This seems to be a car Americans have been waiting for: a big rear-wheel drive domestic four-door “Detroit” sedan. Well, not quite Detroit. This American car was engineered by the Germans and is built in Canada. The simple fact is this: the 300 is a terrific car, regardless of where it’s made. Since its debut in late April, sales of the new 300 have been nothing short of spectacular, more than doubling the year over year sales of the LHS, Concord and 300M models it replaces.

The 300 is available in four models, all four-door sedan with rear-drive. An all-wheel-drive model will be available by late summer or early fall. The base 300 ($22,970) comes well equipped with a 2.7-liter 200-horsepower V-6 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, cloth seats with an eight-way power driver’s seat, four-wheel disc brakes, air conditioning, CD player, cruise control, power windows, mirrors and door locks.

I drove the next-in-line 300 Touring ($26,770) powered by a 3.5-liter 250-horsepower V-6 with the same automatic transmission. The Touring edition adds leather seating, alloy wheels, fog lamps, emergency brake assist, electronic stability and traction control and lighted vanity mirrors.

The 300 Limited ($29,265) kicks it up another notch, adding chrome wheels, heated front seats, power passenger seat, automatic headlamps, an electronic vehicle information center, audio controls on the steering wheel and automatic temperature control.

Finally, the top of the line 300C ($32,995) heralds the return of the V-8 Hemi engine to the Chrysler brand after a 50 year absence (the Hemi engine has been available in Dodge truck products and is now available in the new Dodge Magnum wagon). The Hemi engine in the new 300C is not the same design that powered Chryslers in the 1950s and Dodge and Plymouth muscle cars in the ’60s and ’70s, but it uses the same technology.

The 300C packs 340-horsepower and is mated to a five-speed automatic with AutoStick shifting, 18-inch chrome wheels, dual exhaust, premium leather interior, Boston Acoustics audio system, seat memory and tortoise shell interior accents.

Options for the 300 include rear curtain airbags, rear object detection, adjustable pedals, GPS Navigation system, satellite radio, sunroof, California walnut interior accents and Xenon high-intensity headlamps.

With its high standard feature content and low base price, the 300 is seems a better choice than the similarly-priced Nissan Maxima, Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. Add the spacious interior, rear-wheel drive and superior styling of the 300 and my choice easily becomes the Chrysler.

Inside the 300 boasts an incredible amount of room. At 6’6” it’s the first car I can remember driving without having the seat adjusted to its maximum to achieve comfortable driving position and ample legroom. The interior is simple in appearance and well laid out, but with an economy look to the materials. The steering wheel looked cheap as did the trim material around the center stack and console-mounted shifter. The rounded gauges feature black numbers on a white background lit by a cool green at night. I especially liked the analog clock prominently placed at the top of the center stack. The optional tortoise-shell or walnut trim on the steering wheel rim, door handles and shifter area is highly recommended to dress up the dull-looking interior.

Thanks to the 10-foot wheelbase (the longest in Chrysler history) the 300 feels rock solid with a smooth, quiet ride. Because the front and rear wheels are pushed to the maximum, the overall length defies the wheelbase and parking is easy.

I drove the 300 on all types of road surfaces, from interstate to twisty mountain roads, and was impressed with the results. A sports sedan it isn’t, but for an everyday ride, the 300 pleases. Handling could be crisper but it’s on par with European and Japanese cars costing thousands more.

I had the opportunity to drive the 300C Hemi for a few hours recently and it was more refined in every way than Touring model. The Hemi engine and five-speed automatic transmission make a huge difference. Of course fuel economy drops to 17-mpg city/25-mpg highway, but that fabulous Hemi sounds and is powerful. Plus, the standard tortoise-shell accents with upgraded leather looks sharp. At a minimum I would recommend the mid-range Touring and Limited models — good choices for a well-equipped large sedan below $30,000.

Bottom line: The 300 is an exceptional car for the money. At the entry level you get a feature-laden, full-size, rear-wheel drive sedan priced like a Camry without the uninspired Camry styling. At the upper end, the 300C is priced like the Acura TL, Nissan Maxima SL and Infiniti G35, plus you get a Hemi engine. With the new 300, Chrysler is attracting a crowd that never before considered its product. It’s no wonder AutoWeek magazine readers named the 300 America’s best sedan, ahead of the BMW 3 Series and Cadillac CTS. I love the look and love driving it. It got my vote!

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