If you're in the market for a large sedan and you’re determined to make a patriotic choice, the 2018 Ford Taurus and the 2018 Chrysler 300 are probably going to be high on your list of ones to consider. So, here's a look at how they shape up against each other in a head-to-head comparison.

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Exterior styling

Large sedans are rarely the most attractive or sporty looking vehicles and it would probably be hard to find a pair with exterior styling as different from each other as these two. If you took a mid-size Fusion and put it on a course of steroids, you’d probably get something looking a lot like the 2018 Taurus. It's an imposing design that looks as though it means business, especially in darker colors, and even more so in its blacked-out SHO trim.

A Chrysler 300 is still instantly identifiable as a Chrysler 300. Despite becoming a little smoother over the years it's still a big, brash, no-nonsense slice of American. And for that you'll either love it or hate it. Taste is personal, and as these two are just so different from each other it has to be a tie when it comes to the exterior styling.

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Engines and performance

This year has seen Ford drop the four-cylinder engine from the Taurus lineup, so now we're left with a naturally aspirated V-6 and a twin-turbo V-6. The standard unit develops 288 horsepower and 254 lb.-ft. of torque, while the 3.5-liter twin-turbo in the SHO trim level produces an impressive 365 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque, and it comes standard with all-wheel drive too.

Strictly speaking, the Chrysler 300 comes equipped with a 3.6-liter V-6 rated at 292 horsepower. In the 300S, depending if you consider that to be a trim level or a different model, the same engine is standard, but this time with 300 horsepower. By going for a 300C a 5.7-liter V-8 comes into play with 363 horsepower and 394 lb.-ft. That's more torque than the Ford's twin-turbo V-6, but the Ford has more horsepower and its turbocharged format distributes the available torque more evenly and gives the Ford this section.

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Interiors

It's pretty simple here really. If you want more room inside your large sedan then go for the Chrysler, but if you want a more modern interior with high levels of standard and available features and equipment the Ford is the way to go. SE and SEL versions of the Taurus come with durable cloth upholstery, but Limited and SHO models not only have leather seats, those seats are also heated and cooled.

Lower specification versions of the Chrysler are not as comfortable or as generously equipped as the Taurus, but the 300 in its higher levels does acquit itself better against its Taurus equivalents. But at the entry level there are too many cheap, hard plastics in the 300, so this is another round that goes to the Taurus.

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Verdict

It can be close between these two at the higher end of the trim level spectrum, but the Ford takes the overall honors here for being better across its entire range as entry level versions of the Chrysler leave a little to be desired. And there's further good news for the Ford as it also costs a little less than the Chrysler at the entry level too.

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To check out a Ford Taurus for sale for yourself and for more information on this or any other Ford model, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at Southern California Ford Dealers.