If you want to ride in luxury and style while enjoying a roomy and comfortable sedan, the 2016 Chrysler 300 is the way to go. It has up to five sizes and trims to choose from, designed to be enjoyed and loved by its driver. In fact, it’s the most luxurious vehicle in its class.
Some of its most attractive features include the interior’s delicate Nappa leather, UConnect® system and conveniently responsive All-Wheel-Drive System. To say the most, it cleverly combines the American style with a nice range of engines and modern safety and entertainment features.
The new Chrysler 300 has received a refreshing major upgrade to its technology and suspension compared to its last model in 2015. Its overall build sports the classic American look, presenting a bold yet elegant design and a squared off profile. Inside the cabin, smooth curves and organic shapes are often utilized, topped with a unique two-tone leather upholstery treatment.
The Chrysler 300 has enough room to seat five people for an enjoyable drive on the road. Seating is all about comfort, which is more enticing with a quiet, quality cabin. It’s the personification of confidence and capability, backed by a long history as an American large family sedan with a roomy interior, luxury options, and reliable V-8 engine power.
Size, MSRP, basic specs
The Chrysler 300 is available in five known trims, with the base Chrysler 300 Limited model’s MSRP starting at around $32,000 up to the 300C Platinum model priced at around $42,600. The Chrysler 300 Limited comes standard with:
- A 292-HP 3.6L Pentastar® V6 Engine and Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission with Rotary E-Shift
- 17-inch silver cast aluminum wheels or 19-inch fully polished cast aluminum wheels
- Rear-wheel drive
- 8-speed automatic 845RE transmission
- UConnect® 8.4 multimedia system
This four door vehicle belongs in the EPA class of large cars with an overall length of 198.6 inches and height of 58.4 inches.
Base Features
In terms of performance features, the Chrysler 300 boasts best-in-class with its V6 highway fuel economy rating of 31 mpg. Aside from being a steamroller on the road, it’s also a great engineering feat. With its available All-Wheel Drive system engaging at any speed, it activates optimal traction and driving control based on the current conditions, road surfaces, and driving style. By combining an axle disconnect function, the Electronic Stability Control system and powertrain controls actively in real time, traction and performance is improved for a smoother ride.
The exterior of the Chrysler 300 leaves a lasting impression due to its sleek design, smooth shapes, and its iconic grille. The wheels are an important component to the vehicle’s character, with nine different wheel designs in 18, 19, and 20-inch sizes.
What’s also an attractive characteristic is the dual pane panoramic power sunroof, which comes standard on the Chrysler 300C and 300C Platinum. It covers a fairly large section of the roof, with a glass surface above both the rear and front seats for all passengers to take pleasure in.
Furthermore, the available high-intensity discharge headlamps display bright white beams that give the driver a clearer view of the road, and the available automatic high-beam control headlamps can detect ambient light from oncoming traffic, adjusting from high-beam to low beam when necessary.
The interior is just as innovative and sleek, starting with the real wood interior accents and carefully stitched seats that are designed to make the driver feel comfortable. The 300C Platinum offers the UConnect® 8.4 NAV which includes a convenient navigation with 3-D graphics on an 8.4-inch touchscreen, the largest standard touchscreen in its class. The SiriusXM® Satellite radio and exclusive BeatsAudio sound system (standard on the Chrysler 300S) makes the Chrysler 300 quite the modern marvel. Also, the three-spoked leather-wrapped steering wheel includes speed control and easily accessible control switches for audio, voice control, and the customizable Driver Information Cluster display.
Because safety and security is highly important for any vehicle, the Chrysler 300 is nicely equipped with exactly that. The Parksense® Front Park Assist can aid you when parking by using ultrasonic sensors at low speeds to detect any objects in front or behind your vehicle in order to avoid any accidents. You can get audible and visual warnings with the available Full-Speed Forward Collision warning with Active Braking System. When needing to reverse out of a parking space, the Rear Cross Path Detection system will warn you if an oncoming vehicle is approaching, then alerting you to brake before collision.
Chrysler 300 Vs. The Competition
Vehicles such as the Nissan Maxima, Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Impala don’t exactly make the cut compared to the Chrysler 300’s eight-speed transmission and Best-in-Class V6 fuel economy rating of 31 highway mpg. It also beats the competition with its 363 horsepower, most advanced all-wheel drive system in its class, unbeatable luxury interior, and advanced technology.
Fuel Efficiency
The Chrysler 300 is a powerful force on the road, and is able to perform at its best thanks to its incredible V6 combined fuel economy and Best-in-Class available V8 horsepower and torque. The standard 3.6L Pentastar® V6 engine is certainly something to boast about, considering you can get up to 31 highway mpg with an impressive 292 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. Additionally, the legendary 5.7L HEMI® V8 engine produces 363 horsepower and 394 lb-ft of torque. These choice engines are one of the many reasons the Chrysler 300 comes out on top in performance.
Pros and Cons
This luxury sedan gives an excellent and quiet ride over bumpy roads and rugged terrain with available all-wheel drive and well-balanced handling and braking, not to mention that the V6/V8 engine is quite fitting to the car’s character. Test drivers report that the auto accelerates rather quickly while the V8 gives marvelous muscle and even more impressive acceleration. The luxury feel and aesthetic of the cabin is highly favored, along with its easy-to-use touchscreen technology with premium sound systems. Moreover, the trunk of the Chrysler 300 is large, and the car’s rear seats can fold down for even more cargo room.
Some cons about the vehicle are that there no SRT performance models available, the all-black cabins on most models can be kind of dark and dreary, and the dash plastics can attract annoying dust. Also, it seems that while the headroom is spacious, the rear might be less roomy for taller passengers. In regards to handling – while it is a smooth ride overall – when the road turns twisty, you will feel the size of the vehicle, but that’s typical considering it’s a large vehicle.
Otherwise, the 2016 Chrysler 300 stands as the leader of the pack. When it comes to fuel economy, AWD, horsepower, interior and exterior design, and technology, this luxury sedan takes the winning cup.
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