INTERIOR

The 2011 300C's interior is a huge improvement over the outgoing sedan. The interior looked refined with its real wood and metal trim, and there was an attention to detail that impressed me over and over.

In the front row there were so many features that I couldn't believe the majority of them were standard. The standard features include a heated steering wheel, heated and cooled cupholders, heated and ventilated leather seats, power-adjustable front seats and pedals, Bluetooth streaming audio, Uconnect voice-activated multimedia system, a backup camera and even a Garmin navigation system. There was even more like push-button start and remote start included in the 300C's price.

The Uconnect system was so easy to use that I want to give it advanced marks. There were handy tabs at the touch-screen's bottom that would take me to any category — climate, controls, radio, CD player, phone and nav — I needed. A detail that was overlooked, however, was how much the screen and the metal accent trim reflected sunlight right into my eyes. The screen didn't tilt to adjust for this occurrence. It was only corrected by turning the car in the opposite direction of the sun. The instrument cluster looked refined with some chrome around the gauges and cool blue backlighting. There were no issues with reflected light there.

The high-quality vibe continued for the kids, as the rear seats were heated. They couldn't get enough of that. Another source of constant enjoyment was the optional panoramic moonroof. They also loved the standard rear sunshade they could raise and lower on their own. The seat benches were very deep, but the legroom was weird. For such a long car, there were times that the kids felt cramped in the backseat. My husband had to move his seat forward more than he liked to silence the complaints. I found this odd for a car that barely fit in my garage.

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair-Ample
Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair-Ample

    See also:

    Windshield Wiper Blades
    Clean the rubber edges of the wiper blades and the windshield periodically with a sponge or soft cloth and a mild nonabrasive cleaner. This will remove accumulations of salt or road film. Opera ...

    Coolant Checks
    Check engine coolant (antifreeze) protection every 12 months (before the onset of freezing weather, where applicable). If the engine coolant (antifreeze) is dirty or rusty in appearance, the sys ...

    Opening Sunroof — Manual Mode
    To open the sunroof, press and hold the switch rearward to full open. Any release of the switch will stop the movement and the sunroof will remain in a partially opened condition until the switc ...