2008 Chrysler 300C

What: 2008 Chrysler 300C with SRT Design appearance package

How Much: $36,070 base price; $44,135 as tested

What's Hot: Sirius Backseat TV, awesome seats, it's still got a Hemi

What's Not: Aging looks, soft and heavy feeling, more interior work needed

On The Road: It's been a while since I've slid behind the wheel of a Chrysler 300c, as the vehicle hasn't changed much since it helped usher in Detroit's rear-drive, V-8 revival back in 2004 as an '05 model. Not that I haven't seen them around: rolling on dubs, sporting all manner of mesh grilles and more blindingly-polished chrome than, well, a '57 Chrysler 300 C. Even Chrysler is getting in on the act, recently announcing Dub editions of the 300 and Charger. What? Only 20-inchers? Not big enough...

But while the tuning crowd has taken to the 300, so have the rental companies as Ford and GM have attempted to wean themselves off the dole, and that hasn't helped the car's reputation or residuals. Sales of the 300 are starting to flag, and how Chrysler handles the next-generation car will be critical to the company's future success.

In the meantime, like the Dub editions, Chrysler's created an appearance package for the 300C called SRT Design. The $2905 package carries over some bits from the 300C SRT8, including graphite look trim, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, 20-inch SRT rims and, of course, an SRT Design badge on the trunk.

The 300C tester we had in was fully loaded with the latest in Chrysler tech, including a navigation package ($1475) that includes the automaker's MyGIG system, Sirius traffic and a seven speaker sound system with a 368-watt amp. Also in the option mix is the Sirius Backseat TV setup and what Chrysler calls a protection group package that features HID headlamps and a rear park assist system. It all adds up to $44,135 -- just a couple hundred bucks shy of a base SRT8 model. You can guess which one we'd pick, but after a weekend in the loaded-up 300C, we wouldn't turn it down, either.

The first thing I noticed upon entry was how comfortable and supportive the performance seats trimmed in Chrysler's perforated suede fabric were. They almost envelop you. Another noticeable difference is the cabin's materials and overall build quality. The dash is now covered in nice looking soft touch plastic surfaces, a definite step up for the interior-challenged company. I'm still not sold on the white face gauges, and would have liked to see them use the graphite trim on the center stack instead of the cheap-looking faux metal facing, but generally speaking, the cabin is surprisingly well done.

Turn the key and the Hemi rumbles to life, reminding you that you've got 340 horses under the hood and they're ready to play. The 300C is a car that won't leave you hanging when you step on the pedal, its eight cylinders roar on command and will get you up to speed and onto the freeway with authority. The five-speed automatic kicks down quickly when you put the power down and works seamlessly otherwise. The 300C and its Hemi will leave you crying at the gas pump, though. My $62 fillup averaged out to about 12.65 mpg (the car is listed at 15 city/23 highway). Of course I had my foot in it, but not often. My wife is notorious for putting a stop to any spirited driving on my part, so it wasn't egregious. And while most of the time I did have four occupants on board, that's the kind of mileage Exxon execs smile all the way to the bank about. Chrysler does make a point of highlighting the Hemi's multi-displacement feature that shuts off cylinders while cruising, but it didn't seem to make a lot of difference.