NEW YORK (MONEY Magazine) - From our comfortable perch, on drives from the California high country to the Boston suburbs, the 300 revealed itself as MONEY's Car of the Year.

Created by talented young Chrysler designer Ralph Gilles, the 300 speeds toward the future by hearkening back to the flashy land barges Detroit unleashed so mightily in years past. Yet this stretch-your-legs Chrysler drives more like a modern European sedan than the boats of yore.

Credit its balanced rear-wheel-drive layout, along with plenty of borrowed technology from its Mercedes partner. That includes an available five-speed automatic transmission, electronic stability control and a suspension design from the E-Class sedan. On all versions of the 300, the ride is plush, the handling surprisingly poised.

Trendy "baby Bentley" comparisons overstate the case for this car's luxury, but the point is made: The 300's glitzy presence, outsize grille and swaths of chrome lend the car real visual swagger. The look is gangster and gangsta, with crossover appeal to buyers young and old, urban and suburban.

The 300 has even been finding its way into the garages of people who could afford a real Bentley, like Snoop Dogg and Shaquille O'Neal. Assuming you are neither a rapper nor a pro athlete, you'll want to know that top value is found in the Touring ($27,720) and Limited ($30,530) models, each of which has a 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6.

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The 300C model ($33,495) is especially swift, thanks to its lusty 340-horsepower Hemi V-8, which alternates between four- and eight-cylinder modes to save fuel. (We managed 17 mpg; light-footed drivers should do better).

A few details disappoint. Optional faux-tortoiseshell interior trim resembles a schoolgirl's cheap barrette. And it remains to be seen whether the 300's tough-guy style will have staying power. Quibbles aside, the 300 boldly asserts itself as the year's best new car. This Chrysler is a needed antidote to the timid, play-it-safe approach that continues to plague so many American sedans.