Chrysler, the luxury division of Dodge, is down to just two models on offer. One of them may not be around for very much longer.

That model is the Chrysler 300 sedan, and once it's gone, there won't be very much left of Chrysler.

Should you care?

Perhaps, if you're still interested in the type of car the 300 still is.

While it still is.

What It Is

The 300 may well be the last Chrysler — at least insofar as Chrysler cars. The only other vehicle in the current Chrysler lineup is the Pacifica, which is a minivan.

It will almost certainly be the last Chrysler available with a V8 engine.

It is uniquely built on the once-common layout for mid-priced American cars — that being heavy and big-engined with rear-wheel drive (all-wheel drive is also an option). The smallest engine that comes in the 300 is a big V6.

Prices start at $33,740 for the base Touring trim with a 3.6-liter V6 and RWD.

Opting for AWD bumps the price up to $36,295.

A Touring L with the same V6 (and the same option to buy AWD) but with standard heated leather seats, 20-inch wheels and other upgrades stickers for $37,240 with rear-wheel-drive and $39.490 with AWD.

At the pinnacle is the S trim, which stickers for $42,350 with a V6 and $45,350 with a V8.

The V8 version comes only in rear-wheel-drive form.

What's New

Other than a few minor tweaks of standard/optional equipment, the 300 carries over largely the same as it's been since its last major update back in 2011. That's a very good thing, though, if you'd like to be able to buy a new car that's like it was when family-priced cars routinely came standard with at least a V6.

What's Good

Hunky and solid-feeling — because it is.

Standard V6. Available V8.

Rear seat legroom (40.1 inches) comparable to front seat legroom in most cars.

What's Not So Good

V8 is only available in the S trim, which costs about $10,000 more to start — before opting for the extra-cost V8.

Despite its big engines and hunky RWD underthings, the 300 isn't rated to pull very much (1,000 pounds, max).

Relatively small trunk for its size.

Under The Hood

The 300 still comes standard with a V6 — a big (3.6-liter) V6 that makes 292 horsepower, which is more than the fours that come standard in $55,000-plus, luxury-priced, midsize sedans like the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class.

So you're getting a lot more engine for your money here — both in terms of size and output.

And you're not getting much less mileage.

The V6-equipped 300 rates 19 mpg in city driving and 30 mpg on the highway. A four cylinder-equipped Mercedes E350 rates 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. You also only get 255 horsepower out of its 2.0-liter four.

And you can get a 5.7-liter, 363 horsepower V8 in the 300.

So equipped, this car is a .45 caliber bullet, needing only 5.7 seconds to get its 4,380 pounds of steel and glass to 60 mph.

The V6 version's not far behind, getting there in about 6.3 seconds.

An eight-speed automatic is standard with either engine, but the only engine that's available with AWD is the V6.

On The Road

The 300 delivers the kind of driving experience Americans once didn't have to spend $55,000-plus to experience because, once upon a time, most American cars were RWD cars and offered V8s.

Nothing else sounds or feels like one.

And the heft of the car is magnificent. Here is a car with substance, literally. To feel anything like this, it is necessary to spend at least $20,000 more, and even then, the feel isn't the same because even at that price point, what's under the hood is still too small for what you paid.

Which is part of the reason why you'll feel like a king driving the 300, rather than something less. Your passengers, meanwhile, will feel like they're riding on a king-size bed heated and with an excellent stereo, vying with the comforting background rumble of the V8 to make them feel great.

At The Curb

The 300 looks longer than its 198.6 inches because of its extremely long for its length wheelbase of 120.2 inches.

The length and wheelbase allow for spaciousness, most noticeably for the backseat passengers, who enjoy 40.1 inches of legroom — 2 inches (just about) more than in the Camry's backseat area (38 inches).

The longer version of the Camry, the Avalon, ups the ante to 40.3 inches, and it is a very comfortable car. But it is not a RWD car and while it does come standard with a V6, there's no optional V8.

Plus, the Avalon costs nearly $3,000 more to start: $36,825.

The Rest

One thing that's surprisingly small about this big and bold car is its rated towing capacity: just 1,000 pounds. This disqualifies it from pulling practically any trailer. In the past, big, RWD American cars with V8s could pull at least as much as a midsize truck, which obviated the necessity of having a truck in order to pull a trailer.

The Bottom Line

It is sad, tragic, that average Americans will very soon no longer able to buy American cars like the 300 and its Charger sibling.

But for now, you still can.

View the Chrysler 300 this week.

Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

View the Chrysler 300 this week.