Chrysler’s inadvertently built a self-driving car before anyone else. This year’s 2021 Chrysler 300 has bones that date back 16 model years, which means the full-size sedan can apply for its own driver’s license in most states.
We’ve now been handed a note from our legal department to say: No, the 2021 Chrysler 300 cannot drive itself—only that it’s one of the “oldest” new cars on sale today. Hashtag, funcrushers.
It earns a 5.5 TCC Rating thanks to its comfortable interior and good looks. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
Review continues below
This year, Chrysler pared its 300 lineup back to just three trim levels: Touring, Touring L, and 300S. Top trims are gone, but what’s left is mostly good.
That’s due to a shape that’s better with age. Unlike khaki-colored cargos, the 300’s subtle looks have endured since the mid-2000s. The cabin punches up with rounded corners and uptown materials.
Most 300s are powered by a competent 292-horsepower V-6 mated to an 8-speed automatic and rear- or all-wheel drive. A 5.7-liter V-8 is available and likely one of the last of its kind. A talented 8-speed automatic handles shifting duties in all of the above but won’t keep it fuel-efficient among newer, hybrid full-sizers like the Toyota Avalon.
The 300 is tuned for ease and polite road manners. It’s a soft cruiser, not a corner bruiser—we’re fine with that.
Inside the 300, the front seats are palatial, and the back seats are…fine. The 300 offers interior storage and trunk space like a champ, but the rear seats are pretty JV despite good leg room.
Safety scores have passed by the 300, but active safety features are available for a price.
The base 300 Touring gets mostly good gear including an 8.4-inch touchscreen and smartphone software. Step up to the Touring L or 300S and Chrysler offers active safety features, leather seats, wheels up to 20 inches across, and a softer or harder suspension—but still a pedestrian warranty, if you’re into that.