Used Chrysler 300C v Ford Fairmont Ghia v Holden Calais
The Chrysler 300C is one of those cars that defies categorisation. It is likely that many buyers have not bought it instead the cars with which it will be compared in this story. Rather, their other favoured choices might have been much more left-field.
For instance, they may even have included vehicles from a quite different category.
Many years ago an acquaintance asked my opinion about a used Range Rover he was keen to buy. I gave a positive review. The following week he turned up in a Porsche, having decided he'd rather see under the traffic than over it.
While it is easy for motoring 'experts' to assume that buying decisions are rational, purchasers often shop across categories and the Chrysler is more likely to be an impulse purchase than the Ford Fairmont Ghia or Holden Calais with which we've categorised it.
That said, in terms of function and performance it is indeed the premium V8 versions of the Falcon and Commodore with which the Chrysler 300C Hemi demands to be compared, despite being about 300 per cent more extroverted than either.
When the 300C was introduced here in November 2005, the VE Commodore was still more than half a lap of the calendar into the future and the outgoing VZ, even in its most up-spec Calais guise, was no match for the Yankee newcomer. So to keep this comparison reasonably fair we will consider the VE Calais V, the V being an even more up-spec variant introduced with VE.
The Fairmont Ghia, too, was showing its age -- although far less than the VZ Calais, which was essentially a 1997 VT model with major revisions. At least the BF Mark II Fairmont Ghia only looked back to the impressive BA of September 2002.
In BF Mark II guise, the Ghia was notably superior, thanks to even higher levels of refinement and a fantastic six-speed automatic transmission -- as well as a number of tasteful trim changes. The price was dropped by 12 per cent because Ford Australia's marketing executives knew they would have a battle against the newly launched VE.
Holden introduced a six-speed automatic gearbox with VE and this unit was standard on the Calais V, but even in 2008 the 300C still makes do with five.
It will be no surprise to learn that resale values have strongly favoured the trendy Chrysler. Even a 2005-plated 300C Hemi commands a higher price than a late 2006 Fairmont Ghia and about the same as a two-year old Calais V, even though when new the Holden and the Chrysler were close in price. The Chrysler was $59,990 and is now about $42K, while the V has dropped from $58,490 to some $43K.
When new even the 2007 upgrade BF Mark II Fairmont Ghia V8, which was introduced in October 2006, undercut its rivals by about $8000, coming to market at $51,490. That same car is now worth about $37K at retail.
The likelihood is that the Ford will continue to depreciate most sharply and that the Hemi will hold on better.
Naturally, as petrol prices rise, all three suffer but, again, the Chrysler's cult status should insulate it better than the locals. The 300C is one of those rare cars that deserves to called an instant classic, due to its unique appearance and grasp on the Hemi heritage, which is central to the Chrysler brand.
CHRYSLER 300C HEMI (more here)
Even the name of this car excites enthusiasts, harking back as it does to the famous 'letter' cars of the 1950s -- the most famous of which was the 1957 300C.
These 'letter' cars, powered by huge V8s with the trademark hemispherical combustion chambers, kept Chrysler at the forefront of stock car racing. This is the tradition to which the current 300C pays tribute.
In pure styling terms, however, the twenty-first century 300C owes more to the 1955 C-300 which, as the advertising campaign proclaimed, had 'swept the field' at Daytona, the most prestigious of the stock car (read: NASCAR) events. This model featured a shallow glasshouse atop quite heavy slab sides and its radiator grille was of chunky eggcrate style.
While there is no doubt that heritage, styling and power are key attributes of the 300C, it also offers a convincing value for money story. Standard equipment includes hide upholstery, 18-inch alloys, heated eight-way power front seats (with two memory positions for drivers), xenon headlights with washers, stability control and Boston Acoustic six-speaker stereo.
The 5.7-litre Hemi engine delivers a pure V8 soundtrack, matched by exhilarating performance. Maximum power of 250kW and torque of 525Nm give it an edge in performance over its locally manufactured rivals. Zero to 100 km/h takes 6.7sec and the benchmark standing 400m time trial wastes just 14.7sec of your time.
You do pay a penalty at the bowser and hard driving in mixed conditions can require as much as 18L/100km. However, if most of your driving is on the open road, you will be pleasantly surprised by consumption in the order of 10-11L/100km. This is where the Multi-Displacement System, which de-activates four cylinders to conserve fuel on light throttle openings, plays an (undetectable) role.
Even though there are only five forward ratios in the automatic transmission, this is a Mercedes-Benz unit which works magnificently and the lack of an extra ratio is never an issue.
Although the 300C is not a full-on sports sedan, it handles well. The steering is perhaps a little too light in feel but it does have feel and this heavyweight machine turns into corners well. There is a reassuringly solid feel to the 300C and it rides serenely. Impressively refined, the 300C exudes quality far beyond its price.
Interior design is mostly impressive, although there are one or two cheap touches such as flimsy feeling controls for the electric mirrors. The good quality leather covers comfortable seats, but the front pair could use more lateral support for vigorous driving.
Most welcome is the split-fold rear seat which complements a large, well-shaped boot.
Search used Chrysler 300C models here
FORD FAIRMONT GHIA BF MK II (more here)
Ford Australia launched the Mark II version of its BF range in October 2006, just three months after Holden unveiled its radically styled VE Commodore and Calais.
In some respects the design harks right back to 1998 and the unloved AU, but this is essentially the ultimate version of the model which made its debut in September 2002 as the 'Barra' BA. Back then, it was certainly the best car ever produced in Australia.
With its additional refinement and features, the BF Mk II was impressive four years on. The problem has been that Falcons are just not perceived as fashionable, unless they carry an FPV badge. This is a most impressive car whose looks and image let it down.
The most obvious improvements were to the cabin ambience. Leather trim in a new China Beige colour added a great sense of plushness, although this hue was not available with every exterior colour. The pale upholstery contrasted superbly with the 'black chrome' instrument cluster.
In my view, the Ghia's interior is the classiest of these three and that could not be said of its immediate predecessor. The seats are very supportive, although the usual Falcon gripe of poor rear seat ingress/egress applies. As with every Falcon since the 1988 EA, the BF Mk II scored a split-fold rear seat.
Standard equipment cannot quite match the Chrysler's - the quality of the sound system for example - but the value for money equation is similar because the Ghia cost $8500 less when new.
For a 'Mark II' facelift, exterior changes were surprisingly extensive. A new bonnet and bumpers made for a somewhat more integrated appearance and chrome highlights served to italicise the Ghia's flagship status. Despite all this though, the Ghia already looked old-fashioned then and seems even more so now, especially alongside its FG successor (which is burdened with the uncharismatic moniker, G6E).
Performance from the optional 5.4-litre V8 is competitive, with maximum power of 230 kW and peak torque of 500Nm on offer at a sensibly low 3500rpm. Zero to 100km/h takes 6.8sec on the way to a 400m time of 14.8. Fuel consumption averages around 14L/100km in mixed driving. On the highway, the six-speed transmission comes into its own and at 100-110km/h consumption can be as low as 8 -- thanks to 'moonshot' gearing of 68.5km/h per 1000rpm (compared with 63.1 for the Calais V and 54.5 for the 300C).
Dynamics have long been a Falcon strong suit and the ride/handling compromise is outstanding. It has the best steering feel of this trio and the car feel less nose-heavy than either of the others. Ride comfort is typically excellent and the Ghia absorbs evil surfaces with ease.
Search used Ford Falcon BF Ghia models here
HOLDEN VE CALAIS V (More here)
The fourth generation Commodore/Calais is probably the boldest step forward since the 1978 VB Commodore seized the baton from the HZ Kingswood as the mainstream Holden family sedan/wagon. But perhaps in the long run VE will be judged to be less of a forward step than from VS to VT last time around.
This is despite the fact that the VE was the first Holden since the 1971 HQ whose exterior design started from the proverbial clean sheet of paper. Previous Commodores have owed their central design themes to Opels, but the large-for-Europe Omega, which was the starting point for the 1988 VN and the 1997 VT (for the original VB Commodore, the same-named Opel was the basis) was dropped.
While thought had been given to an extensive rework of the previous platform, the final decision was to create an all-new car with a safer structure and a forward-mounted fuel tank.
Just about the first thing you see when you get behind the wheel of any VE is that you can't see as well as you would like to. The thick A-pillar blocks a significant chunk of the forward vision.
There is a profound irony here because the 1971 HQ (as mentioned, Holden's last all-new design) was a world leader for forward vison with light but strong A-pillars.
Obviously it's a far cry from 1971 and safety standards have progressed enormously, but why couldn't someone senior at Holden have made that connection and worked out another engineering solution: plenty of other brand new and very safe designs have thinner pillars than the VE or incorporate an additional triangular window!
There is generous interior space in all directions and the Holden clearly out-points both other cars in this comparison. Excellent seats, attractively leather-trimmed and a neat dashboard layout are hallmarks. The design of the handbrake and the hinged door pockets are pleasing, but not always well executed (at least in the case of the former).
The lamentable absence of a split-fold rear seat reveals a lack of imagination. When I quizzed some engineers about this, the response was that customers had not expressed a strong preference for it. Perhaps that's because buyers who want this feature have already moved to another brand!
When it comes to performance, this is the clear winner. The biggest V8 of the group at six litres, it develops 270kW of power and 530Nm of torque. Zero to 100 km/h requires 5.5sec and the standing 400m 13.9.
The V (or, indeed, any other 6.0-litre Commodore/Calais/Statesman) is a step ahead of the others against the stopwatch. This is a rocketship and the good news is that thanks to tall overall gearing, economy of 9L/100km is achievable on the highway, even though the overall average will be closer to 14.
Handling and ride are excellent, although you are always conscious of the heavy V8 in the nose of this car. Steering feel is much improved from earlier Commodores but not quite a match for the Ghia's.
The VE is notably more torsionally rigid than its predecessor and this translates to a very solid feeling on the road with a high level of refinement - in this writer's opinion almost but not quite a match for the 300C in these respects.
Search used Holden Calais models here
THE CARSALES NETWORK's PICK OF THE BUNCH
The Driver's Choice
For this driver, it cannot be the Holden because the poor forward vision is such a negative as to be an automatic disqualifier. Otherwise it would be a close choice between the Calais V and the Fairmont Ghia. As it is, the latter gets the gong.
The Sensible Choice
How often in life can one have heart and head come together? It seems almost like a contradiction to nominate the sexiest car of this trio as the sensible choice, but that's the case. Chrysler's 300C is a car of far greater style than either of the others. In this troubled automotive world, it will remain desirable even if fuel prices soar, so its resale value should always be superior to that of an up-spec Falcon or Commodore.