1 / 6

2015 Chrysler 200S

2 / 6

2015 Chrysler 200C

3 / 6

2015 Chrysler 200S

4 / 6

2015 Chrysler 200C

5 / 6

2015 Chrysler 200C

6 / 6

2015 Chrysler 200S

❮ ❯

If you remember back to the memorable extra long 2011 Super bowl commercial that Chrysler put and what we would consider one of the greatest tag lines of all time, “Made in Detroit” that took us all back to the origins of the American automobile and especially the origins of Chrysler it made a lot of sense, as all manufactures were looking for new paths to take as the country was slowing coming out one of the worst economic slumps in our history.

If the new completely redesigned 2015 Chrysler 200 is another example of what is to come from Detroit we both give it a big thumbs up for one of the finest redesigns since the new Dodge Dart! As Chrysler puts it the new 200 is designed, engineered and built to compete with the very best in the automotive industry, mission accomplished we would have to say after a week with the vehicle. Sometimes it is easy to tell how much we like a vehicle by the amount of gas that we use, it happened with the 200S as Craig was adding gas by the 4th day of driving!

It wasn’t that the 200S got bad gas mileage in fact we did quite well over the week averageing well over the EPA average of 22 mpg at 26.6 mpg that included a trip to Heber for lunch, another to the airport in Salt Lake, a trip to Pleasant Grove for dinner and some normal running around town driving. We ran out of gas so quickly because it was so much fun to drive and enjoy the new 200!

The 200 comes with a couple of different engine options, first is a 2.4 liter four cylinder that puts out a respectable 184 horsepower and 173 ft.-lbs. of torque, and also like the tester we received that had a upgraded 3.6 liter V6 Pentastar motor that increased the horsepower to 295 with 282 ft.-lbs. of torque, and yes that made it a lot of fun to drive.

The 200 is also set up with a class exclusive 9 speed automatic transmission that slides through the gears seamlessly, giving you an almost endless supply of gears to ride in. Another thing we noticed and liked was that if we accelerated very quickly the vehicle downshifted quickly to find the best gear for quick acceleration and when we let off the accelerator it stayed in the lower gear for a couple of seconds just in case we changed our minds and needed more power quickly. We had only had this option in the past in higher end more luxurious vehicles we had driven.

We also had to get used to a brand new way of putting the 200S into gear as it now includes a rotary shifter that is located on the center console, something we had previously seen in the Ram 1500 pickup. So gone was the shift lever on the column or in the center console, it did take a couple of days of getting used to but once we caught on it was very easy to use and made a lot of sense in that there was much more room for other controls now in the center, and you never had to worry about bumping the shifter into another gear.

The new 200 is built on a Alfa Romeo Giuietta frame all be it stretched and includes and All Wheel Drive not found in the Alfa Romeo. Since becoming wholly owned by Fiat Chrysler has had some changes that we both agree are for the better as new redesigns keep coming with more of a European flair but still say they are built in America for American drivers.

From the moment we first saw the 200 in our drive it just drew us to it, with what seemed to be an invitation that invited us to the show, take a spin and enjoy it seemed to say to us. The engineers have come up with a very unique design that show some muscle but also a whole lot of sophistication and definition in all the angles and sweeping lines that drew us into the car. Gone are any of the hard corners that were part of this line in the past!

The exterior was one of our favorite parts of the new 200, starting with the smaller grill in front that flowed into the lights which of course were made from advanced LED technology with LED accent and LED fog lamps if wanted. All week long we would get the question in parking lots, what is that car it really good looking. Usually when we answered it was a Chrysler 200 people were unbelieving that such a great looking car was what we said it was.

Inside the 200 did not disappoint at all, and we tested out the sport model there is also one level up that would be a more of a comfort model made to be as classy as possible. The sport model was great for us, the seats were a combination of leather and cloth with the 200S logo stitched into the rear of each of the front seats. They were also heated as part of the Comfort Group package that also included a heated steering wheel, dual zone heating and air with rear heat and air conditioning. There was also a rear view camera that came with this package.

Our favorite addition was the Navigation and Sound Group 1 package as it came with all the really cool additions in the 200. First up was the 7 inch driver information screen that was in the middle of the instrument cluster, which could be set to display all kinds of information from trip and mileage, to audio info, to basic speed of the vehicle. Many new vehicles are coming with better and smarter dashboards but this was one of the best we have seen yet.

The huge 8.4 inch touch screen display in the center of the middle console which becomes the focal point of the interior also came with this addition. We really enjoy the way Chrysler has designed this and how easy it is to use. In the 200 we could pull up the audio information and inset navigation into a portion of the screen so we knew what we were listening to and could monitor our progress through the streets at the same time.

Below the screen were manual adjustment for some of the audio and also heat and air conditioning that could all be controlled from the touch screen also. There were also audio controls located on the steering wheel along with controls for the driver information system, all laid out logically and within easy reach of the driver. The entire car was very easy to understand and get to know after a very short time in the vehicle.

The new Chrysler 200 is worth a check if you are looking to up your game in the sedan market and is definitely going to be a competitor in that realm. We were proud that this vehicle was ‘Made in Detroit”, see one today at Doug Smith Chrysler 523 West Main Street in American Fork, 801-492-1110, or Larry H. Miller Chrysler 1825 N University Pkwy, Provo, (888) 245-3833.

Base Price: $28,695

Price as Driven: $34.065