I don't think it's just you...I see the same thing when it comes to size perception. I haven't seen a Magnum in person yet, but I do think the 300/300C look bigger than they really are. Truth be told, they're only about the size of a Taurus or Century, and a bit shorter overall than a LeSabre, Impala, or Intrepid, but they just have that massive, hulking look.
I'm still impressed that, as tall as the cars are, IMO at least, they hide it very well. You'd think a relatively stubby car with a high beltline and smallish windows would look really top-heavy and tipsy, but I don't think they do at all.
I think most of the 300's I've seen so far have been silver! I saw two Magnesium ones though at a dealership in Carlisle PA over the weekend. I'm definitely in lust with them!
glad you mentioned that! I had forgotten that yesterday I saw my first new GTO out on the road. Nice dark blue. Barely even noticed it was anything special. I almost missed the fact it was a GTO, which as a car guy says a lot I think about how bland the styling of that car is.
It's what the French call trompe l'oeil. The high-beltline/squashed roofline makes the car look shorter than it is but somehow the high-waisted Magnum comes off smaller than it is.
That severe taper to the Magnum's roof line n the back takes away a lot of storage space. I have the same thing on my A4 to a lesser degree and it's noticeably smaller in back than the similar Passat. It's for sure there won't be any third row seating in the back of the Magnum.
Still haven't seen any Goats in these parts. I even swung by a dealership.
I did see a silver CTS-V in front of a dealership, I kinda liked it.
Silver is by far the most common color for the 300/330C but I don't think it's the best, I'm partial to Cool Vanilla. I'm surprised I haven't seen any blues or reds.
I saw 3 Ford Escape Hybrid's with Michigan manufacturer plates traveling through Pittsburgh, PA yesterday. I was pacing one through the Squirl Hill tunnels and there was no noise from the engine. Must have had the ICE off.
I've seen plenty of new XJ8's, thought they looked terrific, but nothing out of the ordinary. But then I saw an XJ8 from behind for the first time. I was stunned at how elegant it looked, if a common person saw that they could easily confuse it for a $150K car. What's remarkable is, after comparing it to a prev. generation XJ, how little they had to tweak the exterior styling to get the desired effect. I regret not looking at it better when I bought my LS430, or a Jag might be sitting in my garage right now.
I have to admit to being somewhat biased in favor of Jags, but I really like how "classy" the new XJ8 looks compared to others in its class. Now other cars are probably better long term values such as the LS430 and MB S-class, but they just aren't remotely as pretty as the XJ is to me. But again I'm admittedly somewhat biased towards Jags, and in particular, their styling. So my opinion on styling could be a very tiny minority.
*should have added that I think the new XJ really meets up well to Jaguar's old advertisments of "Grace, Pace, Space".
I see them fairly regularly now, and the aura around them is solid enough to slice with a knife! As a styling statement, it's a superlative.
I also seem to read little but good press as well. It's a bigger car than I'd want, but certainly it's more than beautiful enough, IMO, to desire anyway.
Tough call for me, were I looking in the class, would be between the A8L and the XJ. That would be delightfully unbearable conundrum... ;-)
Agree with you 100%. I didn't get my LS for looks. It was a big step up from what I had before, I liked Toyota's, I didn't want to get burned with reliabilty issues.
Curiously I saw my first new XJ8 this PM, or at least the first I've noted (it does look a lot like it's predecessor). Like yourself I'd be torn between the two aluminum wonders if I had the dough.
I wouldn't say it looks like $150k, as Steven did, but what sedan does?
Saw a new Magnum here-- the driver looked hand-picked as to what a "typical" buyer might be: tan, middle-aged male. The dark blue-green metallic is a winning color for that car: it looked big to me. Fun, powerful...maybe a bit heavy. Our local Pontiac dealer has two GTOs which are going begging: a black auto and red 6-speed. They have "V-8" written in large white letters on the windshield.
seen leading a live car chase thru South LA this afternoon on Fox News. It appeared to be a new Magnum, it was a low wagon with a definite taper and headlights that wrapped up onto hood. Never saw a close-up, only long shots from TV Helicopters.
BTW- the chase ended when, after successfully leading the cops thru dozens of intersections and narrow side streets w/o getting blocked or hit the "robbers" drove up onto a lawn stopped and ran out of the car. One of 'em is still holed up inside the house.
Dunno why they stopped, the way they were going they could've gone all the way to Sacramento at least.
A silver Magnum on I95 outside DC. Kinda interesting looking, but I'm not sure I liked the squashed rear end. Certainly makes an impression, and has a huge grill/front end. It was next to a gen 1 Durango at one point, and you could certainly see the family relationship.
I saw a white Magnum driving down the freeway, it was going to opposite direction so I couldn't tell if it was one of the Hemi ones, but I could tell it was a Magnum. Then I saw 2 Chrysler 300s, one I knew for sure was a 300C 'cuz it was in the lane next to me and then the other on I saw was heading the opposite direction, but I got a pretty good look at it 'cuz I wasn't on the freeway. That's all.
Yesterday I saw one of the new smart fortwo cars tooling around in suburban Toronto. Although the U.S. isn't scheduled to get them, Canadians can now buy them. The little blue 2-seater was quite striking -- much taller than most other cars and with a distinctive coffee grinder exhaust note.
The owner was obviously giving demonstration rides to all of his friends -- one at a time. Guys -- forget the Lambo, THIS is definitely a babe-magnet!
I saw my first, actually out on the road Dodge Magnum today in traffic. Was painted a nice glossy black. Saw it way out from behind it and I at first thought it was a previous generation VW Golf, but it didn't look quite right. Caught up to it before I had to exit off. Looked quite nice. The black helped it look much smaller than I expected. Definetly looked much smaller (visual effect I know) than a black 300C.
I saw a black PT Cruiser convertible, with the top up. This was the first time I've seen one, other than in a showroom. At a quick glance, from the rump it makes me think of those old bustleback Jags or Rolls Royces that Bill Mitchell cribbed for the 1980 Seville.
Not *bad* looking, but it does look like an afterthought compared to the regular PT Cruiser 4-door.
being test driven at the dealership as I went by this weekend. Doesn't look bad with the top up, but I don't like the B-pillars that are still there when the top is down.
This is an odd one - I saw a new Nissan Micra the other day, with diplomatic plates. Must have been a European diplomat.
Nissan will bring the Cube here, so maybe small cars like this will make it one day?
Magnums are common here in DC. I spent 3 days in Vegas recently and we counted something like 17 Chrysler 300s, oddly I have only seen one here at home in a month since. Maybe those were rental cars?
talking about wanting to get a 300 as a rental for a vacation he's planning on taking. They quoted him $125 a day!! So evidently, even as rental cars, they're a pretty hot item.
Now I don't know the trim level. I'm sure it's probably not a Hemi. I'd imagine most of the rental 300's would just be the base model, wouldn't they? Or maybe a few Tourings and Limiteds?
gmc canyon crew cab on the road yesterday. pretty good size, it was driving next to a late 90's ranger i think, the size diference was enourmous. can't wait to see the new dakota in person
...that happened to the fabled 'mini' van, I think. Yes, they are still smaller than traditional large vans, but I think that's because those have grown as well. Put a mid-80s GM van next to a new Chrysler minivan, I doubt there's much difference in size.
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While driving last weekend, I saw two VW Phaetons, both black. It was the first time I'd seen one. It looked pretty much how I figured, like a mix between an Audi A8 and a stretched Passat. It looks nice and roomy and all, but I still wouldn't pay $70K+ for one.
It took a couple of generations and a dozen years for the A8 to be recognized as an equivalent to the S-Class/7-Series/XJ8, even though Audi was already seen as a luxury brand. VW says they understand this but no one wants to spend the money to help Volkswagen achieve Luxury brand status.
I have no experience in a Benz service department, but I can say that if the Phaeton buyer is subject to typical VWUSA service and attitude, who could blame the well-heeled for dropping their kopecks somewhere else?
Heck, VW shops make Toyota shops feel all Lexusy, by comparison!
Surely dealers that sell Phaetons got some extra training. Do all VW dealers get them, or only some? I bet they need at least a brand-exclusive show room.
Well, there is some sort of selection criteria, but stand alone doesn't appear to be it. I used the dealer locater on the site, and within 50 miles of me there are 21 VW dealers of which 11 sell Phaeton. I'm familiar with one of them, and its a multi-brand center.
I'm assuming it's a volume or maybe demographic thing. Or maybe there are those who just won't pony up for the program and its attendent expenses?
when I happened to look out the window. They're still a pretty rare sight around here, but the thing that was really interesting about this one is that it has a sunroof! I didn't think they were available with a sunroof yet.
So has GM wisened up and started offering a sunroof, or do y'all think this was an aftermarket job?
...you're right, Andre, word had it that the GTO was not offered with a sunroof, either because the roof area is too short in length or because there isn't enough headroom to offer one, I imagine. It seems like domestics have been slow in general to equip their cars with sunroofs, which is kinda sad seeing as how they've been standard or at least frequently so-equipped on most upper end Japanese and Euro cars for the past twenty years or so.
I guess I missed it, but apparently there was a Maybach in front of the house today, and not the blue 57 I saw a few weeks ago (my brother said it was gold, not sure which model). Apparently a friend of our neighbor is a sales rep for them, so we see them once in a while.
As for Phaetons, I haven't seen one on the road yet at all.
I'm starting to like the "Bangleized" 5er better. This silver unit looked quite nice on the highway.
I took a long look at it in rear view after I passed him and tought the new face comes off better than I originally thought.
I didn't even notice the awkward cut for the trunk line as I passed it from behind. Do I like it as much as the E39? No, but there's hardly any four-door on the road I like as much as the E39 five series (I may shop for one this fall).
I saw a Maybach in Morristown, NJ the other day...it pulled up next to me at a light! I didn't catch which model it was, though. I'm also seeing a big increase in 2005 Chrysler 300s around here. There was kind of a delayed response in this area -- I didn't see many when they first came out, but now they are taking off.
One car that is conspicuous in its absence is the 2004 Galant. The 1999-2003 Galant was a hot seller in my region, but the new one seems to have done a face-plant. I hope Mitsu doesn't go under like some analysts are predicting -- it's always disappointing to see a brand fail. Though I bet the losers at DCX will be happy to buy up the assets at bargain prices after the bankruptcy :-/
Comments
Is it just me or does the Masgnum look smaller than it is while the 300/300C looks bigger than it is?
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I'm still impressed that, as tall as the cars are, IMO at least, they hide it very well. You'd think a relatively stubby car with a high beltline and smallish windows would look really top-heavy and tipsy, but I don't think they do at all.
I think most of the 300's I've seen so far have been silver! I saw two Magnesium ones though at a dealership in Carlisle PA over the weekend. I'm definitely in lust with them!
but somehow the high-waisted Magnum comes off smaller than it is.
That severe taper to the Magnum's roof line n the back takes away a lot of storage space. I have the same thing on my A4 to a lesser degree and it's noticeably smaller in back than the similar Passat.
It's for sure there won't be any third row seating in the back of the Magnum.
Still haven't seen any Goats in these parts. I even swung by a dealership.
I did see a silver CTS-V in front of a dealership, I kinda liked it.
Silver is by far the most common color for the 300/330C but I don't think it's the best, I'm partial to Cool Vanilla. I'm surprised I haven't seen any blues or reds.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Silver (looked good)
Black (looked great)
Dark blue (looked great)
White (don't like)
Dark, Dark red (didn't look bad, but just don't like the color)
*should have added that I think the new XJ really meets up well to Jaguar's old advertisments of "Grace, Pace, Space".
I see them fairly regularly now, and the aura around them is solid enough to slice with a knife! As a styling statement, it's a superlative.
I also seem to read little but good press as well. It's a bigger car than I'd want, but certainly it's more than beautiful enough, IMO, to desire anyway.
Tough call for me, were I looking in the class, would be between the A8L and the XJ. That would be delightfully unbearable conundrum...
;-)
I wouldn't say it looks like $150k, as Steven did, but what sedan does?
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Our local Pontiac dealer has two GTOs which are going begging: a black auto and red 6-speed. They have "V-8" written in large white letters on the windshield.
BTW- the chase ended when, after successfully leading the cops thru dozens of intersections and narrow side streets w/o getting blocked or hit the "robbers" drove up onto a lawn stopped and ran out of the car. One of 'em is still holed up inside the house.
Dunno why they stopped, the way they were going they could've gone all the way to Sacramento at least.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
IMO it's the best looking of the SUVs that are truly off-roadable, including it's cousin at Porsche......Inside and out.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2005 Scion tC
2005 Chevrolet Equinox
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The owner was obviously giving demonstration rides to all of his friends -- one at a time. Guys -- forget the Lambo, THIS is definitely a babe-magnet!
Not *bad* looking, but it does look like an afterthought compared to the regular PT Cruiser 4-door.
Nissan will bring the Cube here, so maybe small cars like this will make it one day?
Magnums are common here in DC. I spent 3 days in Vegas recently and we counted something like 17 Chrysler 300s, oddly I have only seen one here at home in a month since. Maybe those were rental cars?
-juice
Now I don't know the trim level. I'm sure it's probably not a Hemi. I'd imagine most of the rental 300's would just be the base model, wouldn't they? Or maybe a few Tourings and Limiteds?
I did, finally, see a Mazda6 wagon on the road. Amazing, Mazda wins the Guiness Book of World Records award for the slowest intro of a new body style.
I saw this car at NAIAS in April 2002. So that took 2 years and 3 months for a new body style to show up on the roads.
-juice
-juice
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2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
-juice
Gimme the A8L, says I!
It took a couple of generations and a dozen years for the A8 to be recognized as an equivalent to the S-Class/7-Series/XJ8, even though Audi was already seen as a luxury brand. VW says they understand this
but no one wants to spend the money to help Volkswagen achieve Luxury brand status.
I can't say as I blame them.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Heck, VW shops make Toyota shops feel all Lexusy, by comparison!
-juice
I'm assuming it's a volume or maybe demographic thing. Or maybe there are those who just won't pony up for the program and its attendent expenses?
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
So has GM wisened up and started offering a sunroof, or do y'all think this was an aftermarket job?
I guess I missed it, but apparently there was a Maybach in front of the house today, and not the blue 57 I saw a few weeks ago (my brother said it was gold, not sure which model). Apparently a friend of our neighbor is a sales rep for them, so we see them once in a while.
As for Phaetons, I haven't seen one on the road yet at all.
2004 Pontiac GTO in Black
2005 Chrysler 300 in Black nice and muscular looking!!
This silver unit looked quite nice on the highway.
I took a long look at it in rear view after I passed him and tought the new face comes off better than I originally thought.
I didn't even notice the awkward cut for the trunk line as I passed it from behind. Do I like it as much as the E39? No, but there's hardly any four-door on the road I like as much as the E39 five series (I may shop for one this fall).
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
One car that is conspicuous in its absence is the 2004 Galant. The 1999-2003 Galant was a hot seller in my region, but the new one seems to have done a face-plant. I hope Mitsu doesn't go under like some analysts are predicting -- it's always disappointing to see a brand fail. Though I bet the losers at DCX will be happy to buy up the assets at bargain prices after the bankruptcy :-/
-Andrew L