Page 45 - 0315_SAM_FINAL-2
P. 45
AUTO REVIEW
slide-away cup holders. I could trim levels: LX, Limited, S, and C, and a relevant car company that many industry ob-
take or leave the Jaguar knock-off multitude of options. servers like me had written off. Thanks to in-
rotary shift knob, but I suspect spired leadership, can-do employees, and a
most owners will like it, and it The LX doesn’t get you much, but it does kick-ass commercial for the ages, Chrysler is
does provide a touch of class in a include keyless ignition and entry. Why a growing impressively. As long as they con-
market segment that’s generally fo- base Chrysler 200 comes standard with this tinue to make vehicles like the 200C, their
cused on utility. super-handy feature, while buyers of winning streak will continue.
$100,000-plus cars like the Mercedes SL and
It should be noted that the optional Porsche 911 Turbo have to pay extra for it is Steve Schutz, MD, is a
UConnect user interface, which syncs with beyond me. board-certified gastroenterol-
a smartphone and controls the audio, HVAC ogist who lived in San Anto-
and satnav systems via a front-and-center Anyway, the 200 Limited has alloy wheels nio in the 1990s when he was
touch screen, is best in class. It’s easy, and it and other enhancements. The S, which is the stationed here in the U.S. Air
works. sporty 200, comes with all of the Limited’s Force. He has been writing auto reviews for San
equipment plus suspension upgrades and Antonio Medicine since 1995.
Best in class does not describe the drive- other goodies. The top-of-the-line 200C is For more information on the BCMS
train, however. You’d think a 9-speed trans- the most luxurious 200 and comes loaded. Auto Program, call Phil Hornbeak at 301-
mission would be an ideal way to get the fuel 4367 or visit www.bcms.org.
economy of a CVT and the drivability of a Notable options are an 8.4-inch touch-
6-speed automatic. But in this case you’d be screen, smartphone app integration, text-to-
wrong. While this transmission does help voice capability for compatible phones,
with fuel efficiency — we’re talking 18 mpg blind-spot warning, adaptive cruise control,
city, 29 mpg highway with the 3.6-liter V6 frontal collision warning, lane departure
and AWD which my 200C test car had — warning, automatic high-beam control, and
drivability is disappointing because the trans- rain-sensing windshield wipers. In the not-
mission hunts for gears more than it should, too-distant past many of those options could
even during ordinary driving on suburban be found only on top-of-the-line German
roads. These days fixing this sort of problem sedans and Lexuses. How far we have come
mostly involves tweaking software, but since with our automotive tech.
every engine/transmission software change
carries significant emissions and fuel-econ- Four years ago, Chrysler was an almost-ir-
omy implications, those changes are never
made quickly.
Handling is surprisingly good for a 3,473-
pound sedan with most of its weight over the
front wheels. I credit enthusiastic engineers
like the ones I mentioned earlier, who were
eager to show me exactly what they did with
the suspension, steering and braking systems
to make the 200 as fun to drive as possible.
They succeeded.
The Chrysler 200 comes standard with a
2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine rated at 184 HP,
while the optional V6 engine like the one in
my test car provides 295 HP. Front-wheel
drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is a V6-
only option.
FOUR TRIM LEVELS AVAILABLE
The Chrysler 200 is available with four
visit us at www.bcms.org 45
