1979 Chrysler Lancer Reviews

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the used Chrysler 300C.

A car dealership in the Adelaide suburb of Frewville will be forced to take down its latest marketing after complaints were raised with Burnside Council. Belcar Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealership, on Glen Osmond Rd, erected a bright orange jeep that rotates atop a 12m pole last month. Burnside Council received two complaints about the jeep last month. The council's communications adviser, Jenny Barrett, said the dealership did not apply for approval. The dealership has been given until February 28 to take it down, otherwise council would take legal action. Belcar Chrysler Jeep Dodge general manager Grant Jasper said the dealership did not apply for approval as it believed it was unnecessary for a temporary structure. He said Belcar offered to submit a retrospective application and lower the pole's height. "We spoke to the council and we were just shut down," Mr Jasper said. "We were flatly told if we made an application it would be denied." Belcar staff were disappointed the "Jeep on a stick", which would have been on display for six months, would be removed.  

With the opening of Peninsula Fiat-Chrysler in Mornington, the Peninsula now has its own dedicated Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealership, and soon Italian iconic brands Fiat and Alfa Romeo will join it.

The facilities – set to open in August in the Gold Coast’s only dedicated vehicle precinct -- will house the group's Mazda, Hyundai, and prestige used-vehicle dealerships.They will complement the group's Southport and Tweed outlets and will comprise three showrooms, each with workshop facilities along with customer amenities. The construction project is understood to represent a $10 million investment for the company which is rolling out the facilities on a 1.5ha site at 4 Brabham Circuit.The Frizelle motor group will join the Grand Motors, Von Bibra Motors, and Hinterland Toyota dealerships at the Automall, which also is home to a number of complementary businesses. Its site was purchased at a cost of $9.57 million from RPA Properties in a deal that settled in 2011.The Frizelle group called tenders for the showroom project in October and the construction contract was awarded to Condev, which launched initial siteworks before Christmas. The showroom facilities, conceived by Design Imagery, will share 4950sq m of floorspace and 93 parking bays and each will feature display space, parts and administration areas.They will offer driveway service, house a combined 31 vehicle-servicing bays, and accommodate a range of client facilities including lounge areas and wi-fi-enabled work spaces. The two brand-specific buildings will comply with Mazda and Hyundai corporate image guidelines and all buildings will feature LED lighting to minimise power use.They also will utilise low-emission, energy-efficient glazing to minimise the airconditioning load. Rainwater will be stored for irrigation and general dealership usage. The group's dealer principal, James Frizelle, said the project represented a significant growth milestone for the business and had been made possible by the company's strong customer base."We strongly believe the market will support the expansion at Robina and we will continue to strive to provide top-level sales and after-sales care for our customers," he said. Executive Brett Frizelle said the Automall project presented a prime market area opportunity for the group's Mazda and Hyundai marques which were continuing to grow market share."We have confidence that the Coast market will continue to grow and there is the convenience factor for existing customers of the central-city location," he said. "We also see big opportunities in the used-car segment. "We expect to sell 11,000 vehicles in calendar 2013 and are trading a large number of high-quality vehicles."The Frizelle Automotive Group's dealerships also include Audi, Volkswagen, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Skoda marques. 

The new Chrysler 300 SRT8 won’t be winning any beauty awards but that’s not what it’s aiming for – the SRT8 is more interested in showing off what’s hiding beneath the surface.Here's the choice for around $66 grand in the heavy-hitter sedan department; HSV's 6.2-litre, V8 ClubSport at $66,900, Falcon F6 (blown six banger) at $64,390 or the new 6.4-litre, V8 Chrysler 300 SRT8 at a neat $66,000.The Falcon is a livewire that sounds like a vacuum cleaner, the HSV has good credentials and handling like a buckin' bronco while the Chrysler (reviewed here) is a Barry Crocker (shocker) to look at but outguns them all in terms of engine capacity and output. The bulky Chrysler tips the scales around 2.0 tonnes but that doesn't matter a hoot when you have 347kW and 631Nm rumbling up front.It's enough to push the SRT8 from 0-100kmh in the sub 5.0 second bracket. Drive goes to the huge 20-inch rear wheels through a five-speed auto with paddle shift and multiple modes. Variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation help efficiency but the donk remains an overhead valve unit. It likes a drink of premium too with a combined claimed average of 13.0-litres/100km.The cylinder deactivation system operates all the time and isn't the smoothest mechanical system ever invented. Its operation is accompanied by a noticeable graunching noise. But the SRT8 gets up when you select the sports mode and deactivate the over intrusive stability control.Sport mode sharpens up a range of functions converting the big Chry from barge to ballistic. It a remarkable transformation apart from that deactivation system constantly intervening when you get off the throttle. They need to install a dual mode exhaust too because the existing system is neutered. We would like to find out if the sports mode can be permanently selected instead of the car defaulting to nanny mode every time you switch off.The big, ugly Chrysler is a newbie in this company but what have they done to its looks? The previous model had real presence on the road - a large, American car look with overtones of Bentley. This new model has horrible piggy squint headlights, horrible black plastic honeycomb grille and a horrible chamfered rear end that looks like it's been chopped off at an angle by a giant's cheese slicer.And it isn’t much better inside if you like a premium soft-feel environment. Chrysler has perfected a method of skinning hard surfaces with a form of stitched leather for a "classy look." And that's what it is - a look only because the touch is hard-as-the-hobs-of-hell - cheap, nasty.Still, other aspects of the interior are pretty good with a Harman Kardon premium audio system, very large touch screen with satnav and reverse camera, electronic vehicle info' centre, sporty wheel, stunning light blue instrument back lighting, multiple media connection options. We like the numerous Benz-style safety systems too.Pity about the annoying rattle in the vicinity of the right rear door and the lack of a spare. There's plenty of room for five inside and the boot is huge.In normal driving, the SRT8 is a big, comfy limo that pampers passengers to a high luxury level. Let it loose on a tight section of road or racetrack and it's like Jeckyll and Hyde. Lucky it has four piston Brembos all round.

Well, Chrysler has done just that with the SRT V8 Hemi 300. The big American comes with a rich and heroic heritage stretching back through a long line of famed "letter cars" which combined high horsepower and indulgent luxury. It is this lineage which lays claim to being the first "muscle car". In the early 1950s Chrysler in the USA had a dowdy image -well engineered cars but no pizzazz! They hired stylist Virgil Exner to inject some life into their car designs in order to compete with the increasingly more stylish Ford and General Motors (GM) products. Exner's first effort was the `Forward Look' cars of 1955. The range topper in that year was a 'hero' car called the 300 to mark it as the first American production car to have a motor that produced 300 horsepower. Exner's basic premise was simple. Combine attractive and distinctive styling, excellent engineering, a high level of luxury, a big motor delivering outstanding performance then sell them at a nice premium price to people with lots of money. Hence they acquired the label of the "bankers' hot rod". Come 1957 and Exner excelled himself with a range of wide, long and low cars with towering fins. Chrysler's advertising agency came up with the slogan "Suddenly, it's 1960" and sales exploded. The 300C was the most stylish of these stylish automobiles. It is a well document fact that Exner's 1957 cars frightened GM so much they threw out their planned 1959 models and completely restyled every car in the entire range. By 1961 the letter cars-they were now up to '300H'-contained massive 413 cubic inch engines which catapulted them to 100kmph in a little over seven seconds. The letter cars ceased to be part of Chrysler's line up in 1965. Facing competition from Pontiac's cheaper and sexier GTO and a gang of other muscle and pony cars, the 300L was the last of the breed. Letter cars can vary in price. A couple of years ago, a rare 1960 300F went for almost half a million in the USA. A reasonable 300C fetches near $100,000. David Burrell is the editor of www.retroautos.com.au  

...off the coast of Massachusetts, USA. How did it get there? Built in 1956 it was a four-seat, two door hard top coupe. It was destined to be Chrysler's featured attraction at American auto shows in 1957, headlining the arrival of the Virgil Exner styled new, low, lean line of cars. Although designed by Chrysler's stylists, the actual construction was contracted out to the Italian coach-building firm of Ghia. Exner liked Ghia's ability to produce low-volume vehicles and one-off prototypes, and they done a couple of previous show cars for him. Chrysler wanted a fully drivable vehicle, not just a rolling mock-up, so all normal systems for the power train, braking, suspension, were installed. What made this car really different was its revolutionary cantilevered roof, which was secured to the body only at the rear C pillars. There were no "A" pillars on this car. Quite simply, the windscreen supported the roof at the front. There was a power sunroof as well, an advanced feature at the time, which was difficult to integrate into a slender roof structure with no structural support at the front. The door glass was ventless, a styling theme that would become popular some ten years later. Because of the complexity of the Norseman it took Ghia a full year to construct the car. When the car completed it was shipped by Ghia to New York City in July 1956 on the ocean liner SS Andrea Doria, which was involved in a collision off the coast of Massachusetts with the MS Stockholm heading the in the other direction and sank, with the loss of forty-six lives and all cargo. Compounding the loss of the car and lives on the ship was that Xner had been admitted to hospital having suffered a heart attack days before the ship sank. When told of the situation he was philosophical and more concerned for the lives lost than for his car. Divers have been exploring the Andrea Doria since it sank. It lies on only 150 meters of water not far off the Nantucket coast, and some have claimed to have seen the Norseman in the ship's car hold, rusted to a hulk.  

While there are fears for the future of the once staples of Aussie motoring, Ford's Falcon and the Holden Commodore, Chrysler proves there is life in the old dog yet. The second generation 300 is here, better than before, still with its Mafia staff car looks. It's big American six, V8 and diesel motoring at its best.The 300C is not a large seller here but sales are on the rise. There are about 70,000 sold a year in the US, nearly double that of 2011 and more than twice that of the Commodore. Economies of scale and the high level of sales means it will continue to be built, while our big cars look uncertain.In Australia there about 1200 300s sold a year, well down on Commodore (30,000) and Falcon (14,000). It's well up on 2011 (360), although the old model was not available for several months, and the 874 in 2010.The review vehicle was the 300C, one up from the base Limited, currently $45,864 on the road. The 300C is $52,073 drive away and it comes with the 3.6-litre Pentastar petrol V6 engine and a class-leading eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.Among the 300's features are rain brake support, ready alert braking, electronic stability control, hill start assist, all speed traction control, and ABS four-wheel disc brakes, seven airbags (including next generation multi-stage front air bags, driver inflatable knee-bolster air bag, supplemental front seat side airbags, supplemental side curtain front and rear airbags).Other goodies are a rear 60/40 folding seat, a cargo net, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob, power front driver and passenger seats with four-way lumbar adjustment, power front windows with one-touch up and down, adaptive forward lighting and Bi-Xenon HID headlamps with auto levelling and daytime running lights, heated side mirrors with power fold function, 18-inch aluminium wheels, a tyre pressure system, rear parking sensors and camera, keyless entry and stop-start button, an alarm, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, a 506 watt amplifier and nine speakers, satellite navigation, CD, DVD, MP3, a USB port, heated and ventilated leather seats, automatic wipers and headlights.It's packed with gear normally reserved for a vehicle of $100,000-plus. Underneath is a Mercedes-Benz E-Class chassis and suspension, while outside are the macho American looks.Inside there are 1930s art deco touches with better quality plastics. The cabin is fantastic at night when the glassy deco-like analogue instrumentation illuminates with an eerie pale blue metallic glow that's glorious, contrasting with the large centre touch screen that's 21st century in design and execution.You sit low and wide with great shoulder and leg room. Ahead of the driver is a dashboard laid out logically. The thick indicator stalk on the left is all Benz with wiper controls. The simple gear lever action is also all Benz, but finicky to work and I couldn't for the love of me change up or down manually. There are no paddle shifters.The steering wheel is large and a bit cumbersome and the horrid throwback foot-operated park brake requires gymnastics levels of left knee articulation. The brake pedal was too high off the floor as well and the front seats lacked support.The rear doors are wide-opening and there's a good amount of room all round. The 462-litre boot is big and boxy and easy to load and unload. The rear seats fold so longer items can be loaded into the cabin.The 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 is a gem, responsive with a nice sporty growl under acceleration. It features a high-pressure diecast cylinder block in a 60-degree configuration, dual overhead camshafts with roller finger followers and hydraulic lash adjusters, variable valve timing (for enhanced efficiency and power), multi-port fuel injection, and dual three-way catalytic converters (for reduced emissions).There's 210kW of grunt at 6350rpm and 340Nm of torque at 4650rpm. The engine returns impressive fuel economy of 9.4L/100km overall. I saw 10.6L over a weekend of driving, including up and down the Kuranda Range and across my fun piece of tarmac between Walkamin and Dimbulah.That's better than the four cylinder Honda CR-V I drove the weekend before which used 10.9L. The Chrysler only had 16km on the clock when I picked it up.The V6 can reach 100km/h in 7 seconds and roar on to 240km/h if you dare. I was suitably impressed with the refinement of the 300C. Road, wind and engine noise levels were low, even on coarse bitumen and when punching into a head wind.At parking speeds the electro-hydraulic power steering feels heavy, artificial, and slow, even though the turning circle is a tight 11.5m. When it comes to changing direction, there is no point hurrying the 300C around corners. The standard 18-inch rubber certainly looks the part and will stick to the road like glue. But the steering feels low geared, is not particularly sharp, and quite disconnected to the road.It's not a sports handler yet tackled the undulating and bumpy stretch of road between the Arriga sugar mill and Oaky Creek Farm quite well. It remained stable and flat and loves the open highway. There's pliant ride quality with bumps both big and small soaked up ably by the massive tyres.

We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. But there's only one question that really needs answering -- would you buy one?What is it?The diesel version of Chrysler's big in your face sedan, although you wouldn't know it. There is nothing to distinguish the diesel from petrol models which equals no cringe value.How much?At a starting price of $48,000 the diesel will set you back $5000 more than the entry level petrol V6, but it's worth it because you can have your cake and eat it too.What are competitors?Nothing really, not with the same road presence. Perhaps the Caprice, or maybe the Falcon or Commodore but none of them are available with a diesel engine.What’s under the bonnet?The 3.0-litre VM Motori turbo diesel delivers an unparalleled combination of outstanding performance and economy. It produces an outstanding 176kW of power and 550Nm of torque from a low 1800 revs. Featuring a common-rail, direct injection fuel system, variable geometry turbocharger and integrated diesel particulate filter to help reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, the engine is engineered to meet stringent EURO 5 emission standards.How does it go?Impressive. It's hard to believe you can drive a big car like this with this kind of performance that still returns these amazing fuel figures, especially at this price. A German bahnstormer would cost you twice the price.Is it economical?Combined fuel consumption figures are 7.1 litres/100km with 18-inch wheels, and 7.2 litres/100km with 20-inch wheels. We were getting 7.4 after almost 600km which shows it's eminently gettable.Is it green?Middle of the road. Gets 3.5 out of 5 stars from the Govt's Green Vehicle Guide (in comparison the Prius gets 5). Produces 185 or 191g/km of CO2 depending on whether it's running 18 or 20 inch wheels.Is it safe?Doesn't get a rating from ANCAP. But rebadged as a Lancia it scored full points in Euro tests, with seven airbags including a driver's knee bag and features like electronic stability control and electronic pedestrian protection, plus front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.Is it comfortable?Big and reasonably quiet. The entry level models features cloth upholstery, leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, power front driver and passenger seats with fourway lumbar adjustment, and power front windows, with one-touch up and down.What’s it like to drive?Shame it doesn't get the 8 speed auto like the V6. But then again with this much torque the five-speed is more than adequate. 0-100km/h takes 7.8 secs, with strong low to mid range response as you might expect.Is it value for money?Big chunk of car for the money. In addition, adaptive forward lighting and Bi-Xenon HID Headlamps with auto levelling and daytime running lights ensure premium visibility day or night.Would we buy one?We'd be tempted. Not sure about the styling, but if you like to be different this is the one for you.Chrysler 300 CRD DieselPrice: from $48,000Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmSafety rating: n/aSpare: space-saverEngine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl diesel, 176kW/550NmTransmission: 5-speed auto; RWDBody: 5066m (L); 1905m (w); 1488m (h)Weight: 2042kgThirst: 7.1L/100km, 185g/km

Chrysler Crossfire's shape is like nothing else on the market. Just look at that huge grille, the strakes on the long bonnet, the vents on the front guards and the stubby cabin. Then let your eyes run back to the down-curving rear. Simply stunning and real head-turners even years after the Crossfire first hit the road.The Crossfire is very well priced on the used-car market as it didn’t sell all that well when new or as a used car. That situation may change as some of the radical styling features have since come into vogue on recent model cars. No promises, though... Chrysler Crossfire's is interesting in using larger wheels at the rear than the front. The resultant chassis balance is impressive and under hard driving the car remains safe and neutral. This is a genuine sports machine that is a delight to hammer hard over twisty roads, with plenty of grip and nicely predictable handling. Yet it remains surprisingly comfortable for a car with sports suspension.Most of the Crossfire's out-of-sight components are shared with an older Mercedes SLK roadster. At the launch of the Crossfire in November 2003, Chrysler told us, “everything you can see and touch is unique to the Crossfire.” However, some of the minor controls looked rather familiar to us. Crossfire costs considerably less than the equivalent Mercs. The similarity in under-the-skin parts was due to American Chrysler and German Mercedes being in partnership at one time. They have since divorced and these days Chrysler is controlled by Fiat.There’s yet another German connection in the Chrysler Crossfire. It was built in Germany by Karmann. The Crossfire has full leather trim, power seats with heating, an Infinity Modulus stereo system, dual-zone air-conditioning and cruise control as well as a quite a few other comfort features - this is far from being a stripped down sports special.Seating is strictly for two and there’s a reasonable amount of cabin stowage and a good sized boot, but the stylish rear end of the Crossfire means the opening of the rear hatch is very skinny. The Crossfire coupe was joined by a roadster convertible in August 2004. Its cabin is on the tight side for anyone much over average height and the seat backrests are very limited in the angle to which they can be reclined. But the styling works beautifully and many feel it’s even more visually striking than the coupe.Chrysler Crossfire comes with a 3.2-litre V6 that drives the rear wheels. Basically, it’s a Mercedes-Benz unit and is seen on a number of models from the German marque and has proven powerful and reliable over the years.A high-performance model, the Crossfire SRT-6 was introduced in June 2005 and sold in both coupe and roadster convertible format. The 3.2-litre, supercharged V6 engine providing an extra 53 per cent more power and 30 per cent added torque over that of the standard versions, at 246 kW and 420 Nm respectively. The torque boost is available all the way from 2300 rpm through to 6200 rpm, providing nearly instant acceleration from almost any speed. Then whine from the blower adds to the driving pleasure.To match the extra grunt, the SRT-6’s all-wheel independent suspension has increased spring rates and performance-tuned dampers. The internally-vented brake discs also are larger. Aerodynamics have also been given an upgrade, with a deeper front spoiler and a fixed rear wing to reduce lift at high speed. The SRT-6’s ride is rather firm so may not appeal to those looking for a cruiser rather than a bruiser.Most Crossfires sold in Australia have a five-speed automatic transmission, but our preference is the slick-shifting six-speed manual gearbox. Despite its more sporting nature, the SRT-6 versions of the Crossfire do not have the option of a manual-shift transmission. Standard fare is the five-speed automatic.Chrysler is well established in Australia. As mentioned, these days it’s under the control of Fiat and that company is putting a lot of effort into marketing all its cars in this country. There are Chrysler dealers in many areas, though, naturally, there’s a concentration in major cities. Some Mercedes dealers still have expertise in Chrysler, perhaps talk to them and ask if they still carry spare parts for the Crossfire.These are relatively complex cars and really should only be repaired by professionals, though the simple, non-safety items can be worked on by good amateur mechanics. Insurance charges are quite high, which hardly comes as a surprise, and we notice a fair bit of difference between companies. So it’s worthwhile shopping around. Be sure to go into all the details so the comparison is a fair one.Chrysler Crossfire was discontinued in Australia early in 2009 and hasn’t been replaced at this stage. WHAT TO LOOK FORCrossfire is certainly a car that demands a professional inspection before you hand over your hard earned.Signs of hard driving aren’t that common in sports models these days, as many are only used as attractive cruisers. Beware of one with any signs of competition use, such as a rollcage, extra instruments or race seats.Check for crash damage by sighting along panels for signs of a rippled finish. Also look for colours that don’t quite match and for tiny specks of overspray on non-painted surfaces.Check the floor of a convertible for signs of dampness and/or rust.Other than that, the car is well built and seldom has routine problems. Do the usual checks on engine starting and smoothness and make sure the gearbox or auto work correctly.CAR BUYING TIPEven if you’re looking to buy an exciting sportscar, do everything you can to let your head rule your heart during the buying process.