Review: 2016 Chrysler 200 V6

by Ben Aghajanian

The American midsize sedan field is one of the most competitive segments in the auto industry. It’s an area where Chrysler’s offerings have left a lot to be desired for years. The Auburn Hills-based automaker aims to change that with the all-new Chrysler 200.

The 200C, pitched as the luxury trim, is completely loaded, both in the powertrain department and the options sheet. It features Chrysler’s Pentastar 3.6L V6, putting out 295 horsepower in this application and 262 lb-ft of torque. It also features all-wheel drive, differentiating it from its midsize class with the exception of Ford’s Fusion and Subaru’s Legacy. It has the ZF-designed 9-speed automatic, first introduced in the Jeep Cherokee last year.

The 200 offers a full suite of active and passive safety features, including blind-spot warning, adaptive cruise control (very good), forward-collision warning, backup camera, and rear cross-traffic alert. Everything works well.

The Pentastar is one of my favorite mass-market V6s, and it does not disappoint in the 200. The engine sounds and feels different from other Chrysler cars. As hard as it is to believe, the exhaust note at lower RPMs reminds me of the old Buick V6, otherwise known as the 3800. It has low, bass-like tones, and has a bit of a growl. When sport mode is engaged, or just when you’re driving fast, the engine snarls at higher RPMs and has a hint of a backfire-like sound if you decelerate by engine braking. It’s as though the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, with which the 200 shares some chassis bones, took it to finishing school in Italy. This is a welcome sign of character in a class often devoid of it.

Chrysler’s 9-speed auto has been the subject of a lot of press, both good and bad. This is my second round of seat time with it, much more lengthy and extensive than the first, a brief drive in a 4-cylinder Cherokee. I expected the usual characteristics of many-speed autos, such as hunting gears, stuttering, and stumbling. Other than perhaps two or three times, when using the adaptive cruise control in traffic, I experienced none of these things, even when accelerating hard. The gears are well spaced, shifts are prompt, and downshifts are smooth. The extra overdrive gears really work well on the freeway. On a return trip from Detroit to Cleveland, I averaged 33.6 miles per gallon—not bad for a car rated at 29mpg highway. The 9-speed/3.6 combo proved both powerful and efficient. Over the week, I averaged about 29.5mpg. Furthermore, the metal shift paddles on the steering wheel provide manual control over shifting when desired.

I have driven several of the 200’s competitors—the Mazda6, Accord, and Camry—and the Chrysler’s interior feels mostly high-quality, featuring soft plastics on the doors and the dash. The mocha-brown leather and varying interior colors are a welcome change from the commonplace all black. The matte-finished (real) wood on the dash and door trim is a nice surprise in this class. I don’t like the very liberal use of chrome. Everywhere. Even on the rim of the steering wheel, which is both extra hot to the touch and very reflective on a sunny day. (The 200S does not have this steering wheel chrome). The chrome is a big negative in my book. It was especially noticeable in contrast with a Jeep Renegade I drove a week earlier.

Ergonomically, the seats are well sculpted with decent bolstering, but I have trouble staying comfortable on a long drive, finding them a little too “deep” with not enough support for my lower back. The leather seems to be high quality, noticeably better than a Camry I drove a few months ago, and the heating/ventilation option is nice. The backseat is a little less roomy than competitors, mainly due to the sloping roofline cutting into headroom a fair bit. Legroom is on the snug side too.

On the outside, the 200 punches above its weight class. The exterior design emphasizes smooth, flowing lines, with LED accents around the headlights, a simple black grille with the Chrysler winged emblem floating in the center, and surprisingly elegantly shaped mirrors for the class. I rarely comment about mirrors, but these seem “designed” rather than just “there.” From the sides and out back, it cuts an almost hatchback-like profile, bringing to mind a smoothed-out Audi A7. Metallic exhaust tips are tucked neatly into the valance down below. The optional 19-inch polished alloy wheels fitted to our tester reinforce the class-above style that the 200 invokes. It’s not hard to see how the 200 achieves a Cd of 0.27, second-in-class to the Mazda6 with 0.26.

Like the loaded Toyota Camry V6 XSE I drove in the spring, the 200C checks in with an as-tested price of $37,095. This is a lot of money for a mid-size sedan, though it reflects a fully-loaded 200. The 200 manages to feel a little bit more special than the Camry, however, and this price includes equipment unavailable on the Camry, like AWD, and more sophisticated active safety features.

The 200 is not the sportiest drive in its class—that title arguably goes to the Mazda6, Ford Fusion, or Honda Accord, depending what you prioritize. The steering is accurate, but a little bit numb. The brakes are linear, but not especially firm until you give the pedal some weight. I had more fun driving the Jeep Renegade I tested the week before the 200. The engine is the jewel of the experience here. The big V6 provides both excellent passing power and surprising efficiency. It also injects some aural attitude in a segment that often has little. On these merits, the 200 is a winner, and worthy of consideration if you’re shopping midsize sedans.

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