Rinaldo
02-04-2006, 05:54 PM
Hey guys, I'm new to the boards and wanted to introduce myself. I'm Rinaldo, 22 from California. I love the Chrysler 300, ever since the first pics of it surfaced in 2003, I've wanted the car. However, a twist of fate had it's way and when making a choice I believe I made a bad one. You see, before having ever seen the 300 for the first time, my eyes were set on the 2005 Mustang GT concept. I'm a mopar guy all the way, my family has always driven Chrysler, from a Volare to Dodge Conversion Van, a 1985 New Yorker, '95 Dodge Caravan and my first car, a '97 Plymouth Neon. I've always heard stuff about Fords, but the Mustang is an icon, my Neon was getting old and I was saving for up for a car that'd be it's replacement. I said, "I'm going to keep a balanced mind, regardless of make, if I like the car, I'll go for it." So my interest in the '05 Mustang grew. When I saw the silver one with raised white letters, bullit rims, red interior, and retro look it drew me in. I said "as soon as I save up and the car comes out I'm getting it!" Then I saw the 300C.
I loved it. It looked so revolutionary, luxurious, it was a mopar. The Silver 300C was the one I liked the most. (I have a thing for silver, lol) Just like the one the guy at www.dodgeboy.net (http://www.dodgeboy.net) has. It emboddied American Muscle and Elegance. I even test drove the HEMI the month it was released. Yes, my dream car was a Viper for the longest time, but at $85,000 seemed more of an unnatainable fantasy. For the first time in my life with the 300C I felt a dream car was within eventual reach, and that it was totally me, it had my name all over it, in an almost a personal level I connected with the car like it had been designed for me like separated at birth lol. I mean I felt like everybody has a car that is for them and this one was mine. Now I was torn. Which car would I get? My gut said, the Chrysler is the type of car you've always wanted and dreamed in your head and now they've made it. Then I talked to people and asked what they thought. Most responses especially from the girls: "that looks like a bankers car" "it looks like a box" "the grill is ugly" "It looks for a more mature and older person" "it looks old and retro like a 50's car". Ok I would say, this is no grandpa's car. It has presence, raw power, it is intimidating and bravely designed. It's not a cookie cutter toyota or cab forward car that looks like 95% of what is out there. It's not some ricey looking thing. It's American all the way. And all those things they made negatives were exactly what I liked about it! Some even said "You'd look out of place in the 300."
Then I heard, "Go with the Mustang, it's fast sporty, looks killer and your young and you'd totally look great in it". I believed this too. So I went with what people said, not with my gut. I then sold the Neon, bought the 2005 Mustang GT Auto, Silver exterior, Red Leather bucket seats, Shaker 500 deck, interior upgrade dash, bullit rims. You step inside and it reminds you of the 60's car. I even got the missing pony corral for it, and then raised white letter tires to make it look like a retro muscle car. I got a great deal, all for $30,000 out the door only $500 markup. Most places here in California were marking it up $5,000 - 7,000 pricing it at $37,000. I figured I got a steal. People liked it. I liked it.
That was in April 2005. Time passed and I kept seeing 300C's. I pictured myself with it. I started doubting my decision. It was as if I said, ok i have my Mustang, why do I find that I still wish for the Chrysler? Problems then started cropping up with the Mustang. I had this nauseating feeling that I had neglected my gut instinct and was starting to pay for it. First the car started having problems with filling the fuel. The gas tank had to be replaced and soon found out thousands of Mustang owners had the same issue and a TSB was issued. Then my front struts made popping sounds. Had those replaced as many others did too. The CD deck was bad, spitting out discs, had that fixed too. The Dash is made of hard plastic and rattles like hell. There is a lot of lag in the shifting with the computerized throttle controller where the car just bucks sometimes and it takes 1-2 seconds delay when punching the accelerator and it moves. Under throttle the engine will make pinging sounds the dealer hears these but tells me they are normal. No other car has ever done that to me. The transmission clunks when shifting the gear from park to drive and reverse. The suspension is hard and any bump makes the car rattle and the car clunk. It's a new car, my neon felt better built and less rough of a ride when driving. It's like I love the car, but it's unreliable in 1 year it's been to the dealer over a dozen times, some things get fixed some don't, Others have had the same complaints. Now I see why the talk about Ford. What's worse is that it draws from the enjoyment of the car and makes me feel like I should have gone with the 300C. Everytime I see one, I have regrets.
One of the times the dealer had the car for a weekend, they gave me a free rental. By luck they had a Silver 300. V6 model. Base everything inside pretty much. I drove the thing and I kicked myself even more. The command I felt driving it, people look, people move out of your way, it intimidates more than than the Mustang does. I felt comfortable, and the transmission was so smooth sifting gears, I did not notice any hesitation. The acceleration was very smooth. Even though it wasn't as fast as the Mustang everything felt so liquid it just made it fun to drive. I can't describe it. It's almost as if I had more fun driving a large sadan V6 than a sporty V8 because it felt like it was much more alive and responsive in some ways. I know, they are 2 different kinds of cars in different classes and it is kind of dumb to compare but still.
The best part was the suspension. It drove so smoth over even the roughest roads. In this part of California, roads are a mess, potholes, loose gravel uneven roads. I always felt like I was driving on a bouncy cloud. The sound system sounded superb for stock. After driving the horrid suspension in the Mustang I felt dissapointed, the marketing people made it seem like it was so much more advanced than before. It's hard, it's clunky and even when the car kicks up gravel it spins around the wheel walls and seems to get stuck in there. So I've discovered that suspension is a biggie for me now.
With all this I said to myself, if this is what the V6 can do, I wonder how happy a HEMI will make me! So now I'm thinking no matter what anyone says the next car will be the 300C. I've even read reliability reports and besides the 300C pulling to the side and some tranny issues with the V6's I have not read of any major rattles, engine problems, suspension or component problems like the Mustang has had. I have settled I will never get another Ford ever. Now that the Challenger concept came out it makes the Mustang look kind of puny. I'm sure it will handle like a champ too. So I guess I was hoping you guys would give me your input on your 300 experiences. Anybody here have/ or drive both a new Mustang and 300C? How do you compare them? As far as the suspension I understand there are differences between the base model and the 300C? I mean both are IRS as opposed to live axle which is really good, but will the 300C ride harder than the base? I loved the way the rental handled and wouldn't change a thing on it. It was smooth as butter. I just was wondering if there's a big difference if any. I can't stand those hard stiff rides.
This is what my 300 would come loaded with: Silver 300C with Sunroof, 18" stock rims, dark slate interior with California walnut wood grain, navigation system, remote start. I'm hoping to get it within 18 months. Thankfully my job pays good. I may even sell the Mustang. I really liked this board for info, and hope to be a regular on the boards.
I loved it. It looked so revolutionary, luxurious, it was a mopar. The Silver 300C was the one I liked the most. (I have a thing for silver, lol) Just like the one the guy at www.dodgeboy.net (http://www.dodgeboy.net) has. It emboddied American Muscle and Elegance. I even test drove the HEMI the month it was released. Yes, my dream car was a Viper for the longest time, but at $85,000 seemed more of an unnatainable fantasy. For the first time in my life with the 300C I felt a dream car was within eventual reach, and that it was totally me, it had my name all over it, in an almost a personal level I connected with the car like it had been designed for me like separated at birth lol. I mean I felt like everybody has a car that is for them and this one was mine. Now I was torn. Which car would I get? My gut said, the Chrysler is the type of car you've always wanted and dreamed in your head and now they've made it. Then I talked to people and asked what they thought. Most responses especially from the girls: "that looks like a bankers car" "it looks like a box" "the grill is ugly" "It looks for a more mature and older person" "it looks old and retro like a 50's car". Ok I would say, this is no grandpa's car. It has presence, raw power, it is intimidating and bravely designed. It's not a cookie cutter toyota or cab forward car that looks like 95% of what is out there. It's not some ricey looking thing. It's American all the way. And all those things they made negatives were exactly what I liked about it! Some even said "You'd look out of place in the 300."
Then I heard, "Go with the Mustang, it's fast sporty, looks killer and your young and you'd totally look great in it". I believed this too. So I went with what people said, not with my gut. I then sold the Neon, bought the 2005 Mustang GT Auto, Silver exterior, Red Leather bucket seats, Shaker 500 deck, interior upgrade dash, bullit rims. You step inside and it reminds you of the 60's car. I even got the missing pony corral for it, and then raised white letter tires to make it look like a retro muscle car. I got a great deal, all for $30,000 out the door only $500 markup. Most places here in California were marking it up $5,000 - 7,000 pricing it at $37,000. I figured I got a steal. People liked it. I liked it.
That was in April 2005. Time passed and I kept seeing 300C's. I pictured myself with it. I started doubting my decision. It was as if I said, ok i have my Mustang, why do I find that I still wish for the Chrysler? Problems then started cropping up with the Mustang. I had this nauseating feeling that I had neglected my gut instinct and was starting to pay for it. First the car started having problems with filling the fuel. The gas tank had to be replaced and soon found out thousands of Mustang owners had the same issue and a TSB was issued. Then my front struts made popping sounds. Had those replaced as many others did too. The CD deck was bad, spitting out discs, had that fixed too. The Dash is made of hard plastic and rattles like hell. There is a lot of lag in the shifting with the computerized throttle controller where the car just bucks sometimes and it takes 1-2 seconds delay when punching the accelerator and it moves. Under throttle the engine will make pinging sounds the dealer hears these but tells me they are normal. No other car has ever done that to me. The transmission clunks when shifting the gear from park to drive and reverse. The suspension is hard and any bump makes the car rattle and the car clunk. It's a new car, my neon felt better built and less rough of a ride when driving. It's like I love the car, but it's unreliable in 1 year it's been to the dealer over a dozen times, some things get fixed some don't, Others have had the same complaints. Now I see why the talk about Ford. What's worse is that it draws from the enjoyment of the car and makes me feel like I should have gone with the 300C. Everytime I see one, I have regrets.
One of the times the dealer had the car for a weekend, they gave me a free rental. By luck they had a Silver 300. V6 model. Base everything inside pretty much. I drove the thing and I kicked myself even more. The command I felt driving it, people look, people move out of your way, it intimidates more than than the Mustang does. I felt comfortable, and the transmission was so smooth sifting gears, I did not notice any hesitation. The acceleration was very smooth. Even though it wasn't as fast as the Mustang everything felt so liquid it just made it fun to drive. I can't describe it. It's almost as if I had more fun driving a large sadan V6 than a sporty V8 because it felt like it was much more alive and responsive in some ways. I know, they are 2 different kinds of cars in different classes and it is kind of dumb to compare but still.
The best part was the suspension. It drove so smoth over even the roughest roads. In this part of California, roads are a mess, potholes, loose gravel uneven roads. I always felt like I was driving on a bouncy cloud. The sound system sounded superb for stock. After driving the horrid suspension in the Mustang I felt dissapointed, the marketing people made it seem like it was so much more advanced than before. It's hard, it's clunky and even when the car kicks up gravel it spins around the wheel walls and seems to get stuck in there. So I've discovered that suspension is a biggie for me now.
With all this I said to myself, if this is what the V6 can do, I wonder how happy a HEMI will make me! So now I'm thinking no matter what anyone says the next car will be the 300C. I've even read reliability reports and besides the 300C pulling to the side and some tranny issues with the V6's I have not read of any major rattles, engine problems, suspension or component problems like the Mustang has had. I have settled I will never get another Ford ever. Now that the Challenger concept came out it makes the Mustang look kind of puny. I'm sure it will handle like a champ too. So I guess I was hoping you guys would give me your input on your 300 experiences. Anybody here have/ or drive both a new Mustang and 300C? How do you compare them? As far as the suspension I understand there are differences between the base model and the 300C? I mean both are IRS as opposed to live axle which is really good, but will the 300C ride harder than the base? I loved the way the rental handled and wouldn't change a thing on it. It was smooth as butter. I just was wondering if there's a big difference if any. I can't stand those hard stiff rides.
This is what my 300 would come loaded with: Silver 300C with Sunroof, 18" stock rims, dark slate interior with California walnut wood grain, navigation system, remote start. I'm hoping to get it within 18 months. Thankfully my job pays good. I may even sell the Mustang. I really liked this board for info, and hope to be a regular on the boards.