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:

    LED the Way
    The new 300 is a bit larger than its predecessor — about 2 inches longer and an inch wider — but has the same squared-off stance, tall grille and upright taillights. Most of the details have b ...

    Folding Rear Seat
    To provide additional storage area, the rear seatback can be folded forward. Pull on the loops shown in the picture to fold down either or both seatbacks. When returning the rear seatback to the ...

    Rear Head Restraints
    The center head restraint has two positions, up or down. When the center seat is being occupied the head restraint should be in the raised position. When there are no occupants in the center seat ...