The 2021 Chrysler 300 resembles a luxury car, but does it play the part?

The 300 looks too good to be true. Its starting MSRP of $30,445 vastly undercuts similarly sized luxury sedans. But you won’t find this model on many best affordable luxury car lists. So, what’s the catch?

Unfortunately, Chrysler does cut corners to keep this car’s price down. And safety is one of the most significant areas where the 300 is lacking. However, that doesn’t mean you should immediately write this model off, as there are plenty of ways to remedy the problem.

Does the 2021 Chrysler 300 have any driver-assist tech?

While its bones are dated, the 300 has still kept up with the times, incorporating the latest smart safety systems. But unlike many competing models, these next-generation technologies don’t come standard on Chrysler’s upscale sedan.

Chrysler equipped the 2021 300 with a rearview camera as its only piece of standard advanced safety technology. And it’ll cost you quite a bit to add more.

Moving up to the mid-tier Touring L trim ($33,620) affords you slightly more safety features. It comes standard with rear cross-traffic alert, front/rear parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring. These systems will help the driver identify cars and objects that otherwise might be out of their line of sight.

This offering still isn’t up to par, especially when comparing the 300 to other large sedans like the Toyota Avalon. 

The Avalon has a seemingly endless list of standard safety features. However, this car starts at a relatively high MSRP of $35,875.

That’s where the 2021 Chrysler 300 becomes a value play. It has a more distinguished appearance than its rival, and it won’t cost too much more to equip it with a similar assortment of driver-assistance technologies.

The 2021 Chrysler 300’s optional package saves the day

Shoppers aren’t out of luck if they want the latest smart safety systems. They’ll just have to pay a bit more.

Chrysler offers the SafetyTec Plus Group package for $2,395 on the Touring L trim. It includes a host of features, but forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking are the headliners.

These systems help identify a potential crash before it occurs. First, it’ll alert provide an alert so the driver can take action. If the brakes aren’t activated in time, the system will automatically engage them to minimize damage.

Other safety features in the package include adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, automatic high beams, and rain-sensing windshield wipers.

The experts weigh in on Chrysler’s premium sedan

Drivers should never rely solely on smart safety systems to protect them. Instead, they should focus on driving as safely as possible. But when the unforeseen happens, a vehicle needs to be structurally sound to protect its occupants.

Thankfully, organizations like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) help evaluate a car’s integrity.

The IIHS gave the 2021 Chrysler 300 mixed results in its crash tests. The organization awarded the car the highest rating of “good” in four categories. However, the driver-side small overlap front crash test gave the IIHS cause for concern. Therefore, it gave the 300 the sub-par score of “marginal” for this category.

Additionally, the IIHS rated the 300’s headlights as “poor” and its LATCH system as “acceptable.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) is a government agency that also conducts crash tests. The NHTSA has not yet tested the 2021 Chrysler 300, but it gave the 2020 iteration a four-star overall safety rating.

Is the 2021 Chrysler 300 a safety risk?

Despite its big-bodied frame, the 300 isn’t the safest model in its class. Thus, you may want to look elsewhere if safety takes a higher priority than comfort for you. Notably, the Toyota Avalon and Nissan Maxima earned significantly better safety ratings from the IIHS.