Coming off a full redesign last year, the 2016 Chrysler 200 is definitely the brand's best midsize sedan yet. Gone is the previous car's fuddy-duddy persona, and in its place is a smooth, elegant look that allows the car to stand out in the midsize sedan segment without going over the top with trendy details. Inside, high-class materials form a design that is artful and elegant, with a "floating" center console upon which are perched the rotary knob shifter and climate controls. The 200's cabin is not just easy on the eyes, it's also easy to use -- Chrysler's big 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen system is one of our favorites.
The 2016 Chrysler 200 is a sleek and well-appointed midsize sedan.
It's more of a mixed bag under the hood, though. The base four-cylinder's performance is a bit pokey compared to other midsize cars, which is unfortunate, since that's going to be the majority of what people buy. But we like the optional 3.6-liter V6 engine. It packs an impressive punch, and it can be combined with all-wheel drive to not only enhance winter traction but give the 200 (especially the sporty S model) an athletic handling edge.
The Chrysler 200 does come up short on interior room compared to other midsize cars. You'll notice this most in the rear. There is just enough space to accommodate 6-footers, but the swoopy roof line impacts headroom and ease of access, and the 200 lacks the stretch-out leg space of bigger competitors. Also, there are still a couple areas where the 200 would benefit from some improvement, such as an overly firm ride quality at times and less-than-ideal outward visibility.
The midsize sedan segment is hugely popular, and there are a lot of excellent competing vehicles to investigate. Among our favorites is the Honda Accord. It provides great fuel economy, strong performance and a limousine-like backseat. If you love to drive, you'll want to check out the Mazda 6, the most athletic of midsize sedans. There's also the Ford Fusion, which offers eye-catching styling and, like the 200, an all-wheel-drive option. Truth be told, the 2016 Chrysler 200 struggles to break out from the pack here, at least in terms of objective measures. But if you like the way the 200 looks, there's more than enough good here to warrant a purchase.
The 2016 Chrysler 200 is a sleek and well-appointed midsize sedan.
It's more of a mixed bag under the hood, though. The base four-cylinder's performance is a bit pokey compared to other midsize cars, which is unfortunate, since that's going to be the majority of what people buy. But we like the optional 3.6-liter V6 engine. It packs an impressive punch, and it can be combined with all-wheel drive to not only enhance winter traction but give the 200 (especially the sporty S model) an athletic handling edge.
The Chrysler 200 does come up short on interior room compared to other midsize cars. You'll notice this most in the rear. There is just enough space to accommodate 6-footers, but the swoopy roof line impacts headroom and ease of access, and the 200 lacks the stretch-out leg space of bigger competitors. Also, there are still a couple areas where the 200 would benefit from some improvement, such as an overly firm ride quality at times and less-than-ideal outward visibility.
The midsize sedan segment is hugely popular, and there are a lot of excellent competing vehicles to investigate. Among our favorites is the Honda Accord. It provides great fuel economy, strong performance and a limousine-like backseat. If you love to drive, you'll want to check out the Mazda 6, the most athletic of midsize sedans. There's also the Ford Fusion, which offers eye-catching styling and, like the 200, an all-wheel-drive option. Truth be told, the 2016 Chrysler 200 struggles to break out from the pack here, at least in terms of objective measures. But if you like the way the 200 looks, there's more than enough good here to warrant a purchase.
Performance & mpg
The 2016 Chrysler 200 comes standard with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 184 horsepower and 173 pound-feet of torque. Optional on the Limited, S and C trims is a 3.6-liter V6 engine that makes 295 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. Both engines come with a nine-speed automatic transmission (with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters on the 200S). Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional with the V6. In addition, the V6 also features a Sport mode that sharpens up engine and transmission responses and provides slightly heavier steering effort. On models with all-wheel drive, Sport mode biases power output to the rear by sending 60 percent of the engine's torque to the rear axle.
In Edmunds testing, a Chrysler 200S with all-wheel drive sprinted from zero to 60 mph in just 6.2 seconds, making it among the quickest V6-powered family sedans, in lockstep with Honda, Nissan and Toyota. Powered by the four-cylinder engine, however, a 200 Limited required 9.0 seconds to reach 60 mph, which is slower than the average by nearly a full second.
