2009 Chrysler 300 Review and Specifications

Upon introduction, the LX [Discontinued] is equipped with a standard 2.7-liter, V6, 178-horsepower engine that achieves 18-mpg in the city and 26-mpg on the highway. A 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard. The C AWD is equipped with a standard 5.7-liter, V8, 360-horsepower engine that achieves 16-mpg in the city and 23-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

The full-size Chrysler shares it rear- and all-wheel-drive platform with its fraternal twin, the Dodge Charger. The Chrysler 300 exudes a quiet refinement and solid feel that is missing in some of its rivals. Conceived and developed when Mercedes-Benz owned Chrysler, the 300 has some Mercedes-sourced parts, such as the multilink rear suspension and the available five-speed automatic. A limousine-like long-wheelbase version, dubbed the Walter P. Chrysler Executive Edition, is available for those who need or want even more interior space, but it’s expensive and so probably best left to fleet customers.


Four engines are available in the 300. The rear-drive LX trim level comes with a 178-hp, 2.7-liter V-6 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission and achieves an EPA estimated 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. The 2.7-liter struggles to move the 300, but it proves to be an efficient and relatively silent engine once you’re actually under way.
Meanwhile, the steering started pulling to the right - after three dealer "fixes" - each time it is fixed for about 500 miles then gradually starts pulling to the right again - I'm sure the dealer will get it right "next time".

The transmission began shifting roughly and erratically around 12,000 miles - now, at 35,000 is it making strange grinding noises shifting between 2nd and 3rd and shifts at inappropriate rpm shift points.