2005 Chrysler 300C

The 300C'S arrival into our long-term-test fleet was a most anticipated one. Chrysler's square-shouldered sedan became a pop-culture It car the day it went on sale and marked the return of a Hemi V-8 and rear drive to the company's automotive roster. Its look was hot, the price-point attractive, and who wouldn't want 340 horsepower on tap for $35 grand?

The 300 lineup won our Car of the Year award for 2005, thus earning a tester an automatic spot in the Motor Trend garage for a 12-month workout. Chrysler obliged us with a Magnesium Pearl over Slate/Graystone example that looked great on its polished 18-inch wheels.

What's the best way to break in a new luxury sedan? Vegas, baby! This editor gave the car a 750-mile introductory trip, and it looked mahvelous trolling up and down the Strip. The 300 was relatively new at the time, and it drew as many looks as rides costing five times as much.

Eighty mph proves to be the 300C's bare minimum cruising speed, and the goodness of its Mercedes-sourced underpinnings (suspension and transmission to name a few) shines through immediately. The seats are comfortable for long hauls, and these seat heaters are on it-they get hot, and fast. The large, square trunk holds everything asked of it, and the optional audio system with Boston Acoustic speakers and 368-watt amp sounded terrific.

It took a while to get used to the deep dashboard that causes the windshield to seem a long way from the driver's eyes. Some editors commented on the tunnel-vision view from the front seats-not so different from the New Beetle's, just in a larger scale-but after we all drove the car awhile, we became accustomed and forgot about it. One staffer described it as a "cramped feel" and appreciated that our car featured a moonroof. Such is the price of that gangsta profile.