2019 Chrysler 300 Road Test and Review

If you want a rear-wheel drive sedan with a V8 engine, your choices these days are limited. One alternative is the Mercedes-Benz S 560 that lists for $99,900. Then there’s the BMW 750i with an MSRP of $96,950. Or there’s the Chrysler 300C that has a list price of $41,095.

Now, we’re not implying the Chrysler 300 is the equal of the 7 Series or S Class, but the point is obvious. sedans that offer substantial size, a V8 engine, and rear drive are an endangered species in this era of front-wheel drive crossovers. And this is where the Chrysler 300, along with its running mate, the Dodge Charger, are putting their stakes in the ground. If you seek a comfortable luxury car in the classic American tradition, you have come to the right place. And if you don’t need a V8, well, that’s OK, too. The V6-powered Chrysler 300 models also have plenty to recommend them.

In an era when so many cars are trying to blend in, the Chrysler 300 blends out. It is designed to make a statement. With its long hood, high beltline, and small side windows, the 300 has an air of intrigue and glamor about it. Cadging quite liberally from the Bentley portfolio, it is a very exclusive-looking sedan.

The 300’s front end has a high-end feel with the winged Chrysler logo extending across an elegant grille that is flanked by faired headlights. The rear of the vehicle is well-tailored with vertical taillights and a reprise of the Chrysler logo. Wheels and tires are, literally, a big part of the car’s presence. The top-of-the-line 300C has 20-inch polished alloys, while the 300S, another performance-oriented version, offers 19-inch “Black Noise” wheels.

The basic interior design of the Chrysler 300 is a constant across the price levels, but each trim is appointed with features appropriate to its individual mission. For example, the sporty 300S offers leather-wrapped sport seats, exclusive “piano black” interior accents, and an available nine-speaker Alpine Audio system with surround sound and a trunk-mounted subwoofer.

At the top of the line, the 300C features the availability of two-tone indigo/linen interior with quilted and perforated Nappa leather seats and door panels, natural-pore wood trim, French accent stitching, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. If you’re not an indigo/linen fan, there’s always a similar interior in mocha brown. Some features extend across the line, including dual-zone automatic climate control and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls.

We’ve been fans of Fiat-Chrysler’s Uconnect entertainment systems for quite a while now, because of their easy-to-understand nature. The Chrysler 300 features Uconnect 4 with an 8.4-­inch display, AM/FM/HD radio, SiriusXM radio (including a free one-year trial), voice commands, and Bluetooth streaming. It is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and it includes an audio jack and two USB ports.

A system virtually identical system with GPS navigation is also widely available across trim levels, typically as part of a package. The 300’s standard infotainment systems have six speakers. In addition to the nine-speaker Alpine system in the 300S, a 19-speaker Harman Kardon system with a subwoofer and a 900-watt amplifier is available as an upgrade, so you can shake the windows on cars next to yours.

The 300 offers the choice of two well-regarded powertrains. The base engine is Chrysler's venerable 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. In most applications, it delivers 292 horsepower, but in the performance-oriented 300S, it has been upped to 300 horsepower. Oh, and then we mentioned a V8 engine, too, didn’t we? Standard in the 300C and optional in the 300S is the 363-horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V8, which includes as a bonus 394 pound-feet of torque.

Each of these engines is backed up by a TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission that offers quick, smooth shifts and contributes to the car’s more-than-acceptable fuel economy. All V6-powered models offer the availability of a technologically advanced all-wheel drive system that features an active transfer case and front-axle disconnect system. Without your knowledge or approval, it transitions between rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive for maximum traction and fuel economy.

If you want to know what a classic '60s muscle car felt like, apply the torque of a Hemi V8. Unless you really put your foot in it, the engine never seems to work up a sweat, and whenever you want more power it is there. Much as we applaud today’s turbocharged engines, there is something intoxicating about the near-instant torque of a big-displacement V8.

At the same time, we don’t want to diminish the V6-powered 300s. The Pentastar engine offers more horsepower than many old-school muscle cars, and it does so through an automatic transmission that would put old “slushboxes” to shame. Then there’s the availability of all-wheel drive, turning a sedan that might be a handful in rain or snow into a security blanket. Various levels of standard and optional suspension tuning are offered, so you can dial in the ride/handling ratio you prefer.

The 300 offers an impressive array of available active safety features. Its SafetyTec Plus suite includes advanced brake assist, rain-­sensing windshield wipers, a LaneSense lane departure warning with lane-keep assist, automatic high-­beam headlamp control, and a full-­speed forward collision warning with active braking. It also includes adaptive cruise control with stop, exterior mirrors with power and heat, and an auto-­dimming driver’s mirror. ParkSense front/rear park assist is available in a package that includes navigation. The SafetyTech Plus equipment is optional on 300S, 300 Limited, and 300C trim levels as a package.

Standard safety gear includes driver and front-passenger airbags, a driver knee bolster, and side curtain airbags for front and rear outboard seating positions. Other standard safety features are electronic stability control, brake assist, hill-start assist, and all-speed traction control.

While 300 sedan exudes luxury, it is also a very good family-sedan candidate. Offering an ample amount of passenger space for five, the 300 boasts an interior volume of 106.3 cubic feet. That interior room is complemented by a remarkably sizable trunk that offers 16.3 cubic feet of cargo area. Liftover height is a very reasonable 30.1 inches. The optional dual-pane sunroof knocks down headroom by an inch, but noggin-space is still ample.

With rear-drive and a potent V-8 engine, you might assume that the Chrysler 300 would offer robust towing capacity. Think again. Maximum towing for the 300 is just 1,000 pounds. If you want to tow, get a Ram Truck. Fuel economy for the rear-drive V6-powered 300 is 19 mpg city/30 mpg highway/23 mpg combined. With the all-wheel drive V6, the ratings are 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway/21 mpg combined. With the Hemi V8, the EPA numbers are 16 mpg city/25 mpg highway/19 mpg combined.

The 300 is offered in five trim levels: Touring, Touring L, 300S, 300 Limited, and 300C. A variety of equipment packages allow you to further refine what you want and what you don’t. Even the Touring is reasonably well-equipped, but things get plusher as you work your way up from Touring L. The 300S is similar to Chevrolet’s RS trim level, a play for younger drivers who favor blacked-out badges and wheels. For drivers who want more handling capability, a performance-tuned suspension with increased spring rates, performance-tuned steering and bushings, larger sway bars, and Goodyear Eagle F1 three-season tires is available on the 300S.

The 300 Limited is very plush but does not offer the V8 engine, even as an option. The 300C is the ultimate version of the 300, and it also boasts the availability of the most complete safety and driver assistance package.

The 300 is now the only sedan the Chrysler brand offers. As such it spans a wide swath of prices. The base 300 Touring starts at $28,995. If you add all-wheel drive, it jumps to $31,495. The sporty-looking 300S, which might be the best performer of the bunch, has a base price of $36,395. The well-equipped 300 Limited will bathe you in the lap of luxury for $37,645. Finally, the top-of-the-line 300C, complete with the Hemi V8 as standard equipment, starts at $41,095. (All models face a $1,395 destination charge.) 

The Chrysler 300 offers pretty good resale value, and consumers like their experiences with it. Plus, equipped the right way, it is a car that can drive you all the way back to 1968.