Midsized sedans are the largest-volume, most-competitive car segment in the auto industry. Most car companies get them right. But that isn't the case for the Chrysler 200. Its 2015 redesign vastly improved the car from its unforgivably lousy predecessor, but still trails the rest of the pack by a large margin. Klutzy handling, a thrashy base four-cylinder engine, cramped packaging, and lousy visibility all combine to make this the segment laggard. Indeed, the market has spoken; the 200 has been discontinued after 2017, marking an amazingly short three-year model run.
We tested two versions of the 200, a lower trim four-cylinder and a more loaded-up V6. Both landed at the bottom of their respective categories. Style and feature content are the main draws, with available options not often seen in the class, like real wood trim, a panoramic sunroof, and all-wheel drive. But that's not enough to gloss over a lack of refinement and other flaws that left every tester feeling underwhelmed and frustrated.
Most trim levels come with an underpowered 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. Matched with a nine-speed automatic intended to optimize performance and fuel economy, the powertrain delivers a commendable 30 mpg overall. But it also proves that more gears aren't necessarily better, with rough and indecisive gear changes and hesitant downshifts. The optional, more powerful and polished 3.6-liter V6 makes for a smoother powertrain. It returns 25 mpg overall -- about average for the category.
Driving the 200 feels like you're wallowing in a larger car, with a ride that's an unfortunate combination of floaty and rough, at all the wrong moments.
The car's sleek styling is arguably more progressive than some competitors, but given the vanilla predilections of the segment, that's not saying much. And function follows form, at a cost in practicality -- something that won't win any points with buyers used to the ease of access, visibility, and all-around utility of more accommodating choices like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The interior feels tight, with a cramped driving position. The low roofline and shallow rake of the rear window pillar cruelly restrict head room. And poor rear-seat packaging means three-across seating is a challenge.
As for driver controls, the slick center display lends an innovative and modern look. The interior feature that Chrysler really got right is the large Uconnect 8.4 touch-screen infotainment system. But that's not available on lower trims, which come with smaller screens and tiny fonts that require too much concentration away from the road. The dial shifter is intuitive to use, but can be confused for a radio or climate knob. It also lacks some safeguards to prevent the car from rolling away if the driver doesn't select Park as needed.
Some might be tempted to opt for the 200 in its final year. Substantial incentives and often-motivated dealers reduce this new car's price to that of a good used car. But no matter how cheap the 200 is, it doesn't justify spending your hard-earned dollars, especially in a segment full of excellent competitors. It's the worst of the lot. Below average reliability also makes this a questionable purchase.