Category: Executive 
Price Range: £27,600 to £32,500
Unique image, excellent value for money, more character than rivals, good Mercedes diesel V6.
HEMI thirst, quality not on par with rivals, image may put some off.
The 300C is an executive car like no other and will divide opinion. We love it - others will hate it.
Fuel economy is always going to be the killer with the 300C. The HEMI models feature a Multi-Displacement System that shuts down half of the V8's bank of cylinders at low speeds when off the throttle. This is designed to improve fuel economy and emissions, which is especially important in Europe. In practice, however, you're always stretching the V8 just so you - and, more importantly, those around you - can hear that unmistakable woofle. Official combined consumption for the 5.7-litre is 24.8mpg, with the 6.1-litre coming in at around 20mpg: you'll be very lucky to achieve these under normal driving conditions, however - expect real world figures in the teens.
The diesel returns 34.9mpg and, even after accounting for differences encountered in real-world driving, it makes for a much more sensible choice. CO2 emissions are also much lower in the diesel, at 215g/km compared to 291g/km for the 5.7-litre HEMI.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Chrysler 300C
wrote on 10 10 2007