Ask the folks at Chrysler to describe its flagship 300 sedan, and you'll likely hear the term "aspirational luxury" tossed about. Chrysler sees the 300 appealing to a wide age range of buyers in the luxury sedan segment, and after spending a week in a 2012 Chrysler 300S V-8 sedan, it's easy to see why.
Within the 300 lineup, the 300S V-8 appeals to flashy young'uns looking to show off a bit. To that end, it does quite well. It gets big 20-inch wheels, and most of the chrome is replaced by black painted accents and trim. Inside, the 300S impresses with its high-quality red leather seats and a bass-heavy Beats by Dre audio system is standard. A nice burble comes courtesy of the optional 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 with 363-hp and 394 lb-ft of torque.
But while the 300S may steal looks on the street, it's not as successful at the track. Its 0-60 mph time of 5.6 seconds is quick enough, and it blasts through the quarter mile at a respectable 14.1 seconds at 99.7 mph, but toss the 300S a corner or two and it falls flat -- despite its performance-tuned suspension. It's not that it can't brake (ours stopped from 60 mph in 116 feet) or handle -- testing director Kim Reynolds said it best when he said that the 300 "is a big lady, but she dances well" -- it's that its antiquated five-speed automatic is a letdown. The transmission's gearing just isn't right for track use. It was slow to shift, causing us to have to short shift on corner exit in order to turn a faster time. We also noticed a glitch where the center display would indicate that the transmission was in a different gear than it was actually in. The 2012 300S' figure-eight time of 26.9 seconds at 0.68 average g reflects the transmission issues. A faster figure-eight time might be in there, but until the 300's Hemi lineup gets the ZF eight-speed automatic next year, this is the best this 300 can do.
Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1209_2012_chrysler_300s_v8_first_test/#ixzz273eP6xkY
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