2011 Chrysler 300

The Chrysler 300 comes in four fundamental trim levels for 2011. Although the features available as standard on the base model are fairly impressive. However, the Limited trim has better comfort and infotainment features. Additionally, the Limited trim offers a variety of optional features. A premium cloth seating surface is standard on the base model, while the Limited trim is covered in premium Nappa leather. 

An 8.4-inch touchscreen, 6-speaker sound system, rear window defroster, brake assist, and rain brake support are given as standard features on base Chrysler 300. That said, 300 C is the second top mot trim while 300 C AWD which costs $40,320 is the top tier trim which shares all features with the 300 C but has a standard AWD drivetrain.

Which Trim Should You Buy?

The Limited trim of the 2011 Chrysler 300 is most likely the perfect choice for you. The level of comfort and safety is more as various packages such as Luxury group and safety tech group are given optional on the Limited which are not given on base trim. 

The new Chrysler 300 houses the same engine as the earlier model which is a 3.6L V6 engine. This engine churns out 292 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, and the power is sent to the rear wheels via a 5-speed automatic transmission. The 300C trim has a HEMI 5.7L V8 engine that is also available with an AWD variant. However, 300C trims have a dedicated article, so check that out as well.

The Chrysler accelerates a little slower than its competitors such as the LaCrosse & Avalon. It can sprint from a standstill position to 60mph in about 7.2 seconds. On the other hand, the new electric power steering is quite responsive. The suspension is again tuned for this year which is now able to soak up road bumps smoothly.

The Chrysler 300 has the leading engine output but it does translate into quick acceleration. On the other hand, with a slightly smaller engine, Avalon is the fastest sedan in the segment which completes the 0-60 mph goal in just 6.2 seconds. Meanwhile, the Ford Taurus and the LaCrosse take 0.7 and 1.3 seconds more to reach 60 mph from a standstill as compared to the Avalon.

With this sedan, you can travel up to 18 miles in the city and up to 27 miles on the highway in one gallon of fuel. The combined fuel economy of the Chrysler 300 is 21. With the second biggest fuel tank which has a capacity of 19.1 gallons, Chrysler can run up to 344 miles in the city and 516 miles on the highway.

The Toyota Avalon returns a fuel economy of 20 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg combined. The Avalon has the smallest fuel tank compared to other rivals, however, it still beats them all in terms of overall fuel range. Meanwhile, LaCrosse is the least fuel-efficient sedan in the city and Taurus consumes slightly less fuel as compared to the Chrysler 300.

This year, Chrysler made some changes to the interior of the 300. The materials used inside were replaced with soft-touch materials to make them more premium. Other than that, the steering wheel has been given a new wood trim. The cabin has a very spacious layout with no major blind spots. There is enough legroom and headroom for both front and rear passengers. In the base trim, the seats are covered in cloth, while in the Limited trim, all the seats are covered in Nappa leather.

8-way power driver and 4-way power front-passenger seats are given as standard which can be upgraded to 8-way power for the passenger seat as well along with power lumbar support in front seats. Heated seats are only given on the Limited trim which also has ventilation for front seats and heating for second-row seats under the luxury group. Manual tilt and telescopic steering column, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, push-button ignition, illuminated vanity mirror, and dual-zone automatic climate control are some of the cabin features.

The interior passenger volume of Chrysler 300 and fellow rivals is pretty close. However, Avalon has the leading rear legroom while Chrysler 300 has the biggest rear headroom in the segment. That said, the biggest trunk with the 16.3 cu-ft of cargo capacity belongs to the Chrysler 300 while the b=smallest trunk is offered on the Buick LaCrosse. Some features of this car’s interior are mentioned below.

• Luxury perforated leather upholstery (optional)
• Leather Steering Wheel
• Premium Nappa leather seat upholstery
• Power tilt and telescopic steering wheel (optional)
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Heated front seats 
• 40/60 rear split-folding rear seats
• Heated steering wheel (optional)
• Remote start

What’s there to keep you entertained in the 2011 Chrysler 300?

The Chrysler 300 lineup has an 8.4-inch touchscreen. This sedan comes with a UConnect system that includes standard features such as Sirius XM, USB ports, an aux jack, and a 6 speakers sound system. However, as you go up in the trim Bluetooth and Garmin navigation systems are also given. Nevertheless, there are a variety of optional packages and features available for the Limited trim. Under the sound package, a 9 speaker Alpine sound system is given on the Limited trim. Some infotainment features of this car are mentioned below-

• 6-speaker sound system
• 8.4-inch touchscreen
• Bluetooth audio streaming
• Navigation system (optional)
• SiriusXM

Several changes have been made to the exterior of the Chrysler 300 in 2011, resulting in a more premium and sleek look. There is a new Chrysler logo on the front this year. Furthermore, Chrysler ditched the original egg-tray grille in favor of a horizontal bar grille. The front fascia and side windows have chrome trim. 

There are a few standard features of this sedan including heated manual-folding side mirrors, 17.0-inch tech silver-painted aluminum wheels, rear window defroster, dual exhaust chrome tips, Bi-function halogen headlights, and acoustic windscreen. However, you can add rear fog lights, Bi-Xenon HID headlights, and rain-sensitive windscreen wipers under the Safetytec group.

With a bodyweight of over 4000 pounds, the Chrysler 300 is relatively light when compared to some of its competitors. Although there is less clearance on the 300 sedans compared to the Avalon, which has 5.3 inches of ground clearance. Some exterior features of the 2011 Chrysler 300 are-

• 17.0-inch wheels
• Fog lights
• Power trunk lid release
• Solar glass
• Dual chrome exhaust tips
• Power tilt and sliding panoramic dual-pane sunroof system (optional)
• Adaptive Bi-Xenon HID lights (optional)
• Fog lamps (optional)

On the Chrysler 300, there are fewer safety features such as brake assist, speed control, hill start assist, rain brake support, Sentry key theft deterrent system, tire pressure monitor, and as standard. But through the Safetytech Package, which costs approximately $2,795, the list of safety features gets the addition of adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross path detection, front and rear parking sensors, and forward-collision warning. The NHTSA has not yet tested the Chrysler 300 while IIHS awarded it with the ‘Top Safety Pick’ award for 2011 and was also given a ‘Good’ rating in almost all crash tests.

• Speed control
• Rain brake support
• Hydraulic assist brake booster
• Security alarm
• Engine Immobilizer
• Parksense rearview camera
• Adaptive Cruise Control (optional)
• Rear Cross Path Detection (optional)
• Blind-Spot Monitoring (optional)

The Chrysler 300 checks nearly all the boxes as a sedan which is bringing flavors from normal and luxury sedans altogether. It has a high-quality interior, snazzy exterior design, a high level of safety, and decent fuel economy. Only thing is that its acceleration is not as quirky as rivals offer. Still, the 2011 Chrysler 300 is still a great deal with a reasonable price tag that you can take home without any worry.