2023 Chrysler 300

In the automotive world, 18 years may as well be an eternity, so it says a lot for the Chrysler 300's popularity that it survived this long since its initial resurrection in 2005. Yes, there was a fairly comprehensive facelift for the 2011 model year, but the 300's skeleton underneath remained mostly unaltered in the process.

Chrysler couldn't resist giving the old war horse an extra-large Hemi engine in its final farewell. This brings the powertrain options to three: a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, the established 5.7-liter Hemi V8, and the high-output 6.4-liter Hemi giving a handy 485 hp. All variants are equipped with a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox, but only the lower-output V6 engine can be had with AWD.

Over the course of its lifespan, the Chrysler 300's competitors have included the Toyota Crown, Volkswagen Arteon, and Kia Stinger - and they're all as different from the 300 as can be. Combine this with the dwindling popularity of the sedan body style, and it makes sense that the Chrysler 300 series has to take its final bow. But not before treating us to one last hurrah!

The price of a new Chrysler 300 starts at around $33,00 for the base Touring, excluding a destination charge of $1,595. For the Touring L, you'll need to budget an extra five grand or so. Both models can be equipped with AWD at a cost of $2.5k on the Touring or $1.5k on the Touring L. Starting from the S V6, AWD is standard, and the price jumps to a little over $40k. If you want the S V8 for additional power, you'll need to spend somewhere n the mid-$40k area. Since it will come with almost everything available in the range, as well as some things that aren't, the 300C will be a far cry from the cheapest choice at around $55,000.

In the classic American luxury car tradition, the Chrysler 300 is more at home on the highway than it is on a twisty road. In the V6-engined models, the suspension is biased towards comfort, but even so, body movements during sudden direction changes are suppressed quite well, and the steering wheel relays more information from the road surface to the driver than most newer cars.

The handling balance is generally neutral, but the V8-engined models can easily be persuaded to let the rear end step out if the stability control is disabled. Overall, the handling and driving dynamics feel more modern than the car's age would have you believe, although the V8 models can become jittery over rough surfaces.

Think of the final-year Chrysler 300 as a charming throwback to a simpler time rather than as a mere means of transport. The reality is that newer opponents offer more and better in-car technology, similar or better performance from smaller but more-efficient engines, better space efficiency, and easier driving thanks to more modern driver-assistance systems. Those opponents are likely better made from higher-quality materials, as well. Even so, in review, the 2023 Chrysler 300 has its own charms. It's an American luxury sedan in the old tradition, and they simply will not make them like this after 2023. If that's your kind of thing, you won't regret buying one while you still can.

While we would love to go for the Hemi V8, this engine choice can only be paired with the S trim, which raises the price and comes with a performance suspension that doesn't do the ride quality any favors. The base Touring is too sparsely equipped, so considering all of this, we'd go for the Touring L. We'd equip it with the SafetyTech Plus Group, as this includes many of the driver aids found in rival sedans. All that being said, if value is less of a concern, large gas bills won't trouble you, and you can live with the ride, the S V8 is a truly unique offering in this segment. Of course, if you want the best Chrysler has to offer and intend to enjoy the large sedan for many years to come, the 300C is a worthwhile investment.