Archives

Mileage: I averaged 41 miles per gallon in highway driving. (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070609/AUTO03/706090302)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2007_Chrysler_300C_Hemi_V8.jpgWarren Brown - Washington Post - June 3, 2007

The Chrysler 300 V-6 CRD sedan, which runs only on ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, is still in the experimental stage. It is a test vehicle to demonstrate the efficiency and feasibility of advanced diesel technology.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- DaimlerChrysler introduced advanced diesel technology in Canada in the seemingly most sensible way. It started small, very small, bringing forth its Smart ForTwo car in 2004 with a 40-horsepower, 0.8-liter, three-cylinder, direct-injection diesel engine.

The thing got the U.S. equivalent of 65 miles per gallon on the highway. It sipped less fuel than anybody's gas-electric hybrid car in city traffic. You could park it in a third of the space required by a full-size family sedan. And if you could live with a top cruising speed slightly north of 60 miles per hour, you were golden--quite literally, considering the money you saved at the gas pump.

Marketing the tiny diesel two-seater through its Mercedes-Benz car division, DaimlerChrysler initially planned to sell only 900 of those models annually in Canada. But it wound up selling more than 4,000 in its first year at base prices ranging from about $15,000 (U.S.) for a hardtop coupe to $19,000 for a convertible … http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070609/AUTO03/706090302

If you build it they will come?
I wouldn't have guessed that the Smart ForTwo, a tiny gas sipper that's arguably not fully highway-capable, would exceed sales expectations. My take is that DaimlerChrysler seriously underestimated the demand for a fuel-sipping vehicle. No a surprise, really.

Actually this reminds me in some ways of the Beetle during the '60's. I believe top speed of the early ones was just above 60 mph but as we all know it became a success just the same. It got roughly double the mpg of the typical American car of the era and was maybe half the weight.

My husband bought the 300 a couple years ago. The mid-level 3.5L engine, not the C. He likes big cars and felt it was good for long trips. So it was either that or the Crown Vic. He got it when everyone else was on waiting lists and even below invoice. Then recently they gave him the 2.7L version as a loaner for a few days and was amazed at how much better his mileage was in that one, especially with all his city driving. Now he regrets not having gotten the smaller engine. He really thought he’d need all that extra power to go back and forth to San Francisco and stuff -- which we haven't--and even then why that would require a bigger engine is beyond me. I just gave him my opinion once then shut up. He still enjoys his car, but hates those $40 fillups every week...oh well. He really likes diesels though and would trade it in for this one in a minute if it was available.

Actually this reminds me in some ways of the Beetle during the '60's. I believe top speed of the early ones was just above 60 mph but as we all know it became a success just the same. It got roughly double the mpg of the typical American car of the era and was maybe half the weight.

My Mom's 63 Beetle was capable of 67 MPH downhill with a tailwind, it got low to mid 20 MPG around town and didn't get enough highway miles to know a highway MPG.

Is the 300's diesel engine the same one as in the Sprinter small commercial van/truck? I've heard good things.