Chrysler 300M

dustinnewton · June 2003

Easy-Wow! Great info on the wheels! I had not heard of this and I'm still kind of stunned that a manufacturer would do somehting like this (and then again, I wouldn't put anything past any car manufacturer!!).

All- Does anyone here have Formula One tint on their windows? I am getting my M tinted next week, and I keep reading nothing but good things about this brand. It's a bit pricey, but I don't want to skimp on my baby. Just curious about other's experiences.
My Zaino is getting cobwebs on the bottles! Over 17" of rain for the month of May, the third wettest month on record here! We even had one day where a suburb received over 12" or rain in under 4 hours! Massive flooding, needless to say. Heavy rain all this week too. At least it means that there are that many fewer days of 98 degrees and 85% humidity!!

ruski · June 2003

Maxima sure has a lot of 300M influence in it. Also from the rear it has a lot of the Z cues.

300michael · June 2003

Apearently you did not pick up all the tools they left. I wounder if it was a wrench or a socket. Don't you love it. Just make sure they do not use the old bolts when they replace the seat rack.

daytona3 · June 2003

Thank you for the link. Those were the wheels I was thinking about. They look better now than when I last saw them, but I still don't think they make the 300M look like a premium car. The car pictured looks like a rental car in my eyes, not a top of the line Chrysler. Cost cutting again.

I did see a beautiful 300M the other day. I don't know what year it was, but I would guess it was a 2003. It was dark blue, had the chrome trim around the green house, and it had some nice looking 17' chrome spoke wheels. These wheels did not look cheap at all. It was not the 300M Special because it had the black mirrors and no ground effects. It was a totally opposite effort compared to the model shown in the link.

daytona3 · June 2003

Overall, I think I like it. I'm not a fan of the front grille or the C pillar, but overall, the car does look slick. I really like the twin tipped dual chrome exhaust tips. Nissan finally got it right.

I don't think the car looks as good on paper as it does in real life. I've seen a few on the road around here, and they do look like a sophisticated, sleek, sporty sedan. I really like the black ones, especially the black one in the commercials . The 300M should have been pushed like that as well.

Since the 300 nameplate will go rwd, and there will not be any fwd LH cars, it looks like the Maxima could be taking the 300M's spot in the market.

blonda · June 2003

Someone on the 300mclub board had a similar experience when she took her 99 in for the seat bolt replacement. Turns out they didn't plug something back in. I'm taking mine in tomorrow. I'm going to be sure to check to be sure everything works before I drive out of there.

fastdriver · June 2003

daytona3-

The wheels on my 99 300M were beautiful! They were the REAL thing before Daimler put their '2 cents" in with their cost-cutting measures.

A friend at work just bought a new Black Maxima. It is a beauty, especially when it's clean.

Our local "5-STAR" now has TWELVE Chrysler station wagons on his lot. Guess they're not flying out the door like DC was expecting.

fastdriver

ruski · June 2003

by the way you can get twin tipped dual chrome exhaust tips like that on the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix.

And that car too has a lot of 300M cues in it.

blonda · June 2003

I've commented before myself that I sort of liked the the new Maxima, that it looks similar to the 300M, and that it's the best Maxima design to date; however, lately after seeing quite a few in person I've noticed a strong resemblance to the Saturn Ion -- especially from the A pillar back. Now I'm not sure I like it so much anymore :-)
http://www.saturn.com/is/

greasykid1 · June 2003

If you really want to read all the details of this go to your library and get a copy of " Taken For A Ride"

Great reading.

fastdriver · June 2003

blonda-

What's wrong with Saturn? Doesn't their dealer service department rate #1 ALL the time??? AND.... they don't even have any "5-STARS"!! ;-))

fastdriver

bluesky999 · June 2003

Daytona, I had the same experience as you; the pix in the magazine of the Maxima didn't look overly exciting to me, but when I saw it in person I was much more impressed. I like it a lot. And to be fair to the new Grand Prix design, I've only seen it in a magazine. Perhaps if I see it in person I will like it much more. It's more affordable than the Max, but I like the engine on the Maxima better and I suspect I like the way it looks better also. THe Maxima is rather pricey; quite a bit more so than a top line accord or camry. One more cool thing about the Maxima SE; if you get the automatic you get a CVT (continuously variable tranny). This is one of the only ones on the market that can handle so much torque, and the fuel economy is great (20/28). I think it's as fast or faster than the manual, but I'm not sure. The other model (non SE) comes with a basic 4 speed auto; go figure.

daytona3 · June 2003

I have read that book several times. We have two copies at home. I haven't read it in a while. It is too upsetting.

Actually, there was a website about Daimler's takeover of Chrysler. The webmaster was a Chrysler employee that was trying to show people the facts of this "merger of equals". Apparently he was in a position to see the future products, and he was not happy at all. Actually, he started the website pretty much after the announcement in May 98. The goal of the site was to educate people and to get support for a split or breakup of DCX because he knew Daimler would take over, and the Chrysler side would slowly die away. That is why there is nothing like the 300M today or (according to my uncle who is a Chrysler salesman) why you will not see the 300 Hemi C convertible.

If anybody heard of or remembered ChryslerTakeover.com, then you know what I am talking about. The stuff in the site went farther than the book. Unfortunately, the site was closed down. Not trying to push the site or anything, just letting people know that there was an effort to stop the Daimler machine before it was too late.

daytona3 · June 2003

I think the Maxima has the most life of these three. The addition of a manual makes it a very tempting choice. I would love to test drive one to see what it is like. The 2004 Maxima does have some styling cues that are similar with the Saturn, which I am not thrilled with, but I think the design is growing on me.

The new Grand Prix is a hit and miss for me. I like the addition of the padel shifts on the steering wheel as well as the Competition Package. The addition of 20 hp to 260 hp is pretty good. The style is better in some aspects, but is a let down in other areas compared to the previous Grand Prix. In some colors (white and dark red), the Grand Prix looks good, but I think they could have done better. In my mind, the Grand Prix is still not there yet. I'm interested in a test drive, but I'm not sure I would buy one, if I was in that market.

I wasn't a huge fan of the 300M when it first came out because I knew the 300 letter cars as rwd, V-8, 2 door hardtops. It was Chrysler's best car. I thought that if Chrysler would use the 300 letter name, it would be something like the Lincoln Mark VIII (2 door, V-8, rwd luxury coupe). The 300M is a nice looking car, otherwise. However, I have new found respect for it after I saw the 300C. As many people have mentioned, the 300M is the last of a Chrysler era. It is the last of the Chrysler spirit in my mind. I don't think I would ever buy a 300M, but I have to admit they were (are) some sharp looking cars that will look good several years down the road.

daytona3 · June 2003

I wouldn't be surprised that the wheels on your 99 300M would be better than what they have now. I see some nice 300Ms now and then, and they have some great looking wheels. Cost cutting is coming into play big time from what I can see. Daimler doesn't care that much about the 300M because the "much improved" 300C is coming out. Actually, the old Chrysler did this as well, but it didn't seem so noticeable.

12 Chrysler wagons (Pacificas) at your local Chrysler dealer? Not moving off the lots? That is what I have been hearing as well. Incentives are going to have to be implemented on these cars, or else the dealers will not be happy.

pjyoung · June 2003

to advertise them, they might sell better.

jona57 · June 2003

I've been ordering Chrysler products since my father & I worked for them back in the '70's. In all that time, the general practice had been to ADD features to older designs to help keep them fresh. Consider what the 300M could be with an upgraded transmission and stability program (like GM's Stabilitrak). This decontenting has become a HUGE problem for DC (and certain other automakers) in the past few years. Look at the problems GM has with the car magazines complaining about their cheap-looking interiors. At least Lutz claims to recognize the issue and is trying to improve things (e.g. the '04 vs '03 Grand Prix interior).

Jon

intrepidspirit · June 2003

I agree with you on the 300 hemi convertible...beautiful car! But I also agree with daytona3...it will never go into production, at least not anything like the prototype. The 300 hemi C looks too much like the 300M -- curvy and stylish. If they build this car, I'm sure they will give it the 300C truck front end.

Another car they will never build -- the beautiful Chronos. It too is too sleek and curvy for the current trend -- and a chisled version would be a disaster. I saw the Chronos at a car show and it was unbelievably beautiful in person -- much better than the pictures! What a shame...with the new trend toward chisled and aggressive, these beautiful cars will never hit the production line.

pster · June 2003

The screwdriver under the seat doesn't surprise me. I have had bolts left out, screwdrivers left on the manifold, oil caps left off, you name it. It is a crying shame there is no quality control at the dealerships. None. No one checks anyone elses work. All this for $90/hour labor charges. I check all work myself now to ensure all the screws and bolts were put back on. When they fixed my shifter cable, they reinstalled the center console improperly - it "popped up" and scared the devil out of me while driving a week later. Minor errors can cause serious accidents. There is no real incentive or competition for dealers with captive geographic and product markets. Until the day comes when you don't have to buy from a particular dealer, it won't change. In St. Louis, there is only ONE TOYOTA DEALER and ONE SAAB DEALER and ONE VOLVO DEALER in the entire western side of the city. We're screwed.

fuzzywuzzy · June 2003

The 2 local DC dealers by me(5*) have 10 each out on display in the lot. I have seen the same ones there for the last 2 months. I drive past each dealer from work. I have yet to see one on the road. 1 dealer though is cool, they have a crossfire on display. No test drives, you can sit in & play with it though. They are taking order for it. Wonder how many they got?

intrepidspirit · June 2003

in my area are going for $3,000+ off MRSP...

blonda · June 2003

I had my 99 fixed today at MRL859's dealership. Turns out the 99's need to have additional brackets added (at least mine did). They did another 300M earlier this a.m. and it only took 20 minutes. Mine took 1hr. 40 mins. because of the extra work. Anyway...all is good. Everything works. Haven't checked for the free screwdriver under the seat yet :-)

bluesky999 · June 2003

I think they needed the decontenting to help pay Celine's contract, which was quite expensive. I read yesterday where DMCs head of marketing stepped down, I believe his name was Bill Schorer, although I'm surely spelling it incorrectly. He was responsible for signing Celine, creating the Jeep ads where they are always on boulders, and was trying to market Chrysler as a German influenced company; a risky strategy now that Germany didn't support us in our war. The usual announcement accompanied the resignation; something like "wishes to independently pursue other avenues of growth" or some such horse radish.

bluesky999 · June 2003

Here's a link related to my previous post on James Schroer's resignation, along with a new marketing campaign.

http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0306/03/autos-180840.htm

fastdriver · June 2003

daytona-

I agree with you. The CURRENT 300M's will still look good several years down the road.

As for the Pacifica, I just read yesterday where Chrysler is now discounting them because they're not selling well. The article said that they didn't want to do this so early on, but they had no choice. I could have told them they wouldn't sell before they even built the first one! They pay these 'car guys" BIG $$$$ to make these decisions? They should get rid of a few more of these guys. Hypothetically speaking, if I had to choose between a minivan and a Pacifica, I'd choose the minivan. Here's the article-

http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0306/03/c01-182229.htm

As for car colors- I'm one who feels that certain cars only look good in certain colors. As for the Maxima, I'm beginning to think that the darker colors look much better. Today I saw a maroon one and a "gold/green" color one- the maroon one looked 1,000 times better than the other one.

fastdriver

ruski · June 2003

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http

/www.ChryslerTakeover.com

ruski · June 2003

if you check Nissan forums, you will see a lot of people coming in and saying that 2004 Maxima looks like that Saturn. And then the Max loyalists try to deny it. And then there is a big flame fight.

blonda · June 2003

Anyone ever go on the Altima board and say it looks like a mini 300M? I bet they wouldn't be as defensive about that. At least the new Maxima still looks better than all the previous designs..Saturn copy or not.

dustinnewton · June 2003

I don't think that they ever quite understood who the buyers were. I think they tried to build a powerful car for "older folks" (No offense to anyone here) that would have typically bought the larger Cadillac models. The few M commercials that they did (The Flying Mile, the Amish man with the M, etc.) were kind of cool, but thet never marketed the car correctly. GM/Pontiac is on fire with their "Fuel for the soul" high-energy spots! If DC would have had that campaign for the M, you would be able to go into a parking lot without having trouble figuring out which M was yours! Most M's on the road were purchased as a result of word of mouth (Three of my friends bought M's when they kept hearing how much I enjoyed mine) or from people who went to a lot and just happened to see one and liked it. In February of 2000, my wife and I went to a local 5* to look at a Town and Country minivan and I just happened to see a deep slate/camel M and fell in love. A couple of months later (after a week long rental/test drive), I had a deep slate/slate M. I never saw the first ad or commercial on the car. It was love at first sight!

intrepidspirit · June 2003

You're absolutely right! Even when the 300M won Motor Trend's car of the year award in 1999, Chrysler was extremely hesitant to use this in any of their advertising. Also, the choice as one of Car and Driver's top 10 for two consecutive years went largely unnoticed by the marketing people.

Today, a co-worker approached me to tell me what a great car the 300M is. He had rented one over the weekend and was extremely impressed. Needless to say, he was very surprised with the performance and luxury content of the car -- he had no idea what a great car the 300M is.

Generally, Chrysler ads tend to be about Chrysler rather than specific vehicles. You don't reach your audience that way!

blonda · June 2003

Well...maybe with a German in charge of advertising they'll run better ads. Mercedes has much better ads than Chrysler. But then again...are they going stay true to form and not want to compete against their beloved MB and keep the Chrysler ads low key and boreing?

One thing I have noticed....I ONLY see 300M commercials during major sporting events where Chrysler is a "sponsor". Seems they don't want to spend money to run the ads except to target one specific group.

ruski · June 2003

and then they cry that they can't sell them and blame the market and send good people like Otto to have some extra time off.

ruski · June 2003

there is a Russian saying - "A poor dancer always claims that his balls are getting in the way"

fastdriver · June 2003

How come the American top 3 blame the economy and the war for dropping sales while Toyota and Honda sales keep rising? What am I missing here? is it that 'perceived" reliability thing?

http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0306/04/a01-183452.htm

fastdriver

laurasdada · June 2003

I'm heading to the ?* on Friday to have my seat back issue (please) rectified. I'll do a lot of checking of the functionality before I leave the lot!

Should I return the screwdriver? Maybe they'll leave a MB SL500 under the seat this time...

On the bright side, I can't really give this dealer a true * rating as my M has been pretty reliable. When it needed work, they seemed to be ok. This recall is my first less than 5* experience. I guess I could give them 4*s going into Friday's follow up visit. Either they'll maintain the 4* or head south. At least I'll have a nice lunch while waiting.

Man, this is still one good lookin' piece of machinery!

cmyers300m · June 2003

Well, I've had my 2001 M for over two years with no expenses other than an oil change. My wife's '02 Honda civic has a brake problem that the dealer can't seem to find or duplicate. My brothers '01 Toyota Celica GT-S has had more problems than he can count on one hand, including a current fuel delivery problem they have yet to correct. So what are you basing this on? I STILL believe reliability is a luck of the draw in any automaker. Only is it higher in domestic because more domestic cars are sold than foreign(in most cases). Yes, sales are up for Honda & Toyota...which in turn their problems are as well. Just look at the latest JD Power numbers. Domestic problems are going down and foreign are rising slowly. The gap is closing....... My 2 cents.

blonda · June 2003

Aside from truck/SUV ads....the Japanese manufacturer's ads for their cars, IMO, appear to outnumber American manufacturers 2:1. I think this accounts alot for the higher sales. They also have a tendency to sell many of their products at a lower price than competitive US models. Common tactic used with Japanese manufacturers...no only in the automobile segment.

I'd be curious to see what the difference in advertising spending is between them.

300michael · June 2003

I got my new tires put on today, and they mounted one of the directional tires backwards. So I had to drive back to have it corrected. They were so busy checking out my car, they didn't do their job right.

300michael · June 2003

Will never be built. It was the plan before the takeover. It is in direct competition with MB other covertables. The Crossfire is no competition for any of theirs so that is why they went with it. They should have a least stuck in the 3.5L, but then it would be compeating. The Pacifica should have had the Hemi engine in is as the base engine. In the future the Neon with be the only Chrysler left.

bigmike5 · June 2003

Back in after bowling at the ABC tournament in Knoxville. Drove the last 150 miles home in my buddies 2003 Monte Carlo SS. It has 5K miles on it. I have to say that the ride of that car was really sweet. Tranny was smooth and quick. Felt like it hugged the road. We were running 27+ mpg with the car pretty well loaded down. Different feel from my 99M with the Goodrich Comp TA tires at 37 pounds. My own ride might be smoother [less stiff] if I could keep the tires at a constant 34, but with the typical air loss on the big tires and 7" rims I just try to keep em around 37 now and put up with a stiffer ride. But, I was impressed with the ride of that SS.

dustinnewton · June 2003

I would return it right there in the service office in front of everyone just to embarass the #$&% out of them. Or even give it to the service manager. He'll probably have a "chat" with his staff about being more careful and that might just save someone down the line from having to deal with a careless mistake due to inattention on the part of the service department. A bit far-fetched, I know, but every little bit helps!

dustinnewton · June 2003

Started a new project last night. I am putting 5.6" active matrix TFT LCD screens into my headrests! My wife already had video in our Warner Brothers Edition Venture, and I figured I'd keep the munchkins happy when they travel with me too! I am going to use a FM transmitter to broadcast the DVD/8mm/Xbox/PSOne sound through my stereo to take advantage of the installed sound system and subs instead of using the screen's built in speakers. I will be mounting the headrests in the car late next week after I get my windows tinted so they don't disappear in a parking lot someday!! I'll post a link to some pics this evening. I'm still trying to figure out where I can mount the DirecTV dish for high definition viewing!! ;-)

daffin · June 2003

Has anyone added an aftermarket Sirius radio to their 300M? I am strongly interested in adding one to my 99 LHS, but I am not sure how best to proceed.

Yes, I am aware that this isn't the LHS forum, but given the electronic similarities between LH platform cars, I figure I have a better shot getting some advice here

laurasdada · June 2003

So, I take my '99 M to the (now rated)3* dealer to have the driver's seatback adjuster fixed (that was fully functional prior to them performing the seatback bolts recall). I presented the screwdriver they had left in the seat to the SA. He looked a bit sheepish. Go next door and eat altogether too much lunch. Return to the dealer after an hour. Car is "ready." My definition of ready is somewhat different than the SAs. Anywho, "something" has broken a plastic sprocket thingymadoo that allows the electric motor to move the seatback. I suggest that the "something" may have been a screwdriver. SA again looks sheepish and apologizes. 5-7 business days to get new part, "at, of course, no cost to me" per the SA. Gee, thanks for that.

Oh, yeah. When the SA was writing me up he asked was there anything else? I said how 'bout a car wash for my troubles. He said he'd see what he could do. Guess he couldn't do much...

Also, checked out a Pacifica. Big. $41k+. Not for me at that price, or apparently many others if the rumours I've heard are true. No Crossfire on hand to check out. They did have a $48k 2002 Corvette. Anyone ever check out the interior of a Vette? Talk about cheap looking materials! $48k!!!

So, 3* has a chance to redeem itself or lose another * at my next appt. It's unlikely that I'll be buying another Chrysler unless there's something hidden in the pipeline (or the 300C looks dramtically better in the flesh) in the next couple of years, so I won't worry too much about future service there.

There are certainly much bigger problems in life than a stationary, upright seatback of course. Like a seatback that doesn't stay upright while cruising on I95 at 80!!! (To you know where, fastdriver...)

lonestarsled · June 2003

I see that you dealer cannot even screw your car up correctly. The screwdriver was meant to be in the tech's back pocket w/tip up, so when he sat in your car to pull the car out of the work bay the screwdriver would puncture the seat. Man those guys just can't do anything right:)

laurasdada · June 2003

When the "valet" brought my M out front after the service, he did leave several greasy fingerprints here and there. Haven't checked for punctures, thanks for the tip!

Still a great car.

fastdriver · June 2003

laurasdada-

:-))) You DEFINITELY want to be UPRIGHT when going 80 on I-95 to Gov. Rowland's favorite income producing site! ;-))

I am SO glad that all those nit picking things the * dealers do to customers are behind me now. It was aggravating enough when something broke, leaked or didn't work right and you had to go there in the first place, but then to have them break or not fix or scratch something else was a bit much to take.

At the rate they're going now, they might not have to worry much longer. They've made the WSJ 3 times this week- nothing good. Pacificas were mentioned also as being stockpiled on dealers' lots. Oh well, Deiter had a chance to talk to all the 300 enthusiasts and get their take on the 300M because he was/is a member of the "OTHER" 300 group. They would have certainly given him their thoughts for FREE! I'm sure he could care less what anyone thinks except the organizations that rate DC.

fastdriver

300michael · June 2003

Install a hitch and pull the satelite dish behind your M. Other wise you will have to go with Cable (and extra long cable at that).

fastdriver · June 2003

ottowrkr-

Do you know how many of those 300C Hemi convertibles they built and what has happened to that/those cars now? Are they in the garages of the DC bigwigs?

fastdriver

easyrider300m · June 2003

Do you go to the Dealer in Norwood? Did they ever supply a free loaner car? Tell them you want a couple of free oil changes for your lost time and inconvenience.

I go to the one in Natick where I bought my M and usually got a loaner for warranty work. I wasn't too happy with their work however because it usually took more than one visit correct a problem. But at least I got to beat on their vehicles--usually a Jeep or PT Cruiser.

Chrysler 300M

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