Versus what???

What does Ford have to compare? I know we're not talking trucks here so this is a bit off topic, but it certainly is'int the first non truck topic to be posted in this forum.

This car is making quite an impression on me lately. I hav'ent driven one or anything, but appearances go a long way toward making the first impression if you know what I mean. It looks like a cross between a Bentley and a Caddy to me (of course the interior is not on par with Bentley..lol, but it's still very nice).

It has a fit and finish on par with cars which are much more expensive from what I've seen. It actually LOOKS like an unaffordable car - these things are loaded.

I've heard much of the Ford Five Hundred - but lets be realistic here - it's not fair to the Five Hundred to be compared to a 300C - the Five Hundred reminds me more of a cross between a Taurus and a Crown Vic. Anyone realistically trying to compare this nice little car to a 300C is a bit off kilter IMO.

So what has Ford got? The Crown Vic? Mercury Grand Marquis? Both are very nice luxury cars, but even in their highest trim levels they can't really compare for luxury or excitement. No disrespect, but the 4.6 is no Hemi either..

There's Lincoln of course, and though they may not lack in luxury, they aren't very exciting anymore and are priced way higher than the 300C. Also there's that 4.6L vs the 5.7 Hemi again - no comparo.

I can't wait to see one of these 300C's with the new 6.1 Hemi. Imagine this big old sophisticated luxury car being able to totally creme most any vehicle on the road with a price tag below 50K - completely stock.

Am I missing something here, or am I right to believe that this car is basically in a class all it's own as of right now? We can throw GM in to this mix as well - nothing too exciting there for me lately but perhaps I could use some enlightenment.

 

The Crown Vic dwarfs the 300C. It's like comparing a mid size truck to a full size truck. It better be faster. The Crown Vic has 6 seat belts and a trunk that can hold pretty much whatever you can throw at it. And what's more exciting than pretending you're a cop? The main reason that the Vic is so slow off the line is due to traction problems. When I had the stock tires (222/60/16s), it would peel out just if you stomp on the gas if you've got the sport package. My grand marquis hooks up no problem now, thanks to my new Potenzas (275/35/19s). As for luxury: digital instrumentation, automatic climate control, auto dimming mirror with compass, power windows/seats/locks, keyless entry, garage door opener, leather seating, leather steering wheel, and CD changer.

 

When looking at the 300C you have to understand that it covers many classes of cars. At the bottom the 300C compares with the 500 very well though I still give the nod to the 500. At the upper end it is in a performance class by itself unless you compare it to a caddy which is not fair because the caddy cost much more.

Chysler made a car the fits many molds. Nothing wrong with that, reduces costs for the company. If not for the performance of the Hemi this car is a
jack of all trades but master of none. Please don't think I don't like the car, I do. I just think having one car that looks the same but has such a differnece in perfomance cheaping the upper priced models.

 

You mean like the v6 mustang to the cobra? Or currently v6 to v8 mustang. That means the mustang or cobra cheapens the sports car and is not in the same league as a z06 or viper

 

Nothing. The C rocks. Everyone one else was sleeping.

 

You can get all of that plus navigation in a mazda 3 econobox nowadays. The 300C completely outclasses the crown vic. The crown vic only has its size and space compared to the 300C, other than that the 300C completely overshadows anything the vic has going for it. Digital gauges are also a thing from the 80's. As for comparing performance the Maurader with the Mach1 engine only does the quarter in high 15's, the 300C HEMI does it in low 14's high 13's. To really compare the 300C HEMI to cars "In its class" you'd have to go to BMW, Mercedes, and Audi for their offerings-maybe Caddi STS-which I still believe the 300C has the upper hand again, and not just for its price. My cousin has a 300C HEMI as a demo company car, and he's let me take it for the weekend when he went on his honey moon- the car has speed, handling, luxury, and a smooth ride, plus everyone looks at it. The car has some cheap bits inside, but nothing that jumps out at you and is annoying daily, the ride feels solid, the power is ALWAYS on tap, and the handling of the car completely masks its weight (the power does too). Its an all around great car for the money, and for the more sport enthusiast, the charger will be coming shortly with a 3.5 V6 or the HEMI (6.1 HEMI SRT soon) and more sport tuned suspension-lower price of admission also.

 

you guys are overlooking the most important point of this debate - it's still a mopar

it may look pretty and go fast, but it will follow the pattern for the rest of mopar's lineup, failure

remember this is just my opinion, but I think dodge has horrible build quality and horrible service from their dealers.

 

Except that the 300C has a lot of Mercedes in it as well, so quality should be better than it has in the past. I'm not big on the styling, but it's sales are proving that many people are. They really did a nice job on it, and the Hemi is where it belongs now, in a car. It will be interesting to see how sales settle and taper off as the newness of it dies down.

 

My local dealer is a combination Ford/Chrysler dealership. When you go into the showroom, they have a black Chrysler 300 sitting nose to nose with a new 500. The comparison nose to nose is not good for Ford. It's like a supermodel standing beside a homecoming queen. They're both pretty but.....

 

Heres a good comparison if that Chrysler 300 had a blueoval on it. It would sell twice as many. When you think off cars you think Ford,Chevy first maybe Dodge. Yeh the 500 is not a flashy car but a functional car. I like it. Off course I would never look at anything other then a Ford.. Give Chrysler a lot off credit there doing everything they can to sell vehicles be it good or bad.

 

Chrysler isn't having a hard time selling them. From DCX Financials- "The 300 has sold over 10,000 units a month for 9 months straight" and also "the 300C has taken 25% of the Large Luxury Car class worldwide". Not to shabby for being introduced last April.

 

I just hope that Ford get the Duratec 35 in it soon. The 3.0 isn't a bad motor, but this is a big car, and it has to work hard to get it going. I really like the tranny choice though, 6-spd or CVT. I really like the 500, it's not too flashy, very comfortable, nice interior. The trunk is a monster, and is well suited for a family with 2-3 kids. I wish the exterior design was a bit more like that of the incoming Fusion, but it's not bad. I think it looks good, just a bit on the plain side.

 

I'd like too see more exciting cars come out of Ford. It seemed the 90's were a good time for the sedans- Contour SVT, Taurus SHO, heck even the ZX2 was pretty peppy for a little car-plus the Mustang has always been nice with its variants. But as of late, they have had nothing really exciting. I'd like to see that twin turbo car come up here that they have in australia, that'd be awesome.

 

http://www.blueovalnews.com/2005/pro...ago15feb05.htm

Just compare the Dodge Charger or 300C to Ford's new Five-Hundred flagship, their Crown Victoria or Chevy's Monte Carlo SS and you'll soon be classifying the DCX duo as being in a league of their own. The Chrysler group is, without a doubt, in an enviable position and everyone at Ford and GM know it. The only problem for Ford and GM is that they can't do anything to counter Chrysler, nor will they be able to any time soon. Of course, Ford has the Mustang, which is also in a league of its own.

According to a Ford manager, the DCX trio (including the Magnum) are so threatening that the future of the Crown Victoria may ultimately depend on how well they perform in the market. There has been a lot of speculation that Ford will regulate the Taurus and Crown Victoria to fleet-only sales, but that flies counter to Ford's strategy of reducing overall fleet sales.

Another link to forbes from BlueOvalNews
http://www.forbes.com/home/columnist...0215flint.html

 

The crown vic already suffers sales, as 70% of its sales are fleet.