Compare the2024 BMW 4 Series Gran CoupeVS 2023 Chrysler 300

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The 300 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the 4 Series Gran Coupe are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The 300 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The 300 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The 300 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 300.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe offers an optional Surround View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 300 only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the 300 S/Touring L offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the 4 Series Gran Coupe has standard Cross Traffic Warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the 300 S/Touring L offers Rear Cross Path Detection.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The 300 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the 4 Series Gran Coupe and the 300 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The 300’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the 300’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4 Series Gran Coupe for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Chrysler doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the 300.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the 4 Series Gran Coupe have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the 300.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 4 Series Gran Coupe third among compact premium cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The 300 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Chrysler vehicles. With 58 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than Chrysler.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in long-term dependability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Chrysler is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the 4 Series Gran Coupe gets better mileage than the 300:

Regenerative brakes improve the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The 300 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The 300 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Chrysler 300 (1 to 5). This means the 4 Series Gran Coupe produces up to 47 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 300 every 15,000 miles.

The EPA certifies the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe as a “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Chrysler 300 is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The 300 doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s brake rotors are larger than those on the 300:

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the 300 are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the 4 Series Gran Coupe has larger standard tires than the 300 (245/45R18 vs. 215/65R17).

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 300 Touring’s standard 65 series tires. The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the 300’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 4 Series Gran Coupe has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the 300 Touring.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the 4 Series Gran Coupe can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The 300 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 pounds less than the Chrysler 300.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe is 10.1 inches shorter than the 300, making the 4 Series Gran Coupe easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by waving your foot, leaving your hands completely free. The 300 doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Chrysler. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 58% lower rating, Chrysler is ranked 31st.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The 300 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The 300’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The 300’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the 4 Series Gran Coupe the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the 300 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The 300’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The 300’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s standard LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the 300’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen. Laser headlights, optional on the 4 Series Gran Coupe, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses less power than the 300’s optional xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights and can project light s up to six times as far. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; Laser headlights light instantly. Laser lights also last about 10 to 25 times as long.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The 300 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The BMW 4 Series comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Chrysler 300 isn’t available as a coupe or convertible.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the 4 Series Gran Coupe will retain 52.7% to 54.31% of its original price after five years, while the 300 only retains 44.36% to 48.23%.

The BMW 4 Series outsold the Chrysler 300 by almost three to one during 2022.