People came running up and asking: “Hey, what is that?,” or
“Is that a BMW?,” or “That’s a really cool-looking car; who makes it?”
It’s a Chrysler. Yes,
a Chrysler. And yes, it has some Euro
DNA in it, all of it good.
My ride for a week was the primo 2013 200 Limited with an
“S” package, showing a bottom line price of $27,665 (please note that the 200
goes into the 2014 model year virtually unchanged from 2013).
The “S” package needs explaining. Simply put, you get a big heaping basket full
of goodies, inside and out.
The perks include fancy 18-inch wheels, strategically placed
black touches (which looked very cool on my car’s “Deep Cheery Red Crystal
Pearl Coat” paint job), leather-trim “S”-branded seats, 6.5-inch touch screen
display, perforated leather steering wheel, hard disc drive, GPS navigation
system and, yes, flex-fuel capability.
To which I say, WOW!
That’s a $40,000 proposition on other cars. Throw in pretty fair gas mileage for a 3.6-liter,
283-horsepower V-6 (19 miles per gallon in the city and 29 mpg on the highway)
and a five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and you have my attention.
This 200 is worth your time as well. Look it over, and I bet you’ll be impressed
by its sporty Euro exterior and sweetly laid-out interior. But most of all, drive it.
The V-6 was a tiger working in instant, perfect harmony with
my right foot. Acceleration will not
blow off a Corvette, but you do get a pleasing push in the back and a
satisfying growl from the power plant as you zip past freeway pokes and
clueless downtown drivers.
Uphill runs were a snap.
The steering was near-luxury-level responsive and firm. Lane changes were crisp and authoritative, yet
the chassis remained pleasantly in place even during hard maneuvers.
Yes, this is a car Chrysler NEEDS in its lineup, and it can
be had in both sedan and convertible trim.
Chrysler’s 200 might not be getting the same attention its
competitors receive, and that’s a shame.
This ride is a player in a crowded field.
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