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Midsize SUV; Built in
  • 4-door sedan
  • transverse front-engine/front- or all-wheel drive
Good condition price range: $10,200 – $15,000*


2015 Chrysler 200


2015 Chrysler 200


2015 Chrysler 200


2015 Chrysler 200

Pros:
  • Interior materials
  • Available all-wheel drive
  • Broad range of trim options and available features
Cons:
  • Engine refinement (4-cylinder)
  • Rear-seat room

So the 200’s report card is a good one, if not an A+. The 200 makes its mark with available all-wheel drive, a rich-looking interior, impressive cabin storage, and a strong array of features. You can find more rear-seat space in a Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, or Toyota Camry, but the 200 matches or trumps those cars by most other measures.

The redesigned for 2015 Chrysler 200 had a number of things going for it that the outgoing model didn’t. Yes, it’s subjective, but it was hard to argue that the new car wasn’t better looking. And that went double for the interior. The 200 offered all-wheel drive that most of the 200’s competitors didn’t have. On both the safety and infotainment front, the new 200 offered many features that weren’t previously available, some that were exclusive to the segment. A 4-door sedan was the lone body style; the 2-door convertible had been discontinued.

The 200’s base engine was a 184-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder mated to a segment-first 9-speed automatic – standard. Also linked with the 9-speed was the up level engine, a 295-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 – the most powerful in the segment in 2015.

Trim levels included the base LX, well-equipped Limited, sport-themed S, and luxury/performance C. All models except the base LX came standard with Chrysler’s Uconnect media interface and an 8.4-inch touch screen monitor.

Standard LX features included the 9-speed automatic, air, keyless entry and starting, power windows, 6-way front seats, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, and 17-inch steel wheels.

Limited added UConnect 5.0, Bluetooth wireless cell-phone link, a compass, and 17-inch aluminum wheels. Options included a sunroof, satellite radio, and 18-inch wheels.

The 200S was aimed at (according to Chrysler) a “more sinister style and sportier driving experience,” and included black cloth upholstery, an 8-way power driver seat, paddle shifters, power heated mirrors, black interior and exterior accents, sport suspension, and 18-inch aluminum wheels. Options included the 3.6-liter V6, all-wheel drive, sunroof, navigation system, and 19-inch wheels.

Standard on the top-line 200C were leather upholstery, heated front seats, rearview camera, remote start, dual-zone automatic climate control, universal garage-door opener, touring suspension, and 17-inch aluminum wheels. Optional were the 3.6-liter V6, all-wheel drive, navigation system, and 19-inch aluminum wheels.

Also offered was a SafetyTec Package, which consisted of rain-sensing wipers, lane departure warning with lane-keep assist, automatic high-beam control, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go feature, blind-spot alert, cross-traffic alert, and the class-exclusive parallel and perpendicular park assist.

The 2015 Chrysler 200 was a vast improvement over its predecessor; counting rakish looks, a nicely finished interior, up-to-the-minute infotainment features, and a broad model lineup among its strengths.

Yearly Updates

Engines

transverse front-engine/front- or all-wheel drive

The 200’s base engine was a 184-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder mated to a segment-first 9-speed automatic – standard. Also linked with the 9-speed was the uplevel engine, a 295-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 – the most powerful in the segment in 2015.

ohc I4
Engine Size (liters/cubic inches) 2.4/144
Engine HP 184
Engine Torque (lb-ft) 173
Avail. Trans. EPA MPG (city/hwy) MPG avg. as tested
9-speed automatic 23/36
dohc V61.
Engine Size (liters/cubic inches) 3.6/220
Engine HP 295
Engine Torque (lb-ft) 262
Avail. Trans. EPA MPG (city/hwy) MPG avg. as tested
9-speed automatic 19/32 21

1. CG observed mpg with AWD.

Road Test

The Chrysler 200’s 2.4 engine wasn’t as refined as the best 4-cylinders in this class – mostly due to a rather raucous full-throttle moan – but it cruised quietly and was competitive in power. By contrast, the V6 was much smoother, and when pressed, pulled with authority and emitted a decidedly sporty growl. With both engines, stabbing the throttle while underway would prompt the transmission to kick down fairly quickly at around-town speeds, though at higher speeds, the engine would rev up quickly, but actual acceleration took longer to be delivered.

The 4-cylinder model’s EPA numbers of 23 city/36 highway put it just below mid-pack among top competitors. Ditto the V6’s 19/32 rating, though more for the “city” part than the “highway” (credit the 9-speed automatic here). The 200’s available all-wheel drive was only offered with the V6 engine, and it cut the EPA numbers to 18/29. However, that compared favorably to the Subaru Legacy 6-cylinder’s 18/25, but not so much with the Ford Fusion AWD’s 22/31, though that was with a 4-cylinder turbo.

In terms of ride and handling, the 200 also rates about par. It’s always hard to judge based on a preview where we’re driving different roads than we do during normal tests around the office, but nothing stood out as being either noticeably good or bad. However, there seemed to be a little more on-center “slop” to the very light steering than is the norm, and the brakes also seemed to take more pressure than normal to bring the car to a stop, but both are something we got used to.

What stood out more was the difference between the 200C with V6 we tested and the 200 Limited with the four. Yes, the optional V6 (the 200C comes standard with the four) provided much stronger acceleration, but the tauter touring suspension and optional 19-inch wheels on the C really made themselves known. Our drive route included many tight turns, and the 200C felt very confident and agile on them, befitting its sporty intent. Then we got into the Limited and …. whoa! The first tight turn we bent into had the body leaning and the 17-inch tires moaning at speeds that didn’t faze the C. There was a commensurate difference in ride quality as well, with the Limited absorbing bumps better, but we didn’t find the C at all objectionable in this regard. This is truly one of those “try before you buy” situations, because there’s enough difference that you’ll likely have a preference. Also slightly different were the noise levels; overall they were low, but it seemed that the C’s sportier tires produced more road roar at speed.

Then there’s the interior. We didn’t test a base model, but we did sit in one after the drive portion of the event. It was kind of an eye-opener. Aside from the cloth on the seats being a bit different, it seemed to have the same numerous soft-touch surfaces, ritzy-looking trim, and great storage solutions as the Limited and C, so it didn’t come off as a cut-rate price leader.

For one thing, the dashtop and door tops are padded, a nice touch at this price level. Available two-toning helps give the interior a richer look, as does some bright trim (mostly black on the sporty S) and “colorful” styled instruments and controls. Also aiding the ambiance is that the gearshift is a large, classy-looking rotary knob on the console. While perhaps not everyone will like it, I’m a real fan. Not only is this electronic shifter very easy to use, but it frees up a lot of real estate on the console. Also under the console. Chief interior designer Klaus Busse noted that a conventional console shift lever is “just the tip of the iceberg,” as the mechanicals attached underneath take up a lot of space. In the 200, that space is instead used for a cavernous center-console bin that’s topped by a sliding cover with cupholders and holds Aux, USB, and 12-volt jacks. There are also a deep glovebox, divided map pockets, and a large lower-console tray. This is about as good as cabin storage gets in a midsize sedan, at least in terms of sheer volume.

Slightly less impressive is the trunk. It’s decently large, and the rear seatbacks fold down to expand the space, but they rest a few inches above the level of the cargo floor, so you can’t just slide long items in. Also, the pass-through is rather restricted in size.

Also a bit restricted in size is the rear-seat area. My 5’9 head nearly brushed the roof, and though I had plenty of legroom “sitting behind myself,” a tall person in front with the seat pushed far back would have left me with little knee room. Also, the back edge of the door opening slightly interfered with my hip on exit.

There’s adequate adult room up front, but visibility is hurt by thickish roof pillars, and the driver might find it a bit of a stretch to some of the more distant audio and climate controls. Temperature is adjusted by tedious, repetitive-step pushbuttons on the console panel, but they’re flanked by good ol’ knobs that adjust fan speed along with audio volume and tuning. Other adjustments are made through the dashboard touch screen, which is about five inches diagonal on LX models with Chrysler’s basic UConnect 3.0 audio system, 8.4 inches with the available UConnect 5.0 infotainment system.

Ratings

Model Tested: 2015 Chrysler 200C V^ AWD

Ratings values are on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the best. With the exception of Value, these numbers reflect how the vehicle compares against the universe of vehicles, not just against rivals in its class.

Performance

Acceleration - 7
70%
Fuel Economy - 5
50%
Ride Quality - 7
70%
Steering/Handling - 7
70%
Quietness - 6
60%

Accommodations

Controls/Materials - 8
80%
Room/Comfort Front - 7
70%
Room/Comfort Rear - 5
50%
Cargo Room - 4
40%

Other

Value - 7
70%

Total: 63

Specifications

4-door sedan
Wheelbase (in.) Length (in.) Width (in.) Height (in.) Weight (lbs)
108 192.3 73.6 58.7 3473
Cargo Volume (cu/ft) Payload Capacity (cu/ft) Fuel Capacity (gal.) Seating Capacity
16.0 15.8 5
Headroom Legroom
Front Rear Front Rear
38.7 37.4 42.2 37.6
Safety Ratings

Model Tested: 2015 200 4-door sedan

NHTSA

Driver Injury - 5
100%
Front Passenger Injury - 5
100%
Driver Injury - 5
100%
Rear Passenger Injury - 5
100%

Trouble Spots

Transmission problems
Description: Transmission may shift erratically. (2015)
Transmission problems
Description: Electronic shift module may cause gear shifting problems. (2015)

Recall History

2015 200
Description: The transmission may unexpectedly shift to Neutral.
2015 200 with OCM module or SCF replaced during service
Description: During service work, the affected vehicles may have had either the Occupant Classification Module (OCM) or the Seat Cushion Foam (SCF) of the front passenger seat replaced instead of the both pieces together, which make up a complete calibrated set. In the event of a crash, the passenger airbag may not deploy properly.
2015 200
Description: The affected vehicles may have a Power Distribution Center (PDC) electrical connector that may cause intermittent power failures to certain electrical components. This could cause the vehicle to stall.
2015 200
Description: Some vehicles are equipped with radios that have software vulnerabilities that can allow third-party access to certain networked vehicle control systems.
2015 200
Description: The shift indicator may display Park, but the park lock may not be engaged. The vehicle could roll away while parked.
2015 200
Description: The driver-side-door wiring harness may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
2015 200
Description: Because of a faulty weld, the rear shock absorbers may detach from the vehicle and increase the risk of a crash.

Equipment Lists

Equipment lists are only viewable on larger screen sizes.

Pricing

Used-car pricing varies widely depending on local market conditions. Therefore, we recommend visiting websites that list used cars for sale to get a better idea of what a specific model is selling for in your area.

More about Tom Appel
Written by: Tom Appel on August 24, 2017.
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