the 2011 Chrysler 300 while traversing the 405 freeway through West Los Angeles should hardly surprise us. Two-year-olds, after all, have a knack for being impervious to more than just road noise.
Still, having driven this section of freeway in many vehicles, we're well aware that there's more going on here than just a little road noise. The number-one lane — situated only inches from the concrete center divider — was never designed to be a lane at all.
Here, in what was once the median, remain drainage grates, square-edge intrusions and rises sharp enough to rival the Baja 1000's famous Ojos Negros section of road — all on a first-world freeway. It is hardly safe. It is a ride engineer's worst nightmare. It is...our Sunday afternoon commute.
The Proof
But it's more than just the 2-year-old's sleepy indifference that is significant in this scenario. Cruising down this median-turned-fast lane at 75 mph, the 300's chassis remains settled over all but the biggest hits. It's stable, tame, locked on the lane and virtually impenetrable to road and wind noise.
