Calling all Mopar fans... whats the 411 on the Pentastar?

Got a friend looking at getting a new 300 and they are concerned about the reliability of the drive train (engine and trans). What's the word on this? I seem to remember this being a new engine and a first 6 spd trans for chrysler.

The Pentastar is a great motor. They spent like 10 years on R&D on that engine. It was one the most researched and tested Mopars made. It has been on Wards 10 Best Engines since day 1.

http://www.pentastars.com/engines/repairs.php

http://www.pentastars.com/engines/production.php

http://www.pentastars.com/engines/tech.php

The 6-speed is new to the Chryslers, but it is sourced from Hyundai. (Who essentially got it from Mitsubishi, who got it from Chrsyler...) It's been around for a while, no major issues.

However, if they are looking at a 300, they should be looking at an 8-speed or 5-speed, not a 6-speed.

The 8-speed is a ZF unit. It is new to Chrysler, but not new. Many European cars use it. Again, it's a good unit.

The 5-speed is a solid unit, though it is showing it's age in some areas.

Also, if it is new, they will have 5 years and 100,000 miles of warranty on the powertrain, and if they want to keep it longer, then can upgrade that to a Lifetime (literally) warranty...

I would have no hesitation, other than they may want to consider the C.

My father has an '09 Charger R/T Road & Track. It's the baby SRT if you will, not really the economical choice, but he routinely gets 26-28mpg on the highway, and 20-22 around town. The best part is that you will never have to worry about making a pass, or wish you would have gotten the C to begin with. The Hemi is definitely the way to go.

This is ESPECIALLY TRUE is they considering a Limited model. It is essentially a C with the V6 as far as looks and ammenities go, and it is nearly as expensive.

Another thing to consider is the resale value on the flip-side. The Hemi itself adds a minimum of $2500 to the value of the car when you go to trade it in. It usually only costs about $1500 to add the engine, though the car will cost more than that due to the addition of other luxury options. Last I checked it was about $3500...

http://www.allpar.com/cars/chrysler/300C.html

Thanks Sim! My friends are looking for a fun to drive practical sedan... I think they have pretty much settled (or now purchased) a legacy. I was trying to submit some good domestic alternatives but this is a hard bill to fill no matter what brand. BMW seems to be the best but if your on a budget that counts them out. Anyway I had read some on the new 300 and knew it had a new engine, but didn't know much about it so I wanted to try and get them as much good info as possible. The lifetime warranty is a good option since dependability and resale were the two biggest secondary concerns.

Lolz. That's Sim silly!

Smus wrote:Lolz. That's Sim silly!

I wondered how long that would take...

Sorry Sim.. the Blue letters don't show up well on the grey background.. or maybe I need to get my eyes checked. At any rate thanks for the good info!