Chrysler 300M...Continued

We Looked At:

Roominess And Passenger Comfort: This is the best interior Chrysler has designed since the Prowler. 300M's leather trimmed front seats are heated and the driver's seat features a two-person memory system. The seats are comfortable and firm with plenty of room for long drives, yet they hold the driver in place on a twisty road. In the back, 300M's 60/40-split rear-folding seat is spacious and functional. The rear passengers have their own adjustable heating and air conditioning ducts. The 300M's "Cab Forward" design provides ample head room and exceptional front and rear leg room.

Driving Position: As stated above, the 300M's interior is one of Chrysler's best efforts and includes excellent driver ergonomics. The 6-way adjustable driver's seat is extremely comfortable, supportive and wide enough for the widest hips. Chrysler utilizes what they call "heritage design." According to Neil Whalling, head of design for Chrysler, "heritage design recognizes that there have been excellent innovations and designs throughout automotive history and we incorporate them into current products." Many of the styling cues of the past convey passion and evoke emotional responses, in the way the Prowler brings back memories of the '50s and '60s. In the 300M, the instrument panel does without digital readouts and clocks and instead has four white-faced dials with dark lettering and a thin chrome trim. It looks more like a fine, vintage watch than a gas gauge and speedometer. The dials are an elegant feature and are also extremely easy to read. At night they are illuminated from behind. To their right, above the three air conditioning vents, is a clock with the same treatment, visible to all passengers.

Chrysler has a habit of placing the stereo/radio controls below those for the climate control system which, to us, has never made sense. People make many more adjustments to their stereos than they do their air conditioning and constantly looking down to change stations or volume is dangerous. It would be preferable to have the vents on top, then the stereo and lastly the climate controls rather than what the vehicle's currently have -- climate above stereo.