Review: 2015 Chrysler 300C Platinum – Part 2
The Chrysler 300C Platinum powers the rear wheels via this 5.7L HEMI V8 engine that puts out 363 horsepower and 392 lb-ft of torque. Let’s stop there for a second and speak about what a HEMI V8 engine is. A Hemi engine (derived from the word hemisphere) is an internal combustion engine in which the roof of each cylinder’s combustion chamber is of hemispherical form rather than being flat. This creates efficient combustion with minimal heat loss. That’s important because fuel that is near the head walls in a flat head engine may be so cool that it does not burn efficiently. In a HEMI engine, the surface area is much smaller than in a flat head, so less heat escapes and peak pressure can be higher. That means more power and more fun for you. Now if you really want to go into greater detail, this Wikipedia article talks about this design in greater detail. But the bottom line is that if you want a V8 in your car, the HEMI has to be on your list.
Now you’re thinking “Man, it must just drink gas.” My response would be that it has two tricks up its sleeve to solve that. One is that the 300C Platinum has a class exclusive 8 speed automatic transmission. Shifts were essentially transparent which means that there’s nothing for me to complain about on that front. To help save you more gas, this HEMI V8 can also disable 4 cylinders via sensors that are used to detect when full power isn’t necessary (typically during highway cruising, but I saw this happen in the city as well) for improved efficiency. The cool thing is that you never, ever notice that this happens. In fact, I had to configure the instrument cluster to tell me when it was in 4 cylinder mode because I was unable to tell. That is impressive. So was the fact that it was easy to blow by anything you wanted to with the slightest touch of the go pedal.
Now this is a full sized vehicle, but it doesn’t drive like one for the most part. While the 300C Platinum is not a canyon carver, and understeer and body roll will appear if you take an on-ramp a bit too fast for example, it does handle surprisingly well. Darting in and out of traffic on the highway requires minimal input and generates minimal complaints from this Chrysler. Though I will note that the steering lacks any sort of road feel. The suspension is on the firm side, but it is tuned to be more comfortable than sporty. Though I will note that you will feel more severe bumps as you drive. On the highway, this is a great vehicle to drive. This is the sort of vehicle that you want if you go on a road trip because its highway manners are so good.
Speaking of sporty, you get a sport mode button that when you press it, it does the following:
• Accelerator pedal response sharpens
• The transmission raises shift points and provides firm/fast shift engagement
• Paddle shifters are readied for use (though I will note that you can use them at any time which is nice)
• The steering activates its sport performance settings
It can make the 300C really fun to drive. But again, this is not a canyon carver. So there is a limit on how much fun you can have.
From a noise, vibration, and harshness standpoint, there’s only tire noise. I never noticed wind noise at all and the cabin is very quiet. Sight lines in all directions are very good as well which was a huge problem on the previous generation 300C.
Downsides? Only one. I’m currently averaging 16.4 L/100 KM’s in rush hour and stop and go highway traffic. I’m not shocked by this in the slightest, but I do hope it improves over this week.
Speaking of the cabin, I’ll be looking at that tomorrow. And it’s one area where Chrysler has made every effort to impress you.
Leave a Reply