2015 Chrysler 200C Review and Quick Spin

2015 Chrysler 200C Red Velvet Paint 19-inch Wheels Front Quarter Left ・ Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Believe it or not, I didn’t think the first Chrysler 200 was as awful a car as everyone said it was. Given the crappy Sebring that engineers and stylists were handed to fix, what emerged for the 2011 model year was almost a miracle. And given that the sticker price of one loaded with all the equipment barely exceeded $30,000 (before generous rebates and discounts), the old 200, with its powerful V-6 engine option and fairly impressive crash-test ratings, was a relative bargain among midsize sedans.

Nevertheless, it’s a good thing that this new, completely redesigned 2015 Chrysler 200 sedan is now on sale. In every respect, it is superior to the vehicle it replaces. The new 200 sedan also signals the way forward for the Chrysler brand, which will expand dramatically in coming years in order to take on mainstream models in key vehicle segments now that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has decreed Dodge to be the corporate performance brand.

Naturally, I wanted to find out how the new Chrysler 200 works as a midsize family car, since that’s the arena in which it competes. What I discovered is that it depends on how old, and big, your kids are.

About Our Test Car

Chrysler loaned me a 2015 200C with every option, including all-wheel drive. As a result, the final tally came to $36,865, which ain’t chump change.

My Velvet Red test sample had good-looking 19-inch aluminum wheels ($695), a panoramic sunroof ($1,495), the Premium Group ($995 – premium leather, ventilated front seats, heated 2-tone steering wheel, memory for the driver’s preferences, a 115-volt 3-prong power outlet, bronze chrome interior trim, real wood interior trim), the Premium Lighting Group ($795 – HID headlights, LED running lights, LED fog lights), and the Navigation and Sound Group ($1,395 – 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system with HD Radio, satellite radio, Bluetooth audio streaming, navigation with real-time traffic and Travel Link services, mobile Wi-Fi connectivity, Alpine premium surround sound audio system).

If you think that last upgrade sounds like a bargain, consider the contents of the SafetyTec Package. For $1,295, it includes adaptive cruise control with stop and go capability, a forward collision warning system, a lane departure warning system with lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-path detection, automatic high-beam headlights, and rain-sensing wipers. It also adds a semi-autonomous parking system that can slot the 200 into a parallel or a perpendicular parking space, steering the car while the driver operates the transmission and the pedals.

Now it’s a little easier to understand why my test car’s sticker price was so high, eh?

As far as styling goes, I thought the lustrous paint and the Y-spoke 19-inch wheels really made this test car look terrific. It helps that the 200 wears fundamentally attractive styling, and while it doesn’t push the modern automotive design envelope, it certainly ought to age gracefully. Inside, the 2-tone Black and Linen leather interior looked appropriately upscale, though the gray wood appeared a bit out of place and I decided that bronze-colored trim just looks tarnished or dirty rather than upscale.

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Comfort and Cargo

In the opening segment of this review, I said that a Chrysler 200’s usefulness as a family car is dependent upon how old, or big, your kids are. Really, whether the 200 will work for you or not is dependent upon whether you’re planning to carry adults or not.

Though positioned to compete against other midsize sedans, the 200’s back seat is cramped in terms of both legroom and foot room. The seat cushion itself is comfortable, sitting up high with good thigh support. But taller people are going to have trouble squeezing their heads and their legs into this car. They’ll fit, but they won’t want to be riding back there for very long.

I had no trouble toting my preschooler and first-grader. And while neither of them uses a stroller anymore, it’s worth noting that my compact folding model fits into the Chrysler 200’s 16 cu.-ft. trunk wheels first, the handle just squeezing in and allowing the lid to close. Speaking of closing the lid, I find it odd that a car designed and built in Michigan lacks an interior handle for swinging the lid shut, given the amount of road salt that usually covers the backs of cars in the winter.

Up front, the Chrysler’s dual power adjustable seats are quite comfortable, and on a muggy 90-degree day the seat ventilation feature was certainly appreciated. However, the 200’s cabin is cozy rather than spacious, and this car doesn’t offer much in the way of room for stretching out. Overall, within the midsize sedan class, I’d say the Chrysler 200’s interior is on the smaller side of the spectrum.

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Features and Controls

If the Chrysler 200’s exterior design doesn’t bring anything new to the table, the cabin’s control layout and storage solutions make up for it. Let’s start with the center control panel and storage console, which could be written off as a gimmick like the design in the Lincoln MKZ if not for its genuine practicality in the 200.

The transmission’s rotary shift dial, the climate controls, and the stereo controls are located on a dramatically angled panel that bridges the distance between the dashboard and the center console. This design puts them within easy reach of the driver’s hand, and, once the driver is acclimated to them, allows them to be used without looking down.

Beneath the control panel, and accessible from both sides of the cabin, a storage tray is equipped with a grooved rubber liner that features the Detroit skyline standing out in relief. This is definitely a “Buy American” feel-good detail, but my bet is that it traps dirt, dust, lint, and crumbs and winds up looking pretty bad in a short amount of time.

The center console includes dual cupholders and a sliding armrest covering an illuminated storage box with another grooved, dirt-trapping rubber liner. What’s awesome about the center console design is that the portion with the cupholders slides back to reveal a sizeable hidden compartment that includes a USB port, an auxiliary audio jack, and in my test car, a 3-prong 115-volt power outlet. Plus, there’s a cord pass-through to the exposed tray beneath the center control panel.

Beyond these features, my loaded 200C had Chrysler’s excellent Uconnect 8.4 touchscreen infotainment system, which delivers clear graphics and provides intuitive operation, and while I’m not crazy about the 200’s over-styled tachometer and speedometer, I can’t deny that the gauge cluster’s blue backlighting and crisp screen graphics are impressive.

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Safety Matters

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the new 200 a “Top Safety Pick” rating, and thanks to the remarkably sophisticated SafetyTec option package, versions equipped with that upgrade receive a “Superior” front crash prevention rating. Unfortunately, the option is limited to the most expensive 200C model.

In practice, I found the SafetyTec package useful. My favorite thing about the upgrades, from the adaptive cruise control and autonomous braking systems to the lane keeping assist system which nudges the 200 back into its lane when the car unintentionally drifts, is that they work with a degree of subtlety and sophistication that makes them less of an irritant and more of a driving aid.

However, the lane keeping assist system does give the steering an artificial feel, and the forward collision warning system gets nervous in certain unwarranted situations, so it’s nice that Chrysler allows the driver to shut them off when they’re not desired. Also, versions of the car with adaptive cruise control give the driver a choice between using regular cruise and the adaptive function.

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

What's Under the Hood

A 184-horsepower, 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine is standard for the new Chrysler 200, an engine shared with the Dodge Dart and Jeep Cherokee. I’ve not sampled this powertrain, but my bet is that most people are going to want the 295-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 installed in my test car.

Either way, a 9-speed automatic transmission works hard to maximize fuel economy, and is remarkably capable in that regard. The EPA set my expectations at 22 mpg with the optional AWD system, and I averaged 24.5 mpg on my test loop. Based on my experience, I suspect the official ratings of 18 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway are too low.

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Driving Impressions

Offered only for the 200S and 200C trim levels, the V-6 engine delivers plenty of power in Chrysler’s new sedan. Keep the 9-speed automatic transmission in regular Drive mode, and the car feels a little sluggish because the powertrain is calibrated to quickly upshift in an effort to maximize fuel economy. On a positive note, though, the automatic exhibits decisive action, rarely hunting for the right gear, which is quite an achievement given the number of forward speeds.

Switch to Sport mode and the 200 comes alive, the powertrain holding revs longer and feeling far more vivacious. Activate the real metal paddle shifters, and the 200 runs aggressively to its redline prior to snappy upshifts and matches revs on downshifts. Unfortunately, the 200C model’s suspension tuning isn’t designed to deal with the extra aggression, bouncing and rolling it’s way down Mulholland Highway to Malibu beaches.

The steering isn’t terribly satisfying, either. In Sport mode, it stiffens to the point where it feels like it resists input. Switch back to Drive mode, and the steering loosens up and feels more natural, but then the engine and transmission are decidedly less vivacious. Regardless of the transmission setting, the steering lacks crisp accuracy. At least the P235/45R19 Nexen tires grip the road with tenacity.

Stay off the path less traveled, and the ride quality is both busy and bouncy. Don’t take that to mean woozy and flaccid; that’s not the case. Rather, the suspension fails to filter all those little road imperfections that every highway and street have, while the car’s body demonstrates controlled but excessive motion over bigger undulations and whoop-de-doos.

As for the heavy-duty brakes installed on my test car, they’re effective, but the pedal is positioned rather high in relationship to the accelerator, and on occasion I didn’t find them to bite commensurately with pedal pressure.

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Final Thoughts

With the redesigned 200 sedan, Chrysler is gunning for the heavy-hitters in the midsize segment. In most respects, it’s a compelling package. The V-6 is strong and fuel-efficient, the styling looks terrific especially with the optional 19-inch wheels, and the cutting edge technology is intuitive and refined in operation. Loaded models also look and feel more like an entry-luxury car than a mainstream sedan, and the Chrysler 200 boasts excellent crash-test ratings.

However, this car isn’t very big on the inside, especially in the back seat, and the SafetyTec option package is restricted to the most expensive 200C model. Midsize family sedans need be as much about comfort and safety as they do just about anything else.

I also think that Chrysler needs to work on refining the car’s steering, suspension, and brakes. But ladies and gentlemen, don’t touch that V-6 engine and 9-speed automatic transmission. Combined, they make for an impressively powerful and unexpectedly efficient combination.

Chrysler provided the 2015 200C Sedan for this review

2015 Chrysler 200C AWD photos by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw