Compare the2024 Volkswagen ArteonVS 2023 Chrysler 300

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2024/11/23

The Volkswagen Arteon 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 Arteon has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Arteon has standard Maneuver Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The 300 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Arteon. But it costs extra on the 300.

The Arteon’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 300.

The Arteon SEL Premium has a standard Area 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 Arteon 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 Arteon has standard rear cross-path warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the 300 S/Touring L offers Rear Cross Path Detection.

Both the Arteon and the 300 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Volkswagen Arteon is safer than the 300:

	Arteon	300
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	193	222
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	3 cm	9 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	21 cm	28 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Femur Force R/L	.7/.2 kN	3.7/3 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	1%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.3/.52	1.21/.58
Tibia forces R/L	1.9/1.8 kN	3/4.7 kN

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Arteon its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 300 is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

The Arteon comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car. The 300’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Arteon’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the 300’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Arteon for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Chrysler doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the 300.

Reliability

The Volkswagen Arteon’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the 300’s 3.6 DOHC V6 engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Arteon has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the 300.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are better in initial quality than Chrysler vehicles. With 1 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Volkswagen 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 Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler With 23 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Chrysler.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volkswagen 3 places higher in reliability than Chrysler.

Engine

The Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 8 more horsepower (300 vs. 292) and 35 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 260) than the 300’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6. The Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 31 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 264) than the 300S’ standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Arteon gets better mileage than the 300:

			MPG
Arteon
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/30 hwy
300
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/30 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	16 city/25 hwy
		6.4 OHV V8	15 city/24 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/27 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Arteon’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.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Arteon uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The 300C requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

The Arteon offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The 300 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Arteon’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the 300:

	Arteon	300
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	12.6 inches

The Arteon’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.

The Arteon stops much shorter than the 300:

	Arteon	300
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	137 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	129 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Arteon has larger tires than the 300 (245/35R20 vs. 215/65R17).

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

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Arteon has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the 300 Touring.

The Arteon SEL Premium has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the 300; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

Suspension and Handling

The Arteon SEL Premium R-Line handles at .90 G’s, while the 300 pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Arteon SEL Premium R-Line executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the 300 (26.7 seconds vs. 27.2 seconds).

Chassis

The Arteon is 7.1 inches shorter than the 300, making the Arteon easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Volkswagen Arteon amounts to more than styling. The Arteon has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .3 Cd. That is lower than the 300 (.32) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Arteon get better fuel mileage.

Cargo Capacity

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

Towing

The Arteon’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the 300’s (2000 vs. 1000 pounds).

Ergonomics

The Arteon’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 Arteon’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.

The Arteon’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 Arteon’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 Arteon’s 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. The Arteon’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the 300’s optional xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Arteon’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the 300’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

The Arteon has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the 300.

The Arteon SEL Premium has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the 300.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Arteon has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the 300.

The Arteon SEL Premium’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The 300 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Volkswagen Arteon and the Chrysler 300, based on reliability, safety and performance.