Ride & Handling

Ride quality — an aspect where the last 300 excelled — remains good in either trim level. The suspension soaks up bumps well, isolating the cabin most of the time. Alas, it's no match for the car's weight. The 300 feels less nose-heavy than much of its front-drive competition, but charge hard into a corner and it pitches off-balance, with mushy steering that inspires little confidence in negotiating the curve.

Fortunately, Chrysler packages the 300's optional 20-inch wheels with a firmer, Touring suspension and 25 percent quicker steering. Indeed, the flatter cornering and sharper turn-in suit the car's dynamics much better. It's not quite as well-mannered as the Hyundai Genesis, but you'll drive more confidently with this setup. The tradeoff comes in a firmer ride — it picks up more rhythm over bumpy pavement — and higher steering effort around parking lots, but I didn't find either aspect objectionable.

    See also:

    Jacking Instructions
    WARNING! Carefully follow these tire changing warnings to help prevent personal injury or damage to your vehicle: • Always park on a firm, level surface as far from the edge of the roadway a ...

    Reset Auto Up
    Should the Auto Up feature stop working, the window probably needs to be reset. To reset Auto Up: 1. Pull the window switch up to close the window completely and continue to hold the switch up fo ...

    Overdrive Operation
    The automatic transmission includes an electronically controlled Overdrive (sixth gear). The transmission will automatically shift into the Overdrive gear if the following conditions are present ...