Chrysler 300 vs Dodge Charger

When Chrysler launched the 300 sedan in 2005, it drew both criticism and praise for its Bentley-like appearance. Though one might need a vivid imagination to see the resemblance, the Chrysler's round headlights, bold grille, blunt nose, and stately proportions invoked memories of the elegant Bentley Arnage. Given that the 300 was a successor to the less charming 300M, its fresh look immediately gained credibility, reminiscent of one of the most refined luxury sedans of the time.

Subsequently, the Chrysler 300 received various updates after its significant rework in 2011. Though it evolved with updated powertrains and fresh technologies, its design always harken back to the Bentley-reminiscent styling from its debut during the George W. Bush administration. It maintained its aesthetic appeal throughout the years, presenting itself as a visually appealing car with large 20-inch wheels and performance tires across all trim levels, especially the blacked-out appearance packages.

By 2023, during its final production year, the Chrysler 300 came in four trims: Touring, Touring L, 300S, and the limited-production 300C. With varied engine choices ranging from V6s to V8s, the 300 retained its affordability ranging from $35,515 to $44,025, excluding the $1,595 destination charge. The special 300C edition, with a fully loaded MSRP of $56,595, was noteworthy for its performance enhancements.

While the exterior promises luxury, the interior didn't fully match that promise. The 300C's interior boasted elements like carbon-fiber trim, Laguna leather upholstery, and cowhide-covered touches, but the overall feel was in line with its price and age.

On the other hand, the last iteration of the Dodge Charger saw minimal changes from its 2015 facelift, which featured a sleeker, slimmer nose and enhanced LED taillights. Introduced in 2011 and built on underpinnings dating to the 2006 model, itself a derivative of the 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the Charger retained an aged essence. Yet, its distinct look and vibrant exterior colors, like Plum Crazy, made it stand out alongside modern competitors. While less appealing in base trim, the V8 versions, especially with aftermarket kits, offered a formidable presence.

Our Swinger edition of the Charger, an R/T Scatpack with the widebody kit, sported flared fenders harboring 305-mm-wide tires on 20-inch wheels. It featured a large hood scoop balanced with multiple air intakes and cooling ducts, bronze wheels pushed to the car's corners, and distinctive side profiles marked by oversized front doors. The tail end was complemented by significant exhaust pipes and a matte black decklid spoiler, emphasizing classic full-width Dodge taillights.

However, the interior, sourced straight from 2011, was dated. Despite having Nappa leather and Alcantara seats, the overall feel was not upscale. With old-school switches, a small touchscreen, and plasticky knobs, it stood as a functional yet dated cabin.

The major allure of the 2023 Chrysler 300C lay in its exclusive powertrain and performance attributes. Chrysler revived aspects from the discontinued 300 SRT, offering a full-size sedan with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8, commemorating 70 years of the 300 name. This powertrain delivered an impressive 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission, complete with a Sport mode and paddle shifters.

Chrysler claimed the 300C could dash from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 160 mph. The car’s adaptive damping suspension, performance-focused Brembo brakes, and performance tires on exclusive lightweight forged aluminum wheels heightened driving dynamics. Multiple driving modes allowed for customization of throttle, steering, suspension firmness, and exhaust sound.

Though powerful, the 300C required a careful foot on the accelerator to avoid tire chirp and squirmy sensations. Sport mode transformed the 300C into a more aggressive performer, suitable for enthusiastic drives, but often the stability control warning light would flare, urging a return to more conservative settings. This high-performance fun came with the drawback of notable exhaust boom and a conservative fuel economy of 18 mpg combined, with actual evaluations averaging around 17.5 mpg.

Meanwhile, the Dodge Charger entertained a range of powertrains, making the standard V6 feel obsolete. This 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, originally a minivan engine, offered 292 or 300 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque. Though providing the only all-wheel drive option, its performance wasn’t highly regarded. The true excellence lay in its ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, praised for its smoothness and quick shifts, also managing to deliver up to 30 mpg on the highway.

The Hemi V8 engines distinguished the Charger, starting from the 5.7-liter with 370 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque in the R/T models to the more menacing 6.4-liter V8 in Scatpack models, producing 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. This engine offered a satisfying acceleration experience, the noise, and downshifts in Track mode delivering thrills even at lower speeds.

The Hellcat variants took performance up several notches with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8, generating between 717 hp and 807 hp depending on the model. Despite its raw power, the Hellcat often struggled with traction. The performance features extended to the SRT Dashboard app, allowing full customization of driving dynamics, with features like launch control and line lock for maximum drag racing efficiency.

Handling, surprisingly, was a Charger’s strong suit, offering good front-end grip and precise steering, though its large size required mindful driving. Equipped with Brembo brakes in higher trims, the Charger balanced its immense power with excellent stopping capabilities. Nonetheless, fuel economy, particularly with Hellcat engines, was akin to full-size pickup trucks, struggling to exceed 10 mpg with spirited driving.

Though classified as a full-size car, the Chrysler 300 felt spacious only in the front seats, which featured power adjustments, premium Laguna leather, heating, and ventilation. The back seat, less generous, provided limited legroom and an awkward seating angle, though it included amenities such as heated outboard cushions, air conditioning vents, and charging ports.

Storage was another weak point, offering limited solutions for modern conveniences like smartphone storage. The 300 had an accessible trunk, with 16.3 cubic feet of cargo space featuring covered lid hinges to avoid crushing belongings. The trunk was convenient to use but lacked power assistance for opening and closing.

In the Dodge Charger, the interior felt tighter despite its considerable external dimensions. While headroom was adequate, especially without a sunroof, the footwells were cramped, the transmission tunnel limited rear legroom, and rear headroom disappointed. Intended as a cop car, the Charger’s tightness might have been purposeful.

Controls in the Charger were straightforward, with large and easily accessible buttons and dials for climate control, lighting, and audio systems. It avoided over-reliance on the touchscreen, making it user-friendly. With a slightly larger trunk capacity of 16.5 cubic feet, it offered a bit more practical storage space than the Chrysler 300.

The Chrysler 300’s Uconnect infotainment system, though dated, provided essential features expected from a modern car. An 8.4-inch touchscreen, albeit not harmoniously integrated into the dashboard, supported Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM, and 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. Despite showing its age through dated graphics and small screen size, it managed to deliver reliable performance, with voice recognition and an SRT Dashboard for tuning driving modes.

While the infotainment included stereo volume and tuning knobs below the screen, additional climate control functions were accessible only via virtual buttons on the touchscreen. The 300 featured a speed warning system, useful though not always audible over the cabin noise, and lacked advanced camera systems, relying on standard parking sensors.

In the Dodge Charger, the absence of the latest Uconnect system or advanced driver-assistance features didn’t detract from its user-friendly 8.4-inch touchscreen. Supporting wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and SiriusXM, it balanced performance with ease of use through logical menus and clear legibility. The real appeal lay in the SRT Dashboard, allowing fine-tuning of the car’s performance attributes and providing detailed information like power and torque curves.

Launch control and line lock functions enhanced performance, particularly for drag racing. High-tech cooling features for Hellcat models, such as an extra air conditioner for the supercharger and post-shutdown cooling functions, showcased the Charger’s advanced engineering capabilities.

Safety features in the Chrysler 300 were not its strong suit. Offering only optional advanced safety systems in most trims, the 300C was an exception with standard features like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. Some features allowed sensitivity adjustments, with a relatively user-friendly lane-keeping assist system. However, the adaptive cruise control lacked the sophistication to resume speed in stop-and-go traffic seamlessly.

Crash-test ratings for the Chrysler 300 reflected its age, performing adequately in NHTSA tests but poorly in IIHS assessments, earning a Marginal rating in moderate-overlap frontal-impact tests and a Poor rating for headlight performance.

The Dodge Charger exhibited commendable crash-test performance for its age, scoring well in NHTSA evaluations, although not achieving the top rating overall. Its IIHS scores were based on the Chrysler 300, highlighting ‘Good’ ratings in several categories but casting doubt on the accuracy due to age differences.

Standard safety assists in the Charger were limited to rear parking sensors and a fuzzy backup camera. Advanced features like forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control were optional on select trims. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also optional on specific Charger models.