Spacious, comfortable, and reliable, the Chrysler 300 has earned its fame as one of the best luxury cars for buyers looking for a large sedan. However, every car has its drawbacks. As good as it might be, the Chrysler 300 may not appeal to every car buyer. While this car remained popular for quite a while, diminishing sales indicate that it’s falling behind in the competition. True enough, the Chrysler 300 faces tough competition in 2022, with too many cars offering similar or better value for money.
What made the Chrysler 300 so popular?
- While the Chrysler 300 may not be your best option at the moment, it did hold its place as an amazing luxury car for a long time. Several reasons contributed to this car’s popularity:
- Spacious: Firstly, the Chrysler 300 is a very spacious car. This made the car an appealing choice, especially for buyers seeking a luxury vehicle as a family hauler. Besides this, all the available space ensured more legroom and headroom, and ultimately, a more comfortable ride.
- Powerful: This car is one of the best cars in its class in terms of power if you equip it with a V8 engine. Delivering 394 Lb. ft. of torque and 363 horsepower, the Chrysler 300 would have no trouble moving uphill even with passengers and cargo.
- Safety: The Chrysler 300 stands out in terms of safety, with features like adaptive cruise control, active braking, and full-speed forward collision warning.
Why should you seek an alternative?
Let’s face it, the Chrysler 300 is a great car, but it also has its own share of drawbacks. These include:
- High fuel usage: The Chrysler 300 isn’t very fuel-efficient compared to other cars in its class. With fuel mileage of about 30 miles per gallon on highways and 19 miles per gallon on city streets, this car can be expensive to drive.
- Hard to park: Although the car comes with a parking assist feature, it doesn’t help with the fact that this is a large car and needs a lot of space to park. In fact, many compact SUVs can fit in a parking space smaller than what a Chrysler 300
- Not as luxurious as the competition: The Chrysler 300 undoubtedly offers a luxurious experience, with ample space and premium interiors. However, it falls behind its rivals in this aspect, many of which are more sophisticated and offer even greater luxury.
Besides these, a number of other cons have come to light too, such as the driver-assist system not being at par with other contemporary luxury cars.
Cars Similar to Chrysler 300
As mentioned previously, the Chrysler 300 faces some serious competition from other cars. If you own a Chrysler 300 and have grown to like it, you might be looking for something similar while buying a new car. Here are some of the closest competitors of the Chrysler 300:
1. 2020 BMW 3 series
The 2020 BMW 3 series shares a number of similarities with the Chrysler 300. If the spacious interior of the latter is why you like it, this is a great alternative for you. Not only does the 2020 BMW 3 Series offer enough space, but its design is more practical. Four adults can easily fit in this car, still sparing enough space for a smaller person. The 2020 BLW Series 3 also boasts a far better city/highway combined mileage of 30 mpg, while the Chrysler 300 only offers 23 mpg.
2. 2020 Audi A3
If the high fuel consumption of the Chrysler 300 is the reason why you are looking for an alternative, the 2020 Audi A3 is one of the best cars for you. This car delivers an amazing combined mileage of 54.5 mpg, which makes it one of the most efficient luxury cars in its class. While both cars are very safe to drive and share similarities in this aspect, the 2020 Audi A3 also has an Autonomous Emergency Braking system, something the Chrysler 300 lacks.
3. Audi S3
Yet another luxury sedan from Audi, the Audi S3 comes at a lower price than the Chrysler 300. While a Chrysler 300 is priced at USD 74,995, an Audi S3 will cost you only USD 65,800. It also features a virtual cockpit, which makes it much more convenient to drive. The two cars do have similar fuel mileage, which makes both of them bad choices if you are looking for an efficient four-wheeler. The Audi S3 isn’t as spacious as the Chrysler 300. Hence, if you need a car for long family trips, you would be better off with a Chrysler 300 or other spacious alternatives.
4. Lexus GS
Unlike the Audi S3, Lexus GS is a very spacious luxury car, similar to the Chrysler 300. Four passengers can comfortably fit in this car, while the cabin also includes a fairly large console bin. The boot of the Lexus GS is large too, with 520 liters of space. Both of these cars come with similar towing capacity, headroom, legroom, exterior length, and a smooth driving experience. However, the Lexus GS offers much greater fuel efficiency. Overall, Lexus GS is a very close alternative to the Chrysler 300, but definitely happens to be a better option.
5. Hyundai Genesis
Hyundai Genesis and Chrysler 300 look almost identical at a quick glance, which makes the former a decent alternative if you love the Chrysler 300’s design. The two cars are also very similar in terms of size, although the Hyundai Genesis is two inches smaller. Like the Chrysler 300, this car can seat up to five people too. Although the Hyundai Genesis falls short a bit on horsepower, it’s a little more efficient than the Chrysler.
6. Honda Accord
If you are looking for a comfortable driving experience, you may go for the Honda Accord. The seats are very supportive, with wide bases. This helps protect the driver from fatigue when driving for extended periods of time. The Honda Accord is also cheaper to drive, with higher fuel mileage. The hybrid powertrain in this car functions with great efficiency. With an NHTSA rating of 5, the Honda Accord is also safer than the Chrysler 300. Both the cars are highly maneuverable as they share the same turning radius.
7. Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class offers several advantages over the Chrysler 300. To start with, it boasts a much better fuel economy and a bigger fuel tank, which means you need to make fewer stops to refill it. Both the cars can seat five passengers, and have similar cargo space. You would also find auto-transmission with rear-wheel and all-wheel drivetrain in both of them. However, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class offers more torque, which makes it a more powerful car. It is also smaller than the Chrysler 300, which makes it easier to park in smaller spaces.
8. Jaguar XE
The Jaguar XE is a good choice for buyers seeking a car that delivers an excellent driving experience. This car guarantees ample horsepower and smooth handling, so it feels better to drive than a Chrysler 300. However, this comes at the cost of smaller rear legroom and cargo space. The Chrysler 300 boasts a 3.6L gasoline engine, while the Jaguar XE uses a 2.0L diesel engine. Both cars offer similar seating space, i.e., five people.
Conclusion
The Chrysler 300 is undoubtedly still a great car. It’s a good option for you if you are looking for a comfortable, reliable, and safe luxury car at a reasonable price. However, its competition includes some great alternatives. All of these share similarities with the Chrysler 300, and are better or worse than it in different aspects. Compare your options based on the following aspects:
- Fuel efficiency
- Engine horsepower and torque
- Price
- Legroom and headroom
- Seating space
- Cargo space
- Comfort
- Driving experience
- Safety features
In general, it is advisable to pick a vehicle with higher fuel mileage than the Chrysler 300 to curtail your costs in the long run. This way, you can optimize the performance and maintenance of the vehicle.
