When I talk about the 2016 Chrysler 200, I'm sure I resemble my lawyer who, in my mind's eye, often takes on the appearance of a Hindu deity with many arms.
"On one hand "
"On the other hand "
"But on the other hand "
So, if want to quit reading now, here's the rundown on the Chrysler 200:
On one hand, with lovely lines and a distinctive cabin it is a great step forward from the lamentable 200 it replaces; but on the other hand, it lacks the roominess and refinement of estimable competitors like the Chevy Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Mazda 6, Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata and several others who offer better value both in terms or quality now and resale value later.
On the other hand, it rides and drives well, gets good fuel economy and has the "eat-up-the-miles" highway manners of its Chrysler ancestors.
Still, on the other hand, it is powered by one of Fiat Chrysler's Tigershark engines, a competent if unrefined blend of Chrysler parts and Fiat technology with a better label than engineering.
Tigersharks take some-about 20 percent-of the elements of the prior program, World Gas Engines, developed under Chrysler's previous owner Daimler Benz, and marries it to Fiat's Multiair, a variable valve timing and lift technology that goes deeper into the recirculation cycle and allows for separate timing of each cylinder, resulting in more power and greater fuel efficiency.
Sounds good on paper, and a lot of that actually happens on the road. Our tester came with the standard 2.4L Multiair, not the available Chrysler 3.6L V-6, and the car had plenty of power for passing log trucks and merging onto the highway.
On the other hand, the weak side of the WGE's harsh, peaky nature is still there. Here's the point, Fiat-Chrysler, if you're going to compete in the world of Accord and Camry, you need to understand that the drive-line in a brand new, $30,000-plus vehicle should not have noticeable vibration at idle. Ever. Hands down.
If it does, most of the cars you'll sell in this market niche will go to the rental companies, and that's what has happened to the 200 and the Dodge Dart, from whose underpinnings the 200 was created. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne this week seems to have tacitly admitted that FCA cannot build a competitive mid-sized sedan, announcing that both cars will be dropped from the company's lineup at the end of their product life cycles, probably 2018.
Hey, when you're selling all the Jeeps and Ram trucks you can build, building more would seem a more productive use of the factory.
In the meantime, the 200 isn't a terrible choice for a car. It's sort of like Jessica Rabbit. She's not a bad car, she's just drawn that way.
Though the car is headed for extinction, the mechanicals are found in multiple FCA products, so parts and repair really won't be a problem for a number of years.
If you can save a couple thousand on the purchase of a new 200, you may decide that it is well worth the $50-$60 less per month you pay on a 60-month finance contract. Or, if you wait a couple of years until these cars start coming out of the rental fleets, you might well pick up a very pleasant second car at a bargain price.
Marchionne was also in the news this week for attacking the well-respected online auto evaluation site Edmunds.com for pointing out that the 200's back seat is a little cramped.
He has a point. The difference is, indeed, small. Chevy's clean-design new Malibu, for example, offers 37.5 inches of head room in back and 38.1 inches of leg room in. The 200 has 37.4 inches of head room astern and 37.6 inches of leg room.
Quantitatively, that's not much to discuss, but many a reviewer has gigged the rear seating. The difference, I think, is access. The 200's lovely and long rook line forces one to bend a little more to get in.
It's hardly enough to justify not recommending a car, as Edmund's chose to do.
Priced between $22,000 and $32,000, the Chrysler 200 comes in four models: Limited, LX, S and C.
The LX model is powered by a 2.4-liter MultiAir Tigershark I-4 engine, which produces 184 horsepower and 173 lb.-ft. of torque. Mated to a segment-exclusive nine-speed automatic transmission, the power plant is more than adequate for highway driving and delivers an EPA estimated 36 mpg on the highway.
On a leisurely drive down to Caddo Lake one Sunday, we averaged better than 37.
The standard equipment list is long: electric power steering; keyless entry with panic alarm; keyless entry with push button start; air conditioning with micron filter; 60/40 split rear passenger seat with trunk pass-through; full center console with driver/passenger pass-through and sliding cup holder; 12-volt power outlets in media center charging station and front-passenger side of the center console; audio jack input for mobile devices; remote USB port; Uconnect 3.0 AM/FM radio with four speakers; steering-wheel-mounted audio controls; tilt/telescopic steering column; ambient LED interior lighting; passenger assist handles;cruise control; eight standard air bags; electronic stability control; traction control; four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes; brake assist tire-pressure monitoring display; power windows; speed-sensitive power locks; LED tail lamps; front, halogen, automatic headlamps with headlamp off-time delay; daytime running lamps; and a security alarm.
The Limited adds bi-function halogen projector headlamps; Uconnect 5.0 AM/FM, Bluetooth, touchscreen media center; ParkView rear backup camera, power front driver and passenger windows with one-touch up/down; compass gauge, front courtesy/map lights; six-speakers; compact spare tire and 17-inch aluminum wheels; dual-zone climate control; rear ducts; auto-dimming mirror; and remote start.
Optional on the Limited is Chrysler's 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine, which produces a best-in-class 295 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque. Also available is blind-spot monitoring and rear cross path detection; power sunroof; and 18-inch aluminum wheels.
The 200S adds black cloth seats with Ambassador Blue leather trim; power, eight-way driver seat; leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls; steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters; deluxe door-trim panel; fog lamps; gloss black exterior accents; gloss black daylight opening trim; dual bright mold-in-fascia exhaust tips; 200S badge; acoustic windshield glass and front-side door glass; power, heated fold-away mirrors; rear-view mirror with microphone; and a sport suspension
Optional equipment and packages include: all-wheel drive; premium leather interior, dual-pane panoramic sunroof; 19-inch Hyper Black aluminum wheels; a premium lighting group; and a navigation and sound group.
The 200C model has premium Nappa leather seats; heated front seats; six-way power passenger seat; premium 7-inch full-color driver information display instrument cluster; remote start; heated steering wheel, rear-view auto-dimming mirror with microphone, premium door trim panels; two-door passive entry; dual-zone automatic temperature control with front and rear climate control outlets; universal garage door opener; humidity sensor; footwell courtesy lamps; exterior mirrors with supplemental turn signals; chrome exterior accents; bright door handles; hidden exhaust; four-wheel independent touring suspension; and 17-inch aluminum painted wheels.
Bottom line: To win back the mid-sized sedan market from Japanese competitors, American auto makers can't offer cars as good as those from Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Mazda. They have to offer better cars. Ford and Chevy seem to understand that. The new Chrysler 200C doesn't reach that bar.