2015 Chrysler 300 vs. 2015 Ford Fusion

Two American favorites are back in 2015. The Chrysler 300 is a solid performer in the affordable large car category, and the Ford Fusion is strong in the affordable midsize category. Here's how the two cars compare to each other.

Engine, Transmission, and Fuel Economy

The 2015 Chrysler 300 is equipped with the 3.6-liter six-cylinder Chrysler Pentastar engine. It produces 300 horsepower in the rear-wheel drive models of the 300 and 292 horsepower in the all-wheel drive models. The 300's transmission is the German-designed ZF 8HP eight-speed automatic. 

The base rear-wheel drive 300 achieves an efficiency of 19 city and 31 highway mpg, while the AWD model does slightly worse with 18 city and 27 highway mpg.

The 2015 Ford Fusion is available with three different four-cylinder engines. The standard engine is the 2.5-liter Duratec VCT, which produces 175 horsepower. As an option, two versions of the Ford EcoBoost turbocharged engines are available. The 1.5-liter EcoBoost produces 181 horsepower, and the larger 2.0-liter EcoBoost turns out 240 horsepower.

The standard transmission for the 2015 Fusion is a six-speed automatic. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost adds a six-speed select shift transmission with paddle shifters.

The highest fuel efficiency is achieved in the 1.5-liter EcoBoost with 24 city and 36 highway mpg. Both the 2.0-liter EcoBoost and the 2.5-liter Duratec achieve an efficiency of 22 city and 34 highway mpg in the front-wheel drive models. The all-wheel drive 2.0-liter model is slightly less efficient at 22 city and 31 highway mpg,

The 300's larger V6 engine produces much more power than the Fusion's I4. The trade-off is substantially better fuel efficiency from the Fusion, but the Fusion's efficiency is still not that great for a midsize car. 

Safety

The large Chrysler 300 receives an excellent 9.7/10 safety rating from US News, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awards the highest rating of good. There are driver and passenger front, side and side head airbags, and rear head air bags. Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, Brake Assist, and a blind spot monitor round out the 300's safety features.

The small Ford Fusion only achieves a 9.2/10 from US News, but it still achieves an overall five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It's also equipped with driver and passenger front, side and side head airbags, rear head air bags, Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, Brake Assist, and four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes.

Both vehicles have good ratings, but the Chrysler 300's larger size and blind spot monitor make it a better bet for overall safety.

Interior Space

The Chrysler 300 seats five people with total passenger space of 106.3 cubic feet. Front passengers have 38.6 inches of headroom, 41.8 inches of legroom and 59.5 inches of shoulder room. Rear passengers have 37.9, 40.1, and 57.7 inches respectively. Trunk volume is 16.3 cubic feet.

The Fusion is spacious for a midsize car. It seats five people with total passenger space of 102.8 cubic feet Front head, leg, and shoulder room are 39.2, 44.3, and 57.8 inches, respectively. Rear passengers have 37.8, 38.3, and 56.9 inches, respectively. Trunk space is 16 cubic feet.

The 300 edges out the Fusion in overall space and rear passenger space, but the Fusion actually offers more front head and leg room.