Most Requested New Model for 2005

It is the type of car you wash slowly, running your hand along the creases and the corners, cleaning the grille carefully, rubbing up the sculpted metal until you see your own goofy smile in the reflection. It is the kind of car you don't forget. The one you'll remember 20 years from now when you try to recall the cars of your life.

Yes, the Chrysler 300 is all of that. With or without the Hemi, the 300 is a car for the future that harkens back to the past for its core appeal. Under that retro-rapper cum Bentley design lies a powerplant that features Displacement on Demand, a decidedly "now" type of technology that lets drivers have their power and not get eaten at the pump. There's also an all-wheel drive trim available, though it seems that most people want the rear drive grunt. The capability to have both - streams of power and good enough gas mileage at 17/24 mpg -- drives Chrysler 300 popularity, as does the premium feel of the car and the nicely executed interior. Even the 2.7-liter, V6, 190-horsepower engine does well down the road, though most people are interested in getting that "C" badge, which denotes the 5.7 liter, 340 horsepower big boy driving those meaty rear wheels.