Jim Press, vice chairman and president of Chrysler LLC , recently made the comment that of any of the Detroit Three automakers, only Chrysler goes head to head against the best from BMW and Mercedes.
Right now the guffawing you hear is coming from the boardrooms in Munich and Stuttgart.
Seriously Jim? BMW and Mercedes? Do you think anyone has ever cross-shopped a Chrysler Sebring with a BMW 3-Series or a Mercedes-Benz C-class? Consumers might rent one when their premium sedan is in the shop, but to actually buy one in lieu of Germany's best? Never in a million years.
So what other Chryslers follow the BMW or Mercedes mould? Perhaps we could put the Chrysler Pacifica with the woefully hideous and underselling Mercedes R-class but that is about it. The 300C is a very decent car but it is definitely no E-class or 5-series. Mr. Press, we know the E-class and 5-series. We’ve driven the E-class and 5-series. And trust us, the 300C is no E-class or 5-series.
Our view? One would assume that the leadership of The Big Three would be filled with humility what with their futures so precariously at stake. Seems that Mr. Press proved we would all be wrong on that count.