the M for the 2002 year (close to $1,000 I think). While they haven't done a lot from 2001 to 2003, I don't think they have taken anything away from the base model 300M.

I hope this helps...

ottowrkr

dont forget no more chrome exhaust tips !!!!

intrepidspirit

otto, you're right! They first appeared on the 2001, but I believe they disappeared from the 2002, and are still missing from the 2003 (and 2004, I presume).

Also, I think there was a change in the chroming process for the optional chrome wheels beginning in 2002 or 2003...

Anything else?

easyrider300m

If you are having trouble posting your response to the poll: if you are already a member, you have to be sure to login using your user name and password to take the poll. If you are not a member, click on "register" link and fill it out . Save you login information for future use.

For access to the rest of the board, click on the uppermost link at the top of the poll page.

bigmike5

One other thing that disappeared was the tinted strip on the windshield, now it is a narrow hashed type of strip instead of the 6" tinted area.

Jeff--On the TV show. They were going to show the 300C, but it got decontented. LOL. DC lie to you guys??? No way.

bigmike5

This is an update on the Woodward Dream Cruise on August 16 in the suburban communities near Detroit. For those who were waiting to find out if the 300M group would be able to get a plant tour where they are made at the factory in Brampton, Ontario this year, like we did last year, it is my sad duty to report that DC has said that it cannot be done this year as they will be busy retooling for the production of the LX platform. This means that the Cruise events will probably be limited to weekend events in the Detroit area. All 300M lovers are still invited. The hotel for the club and all others from this board who are interested is the Embassy Suites in Southfield, MI. We will drive in on Friday afternoon, Cruise on Saturday, have 300M car judging on Sunday a.m., and I am working on another event so that the p.m. is full too. Gone is the Sunday caravan drive of beautiful M's to Brampton and the plant tour on Monday. We may be able to get the plant tour again next year when production settles down. For those who are still interested in a great event [you can check out the Cruises of past years by using Google and typing in Woodward Dream Cruise], make your hotel reservation at the Embassy Suites and mention 300M affiliation to get a special hotel rate, and fill out the attendance form on the other board or e-mail me, so I get a e-mail notice that you are coming and how many. This will allow me to program an appropriate number of attendance goodies. I have been able to secure a block of 25 rooms on hold for any and all 300 lovers til 15 Jul, so reserve early and let me know. I would love to see all 300M owners/wanna be owners, car lovers, or even Edmunds hosts [LOL] show up for a truly great weekend of looking at the most incredible display of cars ever assembled in one location. Give it some thought and plan to attend.

Pat--Please e-mail me as I need to ask a favor from you.

muskateer3

Does anyone have experience with these?

I just put new tires on my M (40k/third set) and am already seeing signs that the fronts (edges) will wear more quickly than I would like. (The alignment is "within specs" and the pressure is 35psi).

Could these kits possibly be the solution?

M3

dustinnewton

I got my baby back yesterday afternoon. The service rep said that they had not detected any leaks but to keep an eye on the temp just in case. He said if it leaks, I can bring it back in and they will fix it promptly with no cost or deductible. My compressor is now so quiet that it's had to hear the car idling! I thought my windows were sticking on the weatherstrip like the TSB says can happen, but they weren't happy with the way the motors were acting so they changed them under warranty as well. This is my first ever service on this M, and I was apprehensive about going to the dealer but warranty restrictions kept me from going elsewhere. My dealer had just opened a new location and the building is beautiful and the service is impeccable! I'm VERY impressed! Saw a Pacifica on a "show it off" stand on the lot. Deep blue with chrome wheels. VERY good looking auto. My wife and I are going to test drive one soon. My AC is back to blowing snow like it always did and I'm happy!

intrepidspirit

It looked to me as though the tinting on the windshield remained the same; however they added several thin lines to it, similar to the antenna lines in the earlier M's. I thought maybe this was additional antennae to pick up the satellite radio?

illini4

Won't help if camber is in spec, as you state. Improper camber will cause wear on either the outside or inside edge, not both.

pster

you mean I'm a "pest"er? oh boy. Glad to hear your a/c is back to normal.

I had noises coming from my driver's window over the winter - loud noise coming from within the door juast as the glass seated and snugged up into the gasket. I decided to wait and sure enough, as the outside temperature rose, the noise disappeared entirely. I am now convinced there is something in the window regulator mechanism that acts up at temperatures below around 40 degrees F.

pster

Defects per 100 vehicles:

Best: Lexus @ 76 (13% improvement)

Mercedes Benz: 132

AVERAGE ALL VEHICLES: 133

Chrysler: 136

Worst: HUMMER @ 225

Interesting that the quality between MB and Chrysler is so close.....

laurasdada

A GM product. All those that are surprised, say aye!

dustinnewton

Sorry about that! I'm obviously not known for my typing skills!! ;-)

pster

After reading the article about VW in the Wall Street Journal today, I guess I can take them off my "new car search list". Apparently the $75,000 Pheaton has been a blowout catastrophe (only 3000 cars sold, less than 1/4 of expectations), quality has slipped across the board and they only recalled the faulty ignition coils on their other cars after US newspapers blew the whistle....a problem VW knew about many months before....they were hiding it! Can you believe the Phaeton has 2 miles of wires in it!!

The Pheaton is another example of the reach into the premium market. My contention that the only thing propping up the glutted market for "luxury vehicles" is dealers simply unwilling to sell them for less....."wealthy people" who can afford to pay $40,000+ for cars are just expected to pay whatever it takes. I can't wait for that market to collapse....Chrysler had better beware if they intend to price their cars at $40,000, they're gonna learn a hard, hard lesson.

ruski

I didn't even know that they already started selling the VW Phaeton.

fastdriver

pster-

Wonder if the orders are pouring in for DC's Maybach?

fastdriver

pster

I heard there was "an order" for the Maybach....from Uday. But it got cancelled. No AK47 stowage space in the rear seat area and the trunk couldn't hold US$250MM in $100 bricks....too bad. I'll bet the Maybach has 3 miles of wire.....

pat

beach15

Here's a new Butane Blue and Light Taupe 2004 300M:
http://www.manassaschrysler.com/Chrysler/290084_1.html

Looks nice to me, would be even better with blacked windows and a set of '99-'00 Razorstars and not the chromed plastic covers they have now.

It's been a while since I've been on here, but still a GM family and loving it. The Avalanche reached a year old and is perfect, the old van was replaced by a '92 Buick Roadmaster that's awesome, we're getting rid of the '69 Chevelle and I'm getting a '93 Caddy Fleetwood--in all black, of course! Would still love to add a new 2004 Graphite or Black 300M Special to the fleet, because the newer ones are much nicer quality-wise that our 2000, at least from the past two years I've explored them at auto shows.

ottowrkr

We are now building midnight blue cars at work , also they are building midnight blue specials to replace the deep sapphire that was discontinued . looks really nice . i am not a big fan of the butane blue , its a little to light for my tastes .