2007 Chrysler 300-Series Safety Review [ 2008 ]
Chrysler 300-Series Safety Review
Safety - 8.3 (Very Good)
Reviewers are quick to favor the 2007 Chrysler 300C over the base model in the safety arena, because it provides standard safety features available as additional cost options on the base trim 300. In government crash tests, the 2006 Chrysler 300 received 5 out of 5 stars for frontal crash protection, 4 out of 5 stars for front seat side crash protection and 5 out of 5 for the rear seat.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the 2007 Chrysler 300 a top rating of "good" for frontal offset crash protection. For side impact test results, the 2007 Chrysler 300 with front and rear side curtain airbags received a "marginal" grade while the models with side airbags resulted in a "poor" rating.
Accident Avoidance
Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Program, All-Speed Traction Control and anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes are optional on the base model and standard on the higher trims. "Anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, side air bags, and a number of other concessions to comfort and safety, routinely available as standard equipment on import competitors, are either cost-added options or not available," explains the Los Angeles Times, calling the base level 300 "a stripper." The Detroit News adds, "if you choose not to pay the additional $1,025 for this option package, you could be in trouble next winter in your big rear-drive Chrysler sedan when the roads get icy and slippery."
Another point of contention in several reviews, which applies to all 300s, is visibility. As U.S. News' Rick Newman notes, "the seats sit high, but the roof cuts low, which limits visibility out the front windshield. When waiting at traffic lights, I repeatedly had to duck down to see the signal." The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette adds that it "was tough to see what was coming toward me as I went down some of Pittsburgh's hilly streets. You really have to strain and sit up especially straight to gain a safety advantage here." In contrast, Cars.com praises the "abundant glass area and large mirrors," which "help visibility."
Crash Protection
The 2007 Chrysler 300 features standard and optional safety features such as multistage front air bags, and optional side-impact front-seat air bags in a package with side curtain-type air bags that cover the front and rear side windows. Edmunds writes that "safety takes greater priority in the 300, as all models can be optioned with side curtain airbags, adjustable pedals and self-sealing tires."
