Landing a role in a rap music video, Chrysler's 2005 300 sedan generated a buzz before it even went on the market.

The buzz - and strong sales - continue for Chrysler's new, showy, large, four-door car with a starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $23,920.

"The Chrysler 300 is the most talked about car in America right now," Gary Dilts, Chrysler Group senior vice president of sales, said last month after the early introduction 300 had posted three straight months of 12,000-plus sales.

The volume far surpasses recent sales of the 300's predecessors, the Chrysler LH cars, which sold under the Concorde, 300M and LH names.

The looks of the 300, which a car enthusiast magazine characterized as a "mobster in a pinstripe," are key to the 300's appeal.

During the AP's test drive, some consumers thought the 300 looks like a Bentley, thanks to the car's blockish front end and generous use of shiny silver-colored trim.

Many liked the way the 300 hunkers over its big, 17- or 18-inch wheels in an aggressive manner. This can appeal to car drivers who for years have felt like they're just an inconsequential speck on the roads now dominated by sport utility vehicles and pickups.

But the 300 offers more than eye-catching looks.

While the base model comes with a 190-horsepower, 2.7-liter V6, the top-of-the-line 300C has Hemi power - a deep-throated, 340 horses and 390 foot-pounds of torque generated by a 5.7-liter Hemi V8.

Note these performance numbers top the V8s of even some pricier, luxury cars such as the Jaguar XJ and BMW 7-Series.

The 300C's Hemi is a bit different from the one used in Dodge's big Ram pickups. At times, some of the eight cylinders in this car's V8 are turned off to improve fuel economy by up to 20 percent from what it would have been otherwise.

The driver doesn't hear or see the deactivation. It's managed by engine controls.

There's also a third engine available for the 300 line.

The midlevel, 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter, single overhead cam V6 that was in the test car provided smooth shifts, commendable power and a confident engine note in the 300 Touring model, which is priced some $5,700 less than the top, $33,495 Hemi-powered 300C.

Maximum torque generated by the 3.5-liter V6 is 250 foot-pounds at 3,800 rpm.

Still, fuel economy in the 300 isn't the best. It ranges from 21 miles a gallon in city driving and 28 mpg on the highway with the smallest V6 to 17/25 mpg for the Hemi-powered 300C.All 300s have automatic transmissions, either four- or five-speeds, depending on the engine they're mated to.Riders find a surprisingly roomy interior in the 300.Indeed, no other Chrysler - not even a Chrysler minivan - has the lengthy, 10-foot-long wheelbase that the 300 has, stretching from the center of one wheel to the center of the other wheel on one side of the car.This allows for an amazing 40.2 inches of rear-seat legroom and compares with the 34.9 inches in the large Toyota Avalon sedan, which starts at more than $26,500, and the 38.4 inches in the Mercury Grand Marquis full-size sedan. The 2005 Grand Marquis starts at $25,095.Note the 300 doesn't approach the overall, bumper-to-bumper length of the really big sedans that are often used as limos, such as the Lincoln Town Car, which offers 41.1 inches of rear legroom, and the Cadillac DeVille, which has 43.2 inches in back. Give credit to Chrysler designers, who kept the 300's overhangs - the parts of the body that extend beyond the front and rear wheels - short.In this way, the 16.4-foot-long 300, though sizable by general sedan standards, isn't limo length.Its 15.6-cubic-foot trunk also is smaller than the 20.6-cubic-foot trunk in the Grand Marquis and the 15.9-cubic-foot trunk in the Avalon.It took a few days for me to get used to maneuvering the 300 into parking spaces.As I steered it, the car felt wide. In addition, the browline of the dashboard sits high, so I had to adjust my seat height quite high, and the top of the dashboard and the hood area can seem massive.Another noteworthy item: The 300 uses a new rear-drive platform.Rear-drive handling characteristics are different than those of a front-drive car, but most casual drivers aren't likely to be bothered, except when they approach the limits of the car or experience some slippery road conditions, as I did with the test car.Thank goodness electronic stability control, standard on the 300 Touring model, sensed the car was hydroplaning as I moved from an entrance ramp onto the freeway one rainy night.The system promptly reacted to slow the car and get me headed in the right direction. Only as it kicked in did I sense that I had been headed for trouble.Starting this fall, the 300 also is available with all-wheel drive.