Having owned a 1997 LHS, and thinking the Concorde was the replacement, I bought a used (9000 miles) 2003 Concorde Limited without doing enough homework and a proper test drive.
The car has high interior noise level, rides very poorly (hard ride), and gets much worse fuel mileage (16/26) than did my 1997 LHS.
QUERY: Is this common with the Concorde Limited OR do I have an exception?
Any potential corrective measures would be appreciated.
Sounds like bad tire choice. Factory Goodyears which came with the 99
300M were awful too. Replaced them with Michelin MXV4 Plus and it made it into a new car.
Mike: The existing tires are Michelin MXV4 Plus. I tentatively attribute some of the noise and ride problem to the 17 inch wheels and the low profile (55 series) instead of the 60 series on the LHS. But I can't blame the tires for the fuel mileage.
Thanks for the input/EBJ
Arthur (Art?): Well, the existing tires are Michelin MXV4 Plus, 17 inch, 55 series. I tentatively attribute some of the noise and ride problems to the low profile tires (55 series) versus the 60 series on the LHS. But, I don't see how the tires could produce that fuel mileage so worse than the LHS.
Thanks for the input/EBJ
I agree with the others that tires can make a huge difference in noise levels. I have a '99 Concorde. After reading about all the tire noise problems here and elsewhere, and having my own disappointment with a set of so-called high performance tires, I changed to a set of touring tires. The difference in noise and smoothness is like night and day. Double to triple the tread life and a warranty that is honored if problems do develop are a bonus. If you are willing to give up a few G's on cornering capability, you might consider that. Would soften up your ride a little too. Change to 16"?
As far as fuel mileage, I average about 25 to 26 (typically 23 to 27) on my 80 mile daily commute. Mine is different in that it has the 2.7L engine, but it is with lower gearing, so I wouldn't expect yours to be that much different. My highest was 31.5, but that was on a long trip on which I was able to go non-stop on a complete tank on an interstate.
You might find this thread (a poll about gas mileage) on the 300M ezBoard to be of interest:
Don't have an answer for the gas mileage. My 300M electronic readout says I average about 20 mph overall. I pretty much get that on every car I own that has an electronic gauge. Conspiracy theory?
Have you checked the tires to make sure they are not over inflated? Should be around 32 (check the sticker on the driver door).
Also make sure the plastic inner fenders aren't damaged and there should be insulation near the hinges when you open the front doors to isolate the front fender noise.
Chrysler filled voids in the 300M with expanding foam according to the marketing literature. I assume they did that in the Concord too. Check the advertising literature to see if it says. Maybe they missed a void on your car.
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