It's not a Lexus, that's for sure. Nor is it a Volvo or a Honda or a Ford or a Chevy for that matter. You've seen this car around, and no doubt you've noticed that it's a ride that makes a statement. "What is that?!" you probably remarked as it glided past, like a battleship navigating the local marina. "There's no other car on the road that's quite like it!"

Mission No. 1 for Chrysler's new 300 was to stand out and get noticed. Chrysler has aced that test. Now for the harder part: proving that the hulking sedan with a grill as long as John Kerry's chin isn't a gimmicky flash in the pan. My vote is that the 300 and the top-shelf 300C pass that test, too. I expected this vast chariot to be the equivalent of an offensive lineman, big and muscular and imposing but somewhat rough and unrefined. Not so. The 300C, the most luxurious version, which I drove, is more tasteful on the inside than the brash exterior would suggest. It has a classy dashboard layout and design touches, such as chrome door handles and dashboard inserts, that are stylish without being gaudy. The gauges are simple and clean, and Chrysler's engineers disciplined themselves into leaving off some of the cheap, extraneous junk that usually signals a wannabe.

And there's rooooooom. The back seat could comfortably house a couple of those offensive linemen, which gives the 300C a meaningful niche: If you want a passenger car that has real space for four or five adults, there's now an alternative to dull geezermobiles like the Mercury Grand Marquis. The trunk is huge, too: With a little squeezing I easily fit a rolled-up, 5-by-8-foot carpet back there. The best surprise, however, is that the 300C doesn't feel huge on the road. It's one of the heaviest four-doors on the market but doesn't throw its bulk around. Rear-wheel drive and huge 18-inch wheels—17-inch on the base models—help it corner as well as many medium-sized sedans that weigh much less. I kept forgetting how large the car was, in fact, and sticking the car's big snout dangerously close to other vehicles while parking or maneuvering in tight spaces.

The test car I drove was equipped with the "Hemi" V-8 engine that Chrysler has been touting as a return to the glory days of mouthy muscle cars. It is powerful indeed but also confidently quiet, with a smooth-shifting five-speed automatic. And Chrysler has elected not to tune it for throaty effect—another sign that the 300C is a serious car, not just an image play. Important note: The hemi-powered 300C tops off at close to $35,000, which is luxury-car territory. So it should be awfully good. The surprise is that it is.