Best buys from Chrysler

Post Commodore and Falcon, anyone rusted on to the idea of a family five-seater with petrol six and rear-wheel drive will be looking earnestly at the Chrysler 300.

The success of the 300 is an ironic development, with American metal — which supplied the original building blocks for the '60s Ford and Holden and Valiant hero cars — returning to its original spot in the showroom pecking order.

The chunky American combines quality, decent styling and a reasonable price. It's not nearly a match for the VF Commodore, but it trumps the Ford Falcon - at least until its final makeover in October.

You can also get it with a diesel engine and a go-fast SRT8 package that includes a 6.4-litre V8, for comfortably less than an equivalent Commodore contender from Holden Special Vehicles.

The 300 set a new sales record last year with 2508, the best result since 1864 deliveries in 2006 with the first-generation car. There were extra variants, including a wagon. But, the current car was effectively out of stock for more than a year while the factory in the US built left-hand-drive cars.

Even in limousine and taxi livery, the 300 is winning fans in Australia. Unlike the Commodore and Falcon, it will be around beyond 2016.

Chrysler 300 Limited - see other verdicts

Price: from $43,000

Star rating: 3.5/5

Engine: 3.6-litre V6, 210kW/340Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto; RWD

Thirst: 9.4L/100km

THE LOWDOWN: Nothing on the road, short of a big-bore Bentley, has the impact of the 300. It's a big car with tough bodywork, a comfy cabin and pretty good performance with either the diesel or Pentastar V6. It feels a bit bulky to handle but the real limit to cornering is front buckets that are more like armchairs. Quality is well up from the first-generation 300C, something reflected - much like the popular diesel variant — in sales that continue to grow.

Chrysler 300 STR8 - see other verdicts

Price: from $56,000

Star rating: 3.5/5

Engine: 6.4-litre V8, 347kW/631Nm

Transmission: 5-speed auto; RWD

Thirst: 7.8L/100km

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