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AutoWeek's 'America's Best' Reader Poll Names Dodge Viper, Chrysler 300M and Chrysler PT Cruiser Best for 2000

7 July 2000

Three of Top 10 From DaimlerChrysler Corporation

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - AutoWeek magazine's 11th annual reader survey of 
American car and truck trends is out, and the results are great for 
DaimlerChrysler Corporation.

    Leading the list from the Chrysler Group stable as a perennial favorite in
AutoWeek's "America's Best" readers' poll is the Chrysler 300M performance
sedan, along with the visceral Dodge Viper -- America's ultimate sports car --
which has made the list every year since entering production in 1992.

    "AutoWeek readers are very much the most passionate readers out there, and
when they speak it says volumes for the value of these cars," said AutoWeek
Editor Dutch Mandel in commenting on this year's poll, published in the auto
enthusiast magazine's July 3 issue.  "We consider this survey to be the
ultimate focus group -- readers who are car-passionate to the core."

    The survey, sent to about 3,100 readers, also voted the recently
introduced Chrysler PT Cruiser as one of "America's Best."  The PT Cruiser
went on sale earlier this year after receiving rave reviews by the automotive
press around the world.

    "We knew the PT Cruiser would be on this year's list from the get-go, and
our readers did not disappoint us," said Mandel, adding that the PT Cruiser is
a "cultural phenomenon" that could rise up in the charts in the magazine's
future surveys.

    The Chrysler 300M made AutoWeek's "America's Best" poll for the second
year running, with readers dubbing it as  "America's sports sedan."  Mandel
noted that the 300M has been a favorite of the editors and readers alike ever
since its introduction for 1999.

    Also making the list every year since its introduction was the Dodge
Viper, America's most potent sports car.

    "Having the Viper a permanent part of this list proves once again that
AutoWeek readers' passions firmly lie with sheer horsepower and torque," said
Mandel.

    Now in its 42nd year, AutoWeek magazine, published by Crain Communications
Inc., is America's largest weekly auto enthusiast magazine, with more than
340,000 readers.