With the Chrysler 300C CRD you can have your apple pie and cream -- and eat it too.
This variant of Chrysler's big sedan looks just as bullish and out there as its petrol-powered brothers-in-arms, but goes a lot further on a tankful thanks to its Mercedes-Benz-derived diesel powerplant.
Boasting an ADR fuel economy figure of 8.1 litres/100 km, the 3.0-litre CRD V6 is way more fuel-efficient than the petrol 3.5 V6 and 5.7 and 6.1 V8s.
The bonus is that there's no great trade-off in performance. The CRD is nearly a second quicker from 0-100 km/h than the petrol V6 and its mountain of torque is just 15 Nm short of the 5.7 Hemi's peak output of 525 Nm.
The diesel engine's 'torquey', accommodating characteristics are smartly suited to a smooth shifting five-speed auto, which clicks off full throttle gear changes at 3700 rpm.
The steering is well weighted and responsive and although the ride proves understandably compromised towards plush rather than performance, moving nearly two tonnes of 300C is no chore.
The car's underlying superseded Mercedes E-class architecture might well explain this surprisingly competent level of big car handling and road manners.
It's not all Bud and tenpin, however. The 300C suffers from that perennial malaise of the American auto: flat, hard seats and poor ergonomics.