Guest Post by Wendy C.
Buying a car is an expensive prospect, but nothing beats the feeling of driving a new vehicle off the lot. Unfortunately, if you want to make sure that you drive off in a car, truck, or SUV that will serve you well for years to come, you’re going to have to do some research first.
Recently, I began evaluating the Chrysler 300 as it compares to a Cadillac CTS. They have similar body styles and seating arrangements, and I have had positive experiences with both manufacturers since I started driving many years ago. After browsing around online for a bit, I decided it was time to visit a St. Louis Chrysler dealer and also check out a local Cadillac dealer so that I could test drive both cars for comparison’s sake.
Right away, I noticed that the Chrysler 300 is a longer, wider car. Even though it seats five, just like the Cadillac, there seems to be a lot more leg room in the Chrysler. If you’re planning on having passengers in your back seat on a regular basis, that extra space will likely have a big impact on your final auto-buying decision.
Similarly, the 300 has more cargo space as well. The trunk is spacious and ready to accommodate a full haul from the grocery store, all kinds of sporting equipment, luggage for a long vacation, or whatever else you might need on the road. The CTS has space, but not nearly as much.
As far as fuel economy is concerned, the expected MPG is about equal despite size differences. The Chrysler gets 14-19mpg in the city and 23-31 on the highway. The Cadillac gets 16-18 and 26-27 respectively.
The CTS does have a longer and more comprehensive warranty, but the 300 still has the solid 3 year/36,000 guarantee that most auto shoppers have come to expect. The Chrysler is also much less expensive, and of course, price isn’t something you can just ignore when thinking about a new car. Whether you’re buying it outright or making monthly payments, you want to make sure that your vehicle suits your budget as well as your style.
Of course, you can open up your selection to other makes and models, too. With both of these cars sitting approximately two months on the lot before they sell, you have time to think things over carefully and make the right decision for your new vehicle.
Well their is no comparson to a Cadillac over a Chrysler.It has been like this for many many years. With Chrysler compared to the other big 2 automanufactures, and in the past even though Chrysler made some real unique designs, the Chrysler was and always will be # 3 in the North American automotive field.
Cadillac has been known for its top line Luxury as compared to the Mercury’s Lincoln. Cadillac never had to compete with Chrysler as they had to compete with Lincoln more so.
I think the biggest mistake Cadillac ever made is when the pulled their rear wheel drive “Broughams ” out of their line up back in 1989. They lost many customers to the lincoln rear wheel drives of the late 80’s and 90’s.
Yes I agree the Chrysler 300 is a wider and longer vehicle compared with the new Cadillacs of today,
Chrysler’s sticker price is much lower also, Cadillac has always maintained the high Standard of the World when it comes to Luxury, and now with Preformance on the rise again, Cadillac had to compete with other car manufactures to keep Cadillac in competion.
Their is really No comparson to a Cadillac and a Chrysler, Cadillac has always been number one in the North American Luxury field, Lincoln will always follow suit as number two and Chrysler as number Three.
One thing that i like about the Chrysler 300, you can purchase an after market Grille to make your Chrysler 300 look like a Bentey Asure.Chrysler 300 has similar lines to the newer Bentleys, but at a fraction of the cost.Being a formal Rolls-Royce owner, their is no comparson to a Rolls-Royce and a Bentley over the N.American Luxury car field.
If you can afford a Cadillac, thats great, but if you would be satasified with a Chrysler 300, thats good also.
It is up to the indiviual person and what he wants in a Luxury car, and if you can afford a Cadillac, so be it.
Anyone interested in getting their new Cadillac CTS or V’s or XRL’s hand drawn and hamd painted on a T-shirt, please see the Cadillac Country Club automotive art forum under Dave’s Cadillac Art, I can hand draw and hand paint any of these new Cadillacs on T-shirts.I will even do the Chrysler 300’s also if anyone is interested.
Contact me at carslovei@hotmail.ca or
289-938-5155 anytime.
Thanks,
Dave Beveridge.
As you can see by my handle, I own a Chrysler 300C. The “C” is important because it denotes the Hemi V/8 which, at 340 hp is a great powerplant. I have owned Cadillacs in the past, the last being an ’88 Fleetwood Brougham. I loved that car, but it was seriously underpowered. I have owned Lincoln Town Cars. They were spacious, but they were nimble, not fast. The 300C has the room and the power I want and is rear wheel drive. The only knock I have is that the interior is not up to luxury standards. All that said, I still have a warm spot for Cadillac. As I said, I owned a couple in the 80s, my father owned some, and I learned to drive on a ’47. I am going to look at the new rear wheel drive model Cadillac and I’ll try one to see if it has the room and power I want. I was not a fan of the sharp edged Cadillacs that tried to compete with the Mercedes. (Although that 556hpCTS did spur some interest, no room, though.)
Comparing a CTS to a 300 is not a fair comparison. Should have compared it to a DTS in my opinion. Also, with the DTS out and the XTS in, there’s a lot more reasons to choose Cadillac. I agree with the other commenter that said Chrysler is number 3 in the American luxury spot. First Cadillac, then Lincoln, then Chrysler. Chrysler has significantly made strides to improve their quality since the bailout, and Cars.com’s Joe Wiesenfelder has stated that the new 300 is the most luxurious Chrysler to to date. That being said, the XTS beats the 300 in everywhere but price and probably fuel economy. For $45 K base price, you get things like Cadillac Cue, Magnetic ride control, and parking sensors that vibrate the seat if you are going to hit something. You might even get a navigation system. I also think the XTS has “normal” size windows. I like and love the 300 and considered one for myself, but I was convinced that windows are too short and that the visibility is not good. Joe at Cars.Com stated that sitting in a 300 makes you look like “a child driving a bathtub” because of the 300’s high belt line. Again I agree with Dave’s Cadillac art that you can make the 300 look really nice by putting a Bentley Grille on it. It makes the car look awesome going down the road.
Note that a top of the line Chrysler S will cost you about $41,000 and a fully loaded XTS can be as much as $61, 805 with every option imaginable (base model though is $44,075).
The bottom line is that you have to buy what you like and what suits you and your budget. Remember that the cost of ownership will be higher on the Cadillac too.