Chrysler 200

Karen_S · March 2011

Talk about the 200 here!

lamronh49 · April 2011

Wow, this 200 Forum is like the local DMV, the 200 was so new it wasn't in their database yet.
We picked ours up three weeks ago, a white Touring V6. Its competitors were the Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata. This came at a better price point, more car for less, a good lease deal, and it rides far better than the Optima and Sonata, especially those with 18" wheels. The Kia salesmen kept changing the terms, we drove the Chrysler and liked it very much. It has equivalent handling but it rides so much better. Our other cars feel very stiff after riding around in this.
The 225.55/17 Michelins soak up a lot, and the well-sorted-out suspension takes care of the rest. It's a nice looking, very comfortable car with good seating, very good power, and all the toys we need.
This car uses almost all LEDs, the only bulbs I've found are the vanity mirrors and the trunk light.
We've had some engine management or shifting issues, there's some hiccupping going on around shift time in the lower gears. Hopefully that can get sorted out, it's the only flaw in an otherwise excellent package.
Sorry 200 advertising has fallen off the radar, they should push this car more. IMO it's a strong contender in its class.

farout · June 2011

o you have had your 200 about two months now, how do you like it, especially the new 3.6?

claymaker52 · July 2011

I just bought my 200 S on June 29. I got it in Bright White. I had been doing some extensive research on a midsized sedan. Compared this car to the Sonata mainly. The biggest difference is by far the smoothness of the 200 compared with the Sonata. Another big difference is in the quality of materials; the 200 feels like luxury, whereas the Sonata feel like another cheap but efficient Korean car.

If I had to describe this car in a sentence it would be: Great value car that feels luxurious and is extremely fun to drive.

On a side note: I will be tinting the windows as this will really give that sporty look. (The windows already have a little tint to them)

I am a 6'3" and I can sit in the backseat with the front seat as far back as it goes.

lamronh49 · July 2011

We like it a lot, farout. I see you have a Pacifica. I've always liked those and hope to buy one someday.
Likes: Hand brake, great power and torque (traded GP GXP), excellent handling with very good ride, LEDs everywhere, very good seats that support short to tall statures, attractive 17" wheels, very good tires (Michelin MXV4 225.55[or 50?].17), distinct looks, heated seats, good seat height (same as the PT Cruiser it shares the garage with).
No likes: No rear heat vents, small fuel tank (17), small trunk (14~), hard to read some dashboard readouts in bright light, no handle to close trunk, no LED running lights, wish it looked more like the 300 (or Concorde), battery buried somewhere in LF fender, outside mirror reflects its white frame, vents don't elevate above horizontal.
As you can see, the no-like list has no major issues on it.
We had some trans hesitation issues, apparently that's a fairly common complaint with a lot of the new 6-speeds. A reflash fixed about 80% of that.
The car drives so nicely. As with the poster above, we drove Sonatas and Optimas and this car is much smoother, a far better ride even compared to the base models of those cars with smaller wheels and taller tires.
This car gets quite a bit of disrespect on some boards, mostly among people who have read about the Sebring and really don't have any experience driving either the Sebring or the 200.
MPG has topped 30 on the highway and is in the low 20s for mixed driving.
The power is great, it feels more powerful than the Hyundai 2.0t motor though I believe accleration times are similar. I didn't buy the car to bench race it, that was fun in high school but times change.
Excellent car, excellent value @ a bit under 20 grand for a sticker price of around 24,500, with lease payments around 200/month.
Would definitely buy it again. I mean lease.

farout · July 2011

Doyou hav the 4 or 6 cyc? I have heard a lot about how it is nothing like the sebring, it is totally new from the ground up. Sounds like a real nice vehicle.

The new 3.6 engine is a boat load of power. We had our PAC in the shop and got a Charger with the 3.6 and ran like a scared rabbit! Infact it out preforms our 4.L in our PAC. Sad to say the PAC ended production with the 2008 model. The 6 speed transmision first came out inthe 2007 PAC, which we have. It had some issues the first 10,000 miles and some tsb's the next 20,000 miles, we like it a lot. We hve th AWD Touring and its a nice vehicle, at 103,000 miles and withthe LifeTime Powertrain warranyy and the Max care Chrysler Lifetime Service Contract it just might last a good while.

lamronh49 · July 2011

We have the 3.6. Great mill with good low end torque and lots of pull higher up.
Glad you like your Pacifica.

200s · August 2011

Had this car about a month. Chose black for monotone look with all the blacked out chrome and already black trim pieces. The only identifiers that this is an S trim package are on the trunk, front seats and in the tachometer. Looks a little like an unmarked police car. Added a spoiler which enhances the wedge shape. Windows are tinted to 20% (same as factory rear windows on most minivans and SUVs). Getting a note from my dermatologist to make tint street legal (Michigan). Got it loaded and below invoice through my job's vehicle discount program. I can't get over how nice this thing is for the price. I paid almost the same price as I did for my new Subaru Impreza WRX back in 2001. It has content like an entry level luxury car and rides, handles and accelerates way beyond my expectations. Every time I play around with it I am surprised by yet another cool feature (front windows lowering by remote control, gas prices in the area, restaurant guide...). Told a buddy I got the "Marshal Mathers Special Edition". He said "They got one named that?!". What a dumbass. I should have told him the theme form 8-Mile ("Lose Yourself") plays on the outside of the car when I drive it around downtown Detroit. Everyone stops and stairs at it when I drive it around my neighborhood (Redford/Northwest Detroit). Every girl I show it to says "It's the M&M car!" and wants to drive it. I could'nt be more pleased with this vehicle. I can't say the same about the dealership experience, but I'll save that rant for a more appropriate thread.

lberardi63 · October 2011

I just got my 200 yesterday and I love it!! I got the Sapphire Blue Touring...there is one thing I would like to know and I haven't been able to figure out what it is...On the roof where the reading lights are...slightly above them in the center what is that little round thing? Is it a camera? If it is; what is its purpose? I can't seem to find out what it is from the manual or online...

lamronh49 · October 2011

I'm pretty sure that's one of the temperature sensors for the climate control.

black200 · January 2012

I have a 2012 200 that I have had for 1 month. The car is awesome except the interior STINKS! I can't be in the car for more than 15 minutes before I have to roll the windows down to get fresh air. It smells like a cross beteeen plastic, chemicals and a skunk. The dealer tells me that this is a "NEW CAR SMELL." I think not. I have had at least 13 new cars over the past 15 years. This car smells bad! I have driven other 2012 200's (with cloth interior) and they all seem to stink. Am I the only one with this problem? :sick:

lamronh49 · January 2012

Hope you have a garage, black200. I had to leave a couple of side windows open whenever parked for several months. The car had a terrible plasticky smell that just wouldn't quit. I also ran a fan in the garage to help move air around inside. Eventually the smell went away, but it's not a fast process.

black200 · January 2012

Well thanks for that. It sits in the garage with the windows open every night. The dealer let me take another 200 for the weekend and it stinks just as bad. Now I'm wondering what the stink is and why this problem hasn't shown up on more forums...Great car--stinky interior.

black200 · February 2012

The latest news is that the dealer is now telling me that more interior ODOR complaints are coming in from other 2012 Chrysler 200 owners. Chrysler has offerd to replace the CLOTH seats in my car with new LEATHER seats. I guess they realize that perhaps something is wrong here...

black200 · April 2012

new leather seats = no more smell. Yeah for Chrysler for taking care of this problem!

gerard56 · May 2012

The part you describe is a temp sensor for the climate control system.

joutlaw · July 2012

I just bought my car 2 months ago. After 3 weeks it had to go in the shop due to a defective top. up to that point i had no problems with the cargo shield . When i needed full trunk space i would put it up and it came back down nicely for me to lower the top. Now that i have gotten my car back from repair - every time i put the cargo shield up to load groceries - it literally falls apart when I pull it back down to lower the top. i am being told that is normal - but it is not in their instruction book. Any one have this problem?

toni19 · July 2012

My 200S has stalled on me 4 different times in three months while stopped at a light in drive. Brought car in for 1st oil change last week and had it looked over to see if they could find anything wrong and they said it was no problems detected. I saw this article in the Huffington Post - Detroit and found I am not the only one this is happening to and there may be a recall. Thank goodness cause I am really bummed out about this. See the link below to read the article.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/22/chrysler-200-
investigated-by-federal-safety-regulators_n_1619121.html

seolbro · August 2012

I rented a 200 last week. I own a Camry and an Accord, so those are my points of comparison.

When I sat down in this car I was very impressed. The interior materials looked and felt top-notch. The interior design is very logical also. At first touch the car looks and feels much more expensive than it is. Chrysler did a good job copying the Japanese competition.

Driving the car and a longer look lowered my opinion. Some of the exterior trim was black plastic pieces and some was black plastic tape. The combo looked tacky and I can foresee the tape coming off in a couple years. The air conditioner acted oddly with the fan changing speeds on its own, sometime howling madly. The tires were also loud, screaming over certain pavements. That's the fault of the tires, but Chrysler chose them.

I don't know if I had a 4 or 6 cylinder engine, but the power was OK. Handling and braking were fine for an everyday driver.

Durability is a big unknown with this car, but if you want something reasonably nice for a modest sum and are willing to take a flyer on longevity this is not a bad car.

jim_sherman · September 2012

I bought 2011 limited last week and noticed when I drove it last night that when I went to take a left into my driveway I could not see where I was turning. Are the headlights suppose to cover the left and the right of the front of the car?

mkih · September 2012

The a/c and fan would have been acting on its own because you had the car set to automatic climate control. The air will automatically adjust to maintain the comfortable temperature set for the car. You can turn this off by having both the fan and temp controls off of the 'auto' positions and set to exactly where you want it.

waltchan · September 2012

"Durability is a big unknown with this car..."

Modern cars generally can run more than 200,000 miles without any major problem, and this one is no exception. This one uses a GEMA I4 engine, and Chrysler claimed they tested and ran 1.7 million miles in it with no problem.

seolbro · September 2012

Thank you, Mr. Chrysler, for that insightful analysis.

walc · September 2012

I love my 2011 Chrysler 200 convertible with the 3.6L Pentastar and 18" wheels.
It took me a little while to get used to accelerating, from a dead stop, because the power, of the 3.6L, combined with front wheel drive does produce manageable torque steer.
Other owners say that upgrading the Goodyear Eagle LS tires, which come with the 18" wheel option, will eliminate the torque steer. I've heard good reports about Yokohoma and Michelin.
Likewise the 6 speed automatic " feels " different from other auto trans vehicles I have driven.
The projector headlights, also, take some getting used to.
Aforementioned quirks aside, this is a great car at an excellent price.
The actual sale prices, after rebates and dealer discounts, is reasonably low. This is because the so-called experts continue to denigrate the 200 as nothing more than a dressed-up Sebring, with a different name. IMO, as someone who actually owns, and drives, a 200, I strongly disagree.
Color me

chryslers · October 2012

how on earth did u get them to replace your seats..i have a 2012 200 i got at the start of august and i have the same smell its terrible i took it back to my dealer but they dont seem to want to do any thing about it

stever · November 2012

A reporter would like to speak to car owners who use Chrysler Uconnect, Cadillac CUE or Ford's MyFord/MyLincoln Touch. If you use any of these telematics systems, please send your daytime contact information to pr@edmunds.com no later than November 20, 2012 at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET.

Sandman6472 · March 2013

I've driven quite a few of these 200's at work, both with the 17" and 18" wheels, and am very impressed with the smoothness of this car...it shifts unobtrusively and just soaks up any road imperfections with nary any hesitation...it feels like a magic carpet! And I can not tell a difference in ride quality between the models. I know the top of the line model has a leather wrapped steering wheel and sat radio with the cool alloy wheels. I really like this car and surprised there aren't more in the public's driveways. They are rental queens though and they do get 1/2 way decent mileage. What are the designations for the different models as there are hardly any badges on the car. Comfortable seats and the power seats work for me and my bad spine. I now look for these when the cars are lines up for us at work and am happy to get a 200 especially with the alloys as I know I'm gonna have a nice smooth ride where ever we're going and the sat radio just makes it easier so I can leave my iPod and aux cable packed away in my backpack.
Great car here Chrysler! Haven't driven the Dodge Avenger yet but am assuming it's basically the same vehicle. Will have to try one next time I see one in line. These cars are definitely getting better and more competitive.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

mortya · March 2013

I'm considering buying the Chrysler 200 convertible. Questions:

1. Does this vehicle have roll bars? I see what looks like roll bar housings behind the back seat, but cannot find confirmation on edmunds.com or at Chrysler's website.

2. Is it possible to manually shift up into 6th gear in sport mode on the automatic transmission? During a test drive, I went from 1st to 5th gear, but it stopped there. When I put it into drive, drove it 65mph, and then put it into sport mode, it reported that it was in 6th gear as expected.

Sandman6472 · May 2013

Does this car come with a 4 or a 6? Seems like the one's I drive with the allots seems more responsive when I hit the gas pedal...it just takes off so nicely. Not sure if these are the Limiteds's as there are no special badges to denote this model. The one's with the bolt on covers have the smaller wheels, 17" vs. the 18" alloys. Personally, the alloys look so much better on this vehicle and I'd want one of them. Also a shame that in most comparisons, they don't include the 200 as it's so similar to the Altima or 6 and has similar interior space. See so many in the rental fleets but hardly any in people's driveways. Would think they would make the perfect work vehicle...not too big with decent mileage figures to boot. Chrysler just needs to market this car more as it is a real sleeper and very competitive...a great vehicle as it does everything right. Especially love the adjustable head rests!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

dzam1 · June 2013

My certified pre-owned Chrysler 200 has an unpleasant odor that could best be described as a fishy smell. I bought it in February in Ohio and apparently the cold weather masked the smell. As the weather got a little warmer, we started noticing the odd odor. It's not an overpowering smell, but it's noticeable and kind of sickening and embarrassing. I can't tell where the smell is coming from, but I do have cloth seats. Keeping the vents on and using a Febreeze clip in the vent helps, but I don't want to have to use a fragrance to mask the scent of my car. The service manager at the dealership said they could not smell it, could not find anything wrong (no leaks, etc.), and could not offer anything but a deodorizer or maybe to try taking the carpet out. I paid to have the car detailed and deodorized elsewhere, but the smell came back shortly after. I saw others' posts about the car seats being a problem and even the one about Chrysler replacing the cloth with leather. I called Chrysler and they said they had never heard of this problem, and they offered no solution unless it becomes a recall. I see that Chrysler 200 ranks high regarding toxic parts. The good things about this car are the V6, the sound system, the headrest, the interior and exterior lights, and that the car handled okay on snow, but overall I regret my purchase. I loved the 2001 Town and Country that I replaced with this car, but I am not sure that I would buy a Chrysler again after this experience. I don't have a good feeling about the quality of this car.

stever · August 2014

A Bloomberg reporter would like to speak to a recent buyer of a new Chrysler (preferably Town & Country or 200), Jeep (preferably Wrangler or Cherokee) or RAM. If this is you or someone you know, and you're comfortable sharing your story for publication on a site that boasts 24 million unique monthly visitors, please send your daytime contact information to me by 10 p.m. PT tonight.

Chrysler 200

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