Chrysler 300C

The Chrysler 300C remains a genuinely interesting car. It looks great and should be well priced. One to try before you buy a nondescript German.

• Comfort

  Superbly refined, and massively quiet. A lovely place to waft around in; diesel engine is subdued, road and tyre noise is minimal and the whole thing oozes luxury cruising. 

  

• Performance

  We'll only get two versions of the 3.0-litre diesel V6 in the UK, available in 187bhp and 239bhp trim. The latter also boasts 406 torques, and will do the 0-62mph dash in 7.8 seconds. Not massively quick, but considering it weighs two tonnes, not bad either. We might, might get the US's Pentastar V6, and considering the Grand Cherokee now comes in SRT-8 trim, there is hope of petrol firepower.

  

• Cool

  Very. Spec it in Sopranos-spec black with massive wheels - that actually ride nicely - and people will respect you. And fear you.

  

• Quality

  Much better than the previous effort, barring a tiny smattering of budget plastics. Otherwise its a luxuriously appointed cabin and feels premium.

  

• Handling

  Ok, so it's not the most sorted handling car; it understeers when you push it, there's a little lean from the body when you corner a bit quick, and the steering isn't the last word in feedback.

  

• Practicality

  It's a massive car to thread around town - it measures 5m long and nearly 2m wide - but inside it rivals a Mercedes S-Class. It's huge. Boot space is good for this, but fans of the Tourer will have to buy used, as we they haven't confirmed an estate 300C for production.

  

• Running costs

  39mpg for the diesel V6 and emissions of 191g/km aren't class-leading stats, but for that sheer bulk its acceptable. Also, it's rumoured to cost around £36k when it arrives in 2012, so entry price is muchos cheapos.