Is The Chrysler 300C More Than Just a Bargain Bin Bentley? 

A certified hood classic, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Anyone who puts Bentley badges on these needs a stern talking to, have seen it done.

I love my 300c. Perfect balance between muscle and luxury.

Having had a few lifts in a friend’s Chrysler, and owning a Bentley Arnage, I can safely say there is no overlap whatsoever. The Bentley is like an aircraft carrier on wheels.

I can't help but like the 300C; it may not be a very good car but they stand out from the dreary norm we usually see over here; it has imposing size and a prescence and 40 odd MPG on a run for a car that size is not too be sneezed at either.

I think it speaks volumes that the one person I know to have owned a 300C also owned an F150 Harley Davidson and then a Lincoln Navigator...

Whenever I see one of these on the road I can't help but smile because I always thought they looked so cool

There was a guy at my gym who used to boast about his Bentley but would never bring it in. He finally did and it was a 300c estate with Bentley wheels and badges all over the place. I honestly have never laughed so much. He asked me how I knew it wasn't a real Bentley. I simply told him "I don't have sh*t in my eyes" that said I do like the 300c when its not been pimped out.

JM, kudos for giving us a child - friendly channel for young petrol heads... Never lose your clean class that inspires even the very young... Cheers mate

*For anyone interested in buying one. I own two. A 07 CRD and 08 SRT design. Both 3.0 diesel, both bulletproof. Couple of things, bushings go as they’re so heavy. The actuator on the turbo goes, simple fix. Other than that, big, comfortable, cheap to run and very reliable box and engine. Gets looks everywhere it goes and is a real bruiser on the roads. Great torque and if you map it you can get 0-60 in under 6 seconds. A wonderful car, I’ll never sell either of mine. I’d highly recommend it, you won’t regret it. It’s a so-called baby Bentley, but it’s truly its own machine and identity.*

I've the 300c loads of times for wedding . We had a s class merc and a xf and xj aswell. But they all ways wanted the 300c .and ill be honest the 300 c is the best I've driven out of the other cars the looks alone says it for me ive still got my 300c done just 295.000 miles still drives like a dream love it

I had a 3.6 V6 250hp 300 Limited trim , one of the best cars i ever owned. contrary to the general belief, it was reliable AF! i put 120K on it (bought it at 40K on the clock) did some of the most amazing road trips NJ- Seattle and Ohio - Montreal to name a few in winter and summer both. no issues with it being RWD in snow. just all around an amazing car.

Finally, someone reviewing this! The fact Doug DeMuro (the American) hasn't reviewed this but has 7 videos on the same generation of Dodge Viper frustrates me. Thank you JayEmm! Don't forget to check the newer model, having owned both a 2007 and a 2013 model, the newer one is night and day ahead of the original! The difference in refinement, quality, NVH, technology, design, features, and on road feel are beyond what you'd think possible between a generation of car. Shame they were a little behind the competition by keeping this model around till 2011, but better late than never I suppose! The first gen feel like sitting in a tub of plastic, which look cool from the outside but are really underspec'd even when compared to a 90's Mercedes, having great features such as.. heated seats!.. and that's all. This gen is no where near being a budget Bentley, it's the equivalent of a construction worker in a rented suit. The later gen is roughly on par with a 2008 or so higher end Merc, Audi, BMW, Jaguar, etc when it comes to luxury features and what not; it's not an S Class per se, but does have heated and cooled seats, heated and cooled drink holders, heated steering wheel and exterior mirrors, rear motorized sunshade, ambient lighting, etc.

I appreciate a man that cuts his own hair

The black version is basically the perfect mobster car.

Not a big fan of 300C. But I make special exception for 300C SRT8, especially the second-gen with the 6.4-litre V8. Heard one with decat exhaust, that thing made an Aventador sounds asthmatic.

In black with a sprinkling of StarTech options it looked well. But the build quality quickly fell down under one wolf puff.

Interesting how they seemed to call the car the 300C over there. Here in the U.S., it was just the 300 and the C was the top trim level with the 5.7L HEMI. Then of course they introduced the SRT-8 with the 6.1L as the top dog over the C. I always liked these cars and I think the styling has aged well over the years. The 2011 redesign really took them to the next level IMO, especially the interior.

had a few of these now, last one only paying 2k for and cant fault them, beautiful to drive and will just keep going

I love it how he compares the Chrysler with my present car. Just what I needed.

Here in the US this car makes sense. It's big enough to command its space on the highway and has the relaxed handling the superslab works with. If anything, I'm rather surprised it sold in Europe given its size to any degree. Much less that people there seem to appreciate, if not applaud it.

This is uncanny. I've been looking at these in the classifieds. For that Tony Soprano vibe. I love the look of these. And you can update the multimedia to get android auto

Love the 300c. Someone had an SRT8 on my street a long time ago and was in absolute awe of it 😅

Always been a fan of these, and the estate version is top of my list if I ever need a hauler... But you can get a tidy af Jaguar X350 for the same money and that just tickles my fancy a bit more, not to mention how thorough the maintenance & support network is for Jag!

What ever you say about the car it is a fantastic car and you can put so many miles on it and it keeps going on and on 👌💯👍

Around ten years ago I hired one of these in its Lancia Thema guise and with the 3,6 l petrol engine. I took it from Munich to Innsbruck and back and can't say its performance left anything to be desired. Not shatteringly fast, but it maintained 200 quite happily.

I owned a full Startech'd up CRD in black, followed by an SRT8 when I lived in the UK, both great cars. Several cars on and also now living in Australia, I own a 2019 300 SRT (you can still buy them here), and my current SRT is a million miles away from the old 2007 model I owned. The interior is now pretty high spec, the dash, upper door panels are all leather, plenty of real carbon fibre and the oh so sweet 6.4L V8 mated to the 8 speed ZF gearbox, plus it has adaptive cruise, lane keeping, AEB etc. In comparison to other marques, still cheap to buy, mine was $77k (£41K), and as supply has almost dried up, after 2 years, it's still worth that now. Nice content BTW, really like your style and clarity.

I had a Chrysler Crossfire drop head. 3.2 V6 Merc engine and running gear. Very underrated car.

I was hoping to see Jay do my car one day. I'm happy now :)

You had to give Chrysler credit back then for making their cars look so explicitly American, whereas GM's and Fords American saloons generally looked more Japanese-inspired. The outcome of that thought was arguably not always great (PT cruiser), but with the 300C I think it worked particularly well. They definitely displayed some pride about their identity and when you think about it, that's also what characterizes the greatest American classics. Only mistakes with regard to the 300C: to keep it in production for far too long and try to sell it as a Lancia thema in Europe. That was FCA's "contribution" to its story ...

The estate version of this is one of the best looking estate cars in my opinion.

I had the 6 cylinder limited and pushed it to 100,000 miles plus in all kinds of conditions with no real issues except caused by a collison. one of my fave modern cars with a touch of older looks and frankly not enough boxy cars exist with that luxury style. An amazing car for me eventually sold it during this crazy car market cause I wanted to change some aspects of my life but i will always love these cars till I die even if some people have good reasons to never buy one

We were lucky here in Australia as we got both the 5.7 and 6.1 litre engines, the 6.1 was very similar to HSV Clubsport in performance and was the only saving grace to it's woeful build quality. Another great review. Nice one James.

I own a 2012 300 SRT8, with the 6.4 L gas engine. The transmission is a Mercedes designed unit, the 5 speed W5A580 (called NAG1 when built by for Chrysler) through about 2014 for the V8 and I think also the CRD diesel. The current transmission is an 8 speed ZF designed unit. These are great vehicles, particularly the SRTs.

LOL I thought I'd stumbled upon one of your earliest videos... scrolled down to look at the release date and to my surprise it was released only yesterday! That hairstyle has knocked a few years off you! Great review as always! ps. I don't fancy you.. it was just an observation

I bought one of these in May, a facelift SRT-Design, fantastic car 👌🏼

Owning a Chrysler over the long haul is like signing up for long term torture. The corner cutting is substantial and durability can be poor. The chassis is indeed made from the 1997+ warmed over Benz parts and designs. Chrysler made a big deal of that. Overall these are more like "inspired by" than a "bargain bin" version. The deal with cars like this is that they will be pretty satisfying for a while but the weaknesses will emerge before too long and God help you when things start to go wrong. (A 2004 Concorde Limited which was a very appealing near luxury car when new, had 3 camshaft position sensors fail by 70,000 miles, leaving me stranded twice of an evening and the dealer tried to say it wasn't covered by the powertrain warranty because it was not a lubricated part - corporate had to sort that out for them and I did end up getting reimbursed by the head office.) Once they start to get a little age you find them in the hands of people who care more about putting nice wheels on a car than maintenance and you might feel well at home in the less savory parts of a big city. My family had Chryslers for years and they always left one a little disappointed. If you want to see a real barge, find a mid 80s Fifth Avenue to drive in the US. You could be forgiven for thinking they forgot to connect the steering rack fully. But here's something funny about Concorde Limited. The first time I parked next to a CLS 500, I was shocked. Yep, the front end of the CLS was cribbed from Chrysler (hood, headlights, etc.) although the rear was definitely more of an "inspired by" job (like Mercedes finished what Detroit started). In a lot of ways, that is what Chrysler became by the 70s and 80s - inspired by luxury with some 70s flash. It was near premium in many ways but always missed the quality benchmark set by Cadillac, Olds, or Buick. Historically Chrysler made some beautiful cars, however. I always wanted them to deliver what they promised. My mother even had the Plymouth Reliant K. At one point both my parents had 1985 sedans - New Yorker with its cool voice alerts, blue velour, and digital dash, and the Fifth Avenue with wire wheel covers, pillowy red leather, and floaty ride quality. Given how important Chrysler was to the US automotive industry, I always wanted them to make a successful reboot. Now the old Chrysler group really endures because of the importance of the Dodge/Ram product and Jeep, which really was not a Chrysler product at its origin anyway. But if you ever get to see an old Cordoba, you may just find yourself asking, "What IS Corinthian leather, anyway?"

The mis-spaced, Fisher Price number plate shouts 'bell-end'.

I just wish we got this version here in the US. Thank you.

I don’t know why but I always had a soft spot for these 90s and 00s American barges. It’s like Snickers chocolate bars. You know they are bad but you still like them anyway.

Bought my Chrysler 300crd Estate new in 2010 when heavily discounted, cheaper than a basic Ford Focus. I had a performance chip upgrade increasing power by 30%+ and quicker than a lot of BMW, Audi etc. Mpg 18-22 local 38+ on a run. Maintenance main service usually £250-300 as holds a lot of oil and includes mot test. Flew thru mot's until last year needing a T. R. End. Covered just under 20k in that time replacing set of tyre's and an alternator due to fuel leak into the bearing which was stopped from happening again with chrysler mod £25.00. Drives very well still and always gets looks. Only complaint is drivers seat cushion cover in leather cracks, replacement by chrysler £600+ just for base cover but replacement available from usa for £130 plus import taxes. Check insurance before buying as in group 40 some as high as 45 depending on insurer £350 for 3000mls per annum modified or £5-650 std for 40yr old. Common faults when buying is suspension as rubber dries out as they age, approx £250 for complete front set of wishbones and tcarms etc. Alternator failure replacements approx from £120, turbo seal replacement kit £30+ labour. Not an expensive car to use and can be self maintained with simple tools. Great car for little money, just buy right.

Hmmm the same way the crossfire ‘draws inspiration’ from the SLK 😂

I've got a 2008 crd SRT design estate in black with all black interior and factory fitted 20" wheels, I absolutely love it, I paid 3.2 for it

I worked for Daimler Chrysler UK at the time and the information given to us was it is fully based around the w210 E class chassis

I hired one in Montreal, I think it had a 2.7 V6 that we didn’t get in Europe. It seemed enormous and drove very nicely. The dashboard electronics were spectacularly awful. Apart from that I liked it.

My neighbour had a 300c when I had a Monaro VXR. We bonded over V8s. Outside of that I don’t know anything about them!

I own Chrysler 300C 3.0 CRD for about 15 years is a reliable vehicle . The 5.7 Hemi engine is the most suitable and get good gas mileage combined. Good companion for long distances trip . I definitively buy a new 300C . Overall speaking the 300C is great vehicle.

I had this bad boy for arround 2 months last winter. I had it on 16inch rims with giant tires (crappy roads here). It was soo smooth that i had to do the same on my old w211 e class. It looks kinda funny but trust me the ride quality is someting you have never seen before

Having owned a few american cars including Pontiac, Lincoln and a Chrysler 300c with the Hemi engine. All bought from the sadly now closed Bauer Millet Manchester. The 300c gave a taste on a Bentley styled car at a sensible price. Even with the Hemi engine performace was brisk but it was no Mustang V8 The estate body had huge carrying capacity, and as James said, the Black paint looked good, but way too prone to stone chips. The build quality was very good, with no rattles, to drive it felt big, and was not at home on twisty back roads, on the motorway, it was a good long distance cruiser. Weak spot was the suspension, which always seemed to need work at MOT time. If you get a chance to try one, i think it will change your mind about USA cars.

Bit of a throwback to Rover P5 pethaps but still a good looking motor, especially as a touring

Build quality out of Austria is much better than the USA, as we found with our Chrysler Voyager many years ago

I have the estate version in dark blue and I don't see the saloon (or the estate obviously) as even close to a Bentley of any age. I love the car for exactly what it is. A big, comfy, lazy cruiser on the cheap. Mine has had the usual turbo actuator and swirl flap motor issues but both were easily and cheaply rectified. (Don't bother with the bypass wire, just clean the swirl flap motor plug with switch cleaner and compressed air.) Nothing else looks like the 300C. Love them or hate them they're a great left field choice.

I have two of the 2005s, I modified everything under the hood myself on the 5.7 hemi and it is a reliable car that has taken me across America more than five times. I am a tall heavy guy and this car has taken the abuse and is still running hard.

Always loved the styling of these! Very stately and yes gangster ish lol. I’d love a black one with tints and giant chrome wheels. In a similar way to my blacked out V8 Lexus GS430

I had one of these in a dark blue/grey colour with plenty of chrome and lots of upgrades that I did myself. I also originally had 18 inch wheels, then bought 20 inch wheels from SRT model and after that put on beautiful 22 inch wheels. You would expect ride quality to be poor with these massive wheels but it was actually better than with 18 inch ones unless you drive trough a big pothole. On the dash you can access the secret menu where you can time your 0-60 run and I did it in 6.8 seconds before the car was modified. Pretty respectable torque for a big car like that. I loved this car but I found it very unreliable with all suspension bushes wearing out in less than a year, constant problems with a boost sensor leaking manifolds, etc and eventually I had enough of this money pit and bought an old and reliable golf instead

as my grandma used to say, 'damned with faint praise'. There are not that many v8 powered RWD 4 door sedans here in the US any more, although that used to be the most popular, along with another fav of mine, the 2 door hardtop. I like them. I drive a twin, the Charger R/T with the 5.7 v8 and it's great. yea the Mopar's cheaped out on the interiors...they always did forever, but it kept the price down and all the mechanics made up for it cause they were always more of a performer than the competition.

Always liked the design of these, it was always unique. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

I love my 06 300c 5.7 AWD, it's a blast to drive and can be used year round, especially with maine winter's. I just woolwax it heavy and send it. One of my all time favorite cars along with the 87-93 foxbodys

When that generation 300C first dropped, it was an instant hit. And yes it was always compared to a Bentley. In fact, I remember someone remarking that it was assembled at the same place as the Bentley. I highly doubt that claim. Regardless, it's nice to see that Chrysler had the resources to have it sold in Europe. Excellent review, sir.✌🏻🇺🇸

Iv owned one of these cars ( hemi v8 ) absolutely brilliant car loads of quality at a fraction of cost 👌🏻 iv also owned a Bentley and a Rolls Royce this car is up there with both 👌🏻

Be thankful you don’t have Chrysler dealers in the UK. They’d make your favourite McLaren dealership look respectable.

There's one of these for sale for about £3000 down the road from me. It's been there a while!

very good review, thanks a lot

Good value? Yes. Pleasant? Undoubtedly. Surprisingly good, also. But so is the large, superseed loaf at my local Aldi. Video nailed it, as at no point did I find myself wanting one.

I did my longest drive in one of these - Orlando to Miami to Key West and back (800 miles) in 2009. It was okay but didn't do anything special, except fit in well in Miami 🤣 Thanks for the video 👍

I daily one these in the uk and am 23 and I love it don't care what people think about it just like like driving something a bit different to your typical bmw or vw golf.

The car that I've dreamed since 2009 and I am not giving up hope that one day I can afford it. 💕

Had my 300c 3 years love it. Lowered, 22inch star tech alloys and star tech body kit blacked out windows and no Bentley badges, power by storm tech badges people oggle it all the time the storm tech badges confuse them I love my little chrysler

Always liked the exterior styling of those (still do) & went to view a 4 year old 5.7 V8 one at a Chrysler dealer about 10 years ago. The low rent interior & the chrome on the bumpers already starting to corrode put me off. Bought a slightly older Merc W211 E500 instead. The later face-lifted 300C just didn't do it for me at all.

So I live outside the Metro-Detroit area where these things live and die. The amount of clapped-out 300s and Chargers (mostly the V6) here is insane. Seeing a 300C in such nice condition is a rare occurrence for me lmao Edit:”Shoulda had a V8.” -Ice Cube

I never thought Bentley when I saw the 300C but it reminds me very much of a modern take on the Rover P5 especially the Coupe version.

Next time, try to get a Dodge Calibre….another strange creation based on VW Golf parts but the Service Loan car that I had for a week started off as a joke..tho inside was made of plastic that would be turned down for milk bottles and the build quality was something they had forgotten to think of BUT it actually drove very well! The radio was good, the seats pleasant and the performance very acceptable…I started off not wanting to be seen sat in it…but after 2/3 days, I began to like it and at the end of the week, wondered about buying one! I didn’t which was a better idea but that would be an interesting comparison to the 300C!! You’re safe..I haven’t got one but add that and a Chrysler Alpine to your list!! Stay safe! Richard😃😃😃😃😃

When Holden shut down here in Australia, the cops were worried that they were gonna struggle to find the meth dealers, without the hotted up commodores driving around low socio economic areas... They need not have feared, a second or third hand 300C is always a safe bet.

These were good cars especially with the Hemi great power and decent fuel economy and not as expensive as a Mercedes, BMW or Audi to own. But I don't get it why they changed the suspension to more "European" on these for the EU market...

I like the look, it's a car you look at as it drives past

Sadly North America never got the diesel option nor the station wagon. I owned a ‘06 AWD with the Hemi and put 320,000 km on it. Spectacular highway car. Then bought a second edition 2013 and put 380,000 on it. Even better in every respect especially the interior.

I honestly didn't know these had any connection to rap and hip-hop culture. I think more of Bentleys, and if you're old-school, Mercs (or if you're even more old school, a '64 Impala I guess). If you're going SRT8, the Charger looks more aggressive.

I’m loving that you’ve tested this!! Not because I want or even like them, but because my mum’s fella has just bought one off a mate of his. It has Bentley badges on it 🙄 and when asked what it was, he said it was a Daimler 🤦🏾‍♂️. As you can imagine, he’s not too well versed on cars (his previous car was an X-Type). My wife has asked a few times “Is that a Bentley?” Only for me to respond “Nope, just some idiot sticking Bentley badges on an American car that looks slightly like one”. She’s somewhat confused as to why someone would do that 😂 Great video as always though. Keep em coming 👍🏾

I had a newer version of this - a 300S - in the states a few years back as a hire car for 3 weeks. It was actually quite a nice car on the surface - lots of equipment, built pretty well, reasonable turn of pace etc etc…just one rather large niggle - it was deeply (and painfully) uncomfortable on long journeys. I don’t know if the ride was too hard or the seat (or both) but I ended up having to buy a cushion to sit on driving from Vegas to Pasadena. I don’t recall ever driving a more uncomfortable car - and that’s coming from a Mini GP3 owner. I’d also driven a (new shape) Mustang GT on previous ventures there which had far superior ride comfort - and that’s not a car known for its waftability either. Not for me thanks!

Thanks J!

I have the SRT8, best car I have ever owned. And with an upgraded Android Auto/Apple Car Play Stereo, I have everything I need (except fuel efficiency 😔)

you're also driving a v6. the v6's are underpowered and mostly nothing but issues. once you get the v8, you'll have a shit ton more fun with the 5.7 since it's the engine that is shared with all of their r/t trims

How funny it is to be a small European manual transmission car loving American and watching a European car show touting the benefits of this big American car. Kudos on another excellent video James! It helped me take close look at a car often in traffic every day that never, ever appealed to me. Still doesn't, but a fun and educational video to watch none the less. Cheers all from Charlotte, NC

I have the touring and it’s one of the best cars I’ve had, and I’ve had vette’s, Camero’s and mustangs.

It's a shame this isn't the V8 version, I'm actually surprised that this one has a turbo diesel six in it since we don't have those here in the states, though we do have the 3.5 L gasoline version which has 250 horsepower. I have the 5.7 hemi and it's whole different experience for the 300, it makes any deficiencies the car may have worth it, and I hope you get the chance to drive one, and contrary to what Jeremy Clarkson stated on his review several years ago, you can in fact disengage traction control fully whenever you please. All in all, a very nice car for the money, a lot of fun with a V8.

Speaking as an American who was old enough to remember the big giant cars back in the day; this reminds me of them. Big on the outside, small on the inside. Doesn't handle well. Crappy interior.

There're a lovely looking car, reminds me of the old Rover P5

Very nice stately looking car always fancied one never got one but I’ve got a Grand Voyager

Apparently the SLK & Chrysler crossfire are closely related

I wonder how many 300c tourings (wagon/estates) are registered in the UK. I know they were sold in other parts of Europe so one probably made it in.

Very good video I’m going to sell my BMW5 serious to buy one you have given a good description thank you very much Eddie

I like the look, but every time I see a silver 300 C sedan I think of Bree from Desperate Housewives. A guy driving for Speedwell taxis had a silver wagon and it was nice but cheap feeling inside. A friend has an SRT8 and he loves it.

American cars didn't do well in Australia as well, because the build quality is atrocious. Comparing one of these things to a Bentley is a bit of a stretch!

These were failry common in Germany back during the Daimler-Chrysler days. They look imposing but not as much as an S-Class or a Bentley Arnage does. I wouldn't get the Diesel though, this car needs a bit more horses.

While on holiday in Florida a few years back I had a lovely pearlescent red AWD 5.7L Hemi powered 300c . It had tan leather and all the toys. Had it for 3 weeks and was sad to give it back. Only downside was about 16mpg LOL.

I thought the "c" package gave the car a V8 hemi. I own a 300c fully loaded with the 5.7 and love it. I've never ever seen a "c" with a v6.

I've driven a slightly newer 300 as a rental car. I have to say, I never expected to see one on JayEmm on Cars. As an American, I almost always find American cars unappealing thanks to their cheap interiors, but the 300 was not bad at all, at least for a rental. The rental car was a Touring, to which you alluded in the video, so it had leather and heated seats, even in the rear. It was a relatively okay car to drive - surprisingly well-tuned, if a bit lazy. The engine was a 3.6-liter gas V-6, however, which I found to be perfectly quick enough in that 4000-pound boat of a car. Honestly, not my favorite car, but it was the kind of rental car you want - roomy and not bargain-basement level of plastics or equipment. As far as owning one... meh.

It was dire. Anyone in motor trade selling these knew !!! That dash trim woeful. The oily bits weren’t strong. Engine aside. Gearbox was from Merc if remember. Or maybe not. . These were very very curious back in the day they came out.

If I could find a fast one, in green, like the one Heisenberg had, I'd be very very tempted to buy one.

i own one, a 2008, the reason why bought one, is i like mopar, also it's about as close as you'll get to a modern day valiant in my opinion, as they discontinued the valiant in the early 80s, i also own a 1968 chrysler valiant, im in New Zealand, the 68 is a V8, the 08 is diesel, wouldn't mind getting my hands a station wagon V8 300, the 08 is my daily drive, 7.5 litres a 100, its actually cheaper than most cars on the road, i find the seating very comfortable, i set it low, bogan style, i like your honest review, you know if you want luxury buy a Bentley, a Chrysler 300c just doesn't cut mustard, it's classic American muscle made for cruising and straight roads, although the 300c can handle corners well, stick to the speed limit of course, ive driven big cars all my life, i know what too expect from a car like the Chrysler 300c it's like driving old school muscle,