The IT Nerd

The Chrysler 300C Platinum powers the rear wheels via this 5.7L HEMI V8 engine that puts out 363 horsepower and 392 lb-ft of torque. Let’s stop there for a second and speak about what a HEMI V8 engine is. A Hemi engine (derived from the word hemisphere) is an internal combustion engine in which the roof of each cylinder’s combustion chamber is of hemispherical form rather than being flat. This creates efficient combustion with minimal heat loss. That’s important because fuel that is near the head walls in a flat head engine may be so cool that it does not burn efficiently. In a HEMI engine, the surface area is much smaller than in a flat head, so less heat escapes and peak pressure can be higher. That means more power and more fun for you. Now if you really want to go into greater detail, this Wikipedia article talks about this design in greater detail. But the bottom line is that if you want a V8 in your car, the HEMI has to be on your list.

Now you’re thinking “Man, it must just drink gas.” My response would be that it has two tricks up its sleeve to solve that. One is that the 300C Platinum has a class exclusive 8 speed automatic transmission. Shifts were essentially transparent which means that there’s nothing for me to complain about on that front. To help save you more gas, this HEMI V8 can also disable 4 cylinders via sensors that are used to detect when full power isn’t necessary (typically during highway cruising, but I saw this happen in the city as well) for improved efficiency. The cool thing is that you never, ever notice that this happens. In fact, I had to configure the instrument cluster to tell me when it was in 4 cylinder mode because I was unable to tell. That is impressive. So was the fact that it was easy to blow by anything you wanted to with the slightest touch of the go pedal.

Now this is a full sized vehicle, but it doesn’t drive like one for the most part. While the 300C Platinum is not a canyon carver, and understeer and body roll will appear if you take an on-ramp a bit too fast for example, it does handle surprisingly well. Darting in and out of traffic on the highway requires minimal input and generates minimal complaints from this Chrysler. Though I will note that the steering lacks any sort of road feel. The suspension is on the firm side, but it is tuned to be more comfortable than sporty. Though I will note that you will feel more severe bumps as you drive. On the highway, this is a great vehicle to drive. This is the sort of vehicle that you want if you go on a road trip because its highway manners are so good.

Speaking of sporty, you get a sport mode button that when you press it, it does the following:

• Accelerator pedal response sharpens
• The transmission raises shift points and provides firm/fast shift engagement
• Paddle shifters are readied for use (though I will note that you can use them at any time which is nice)
• The steering activates its sport performance settings

It can make the 300C really fun to drive. But again, this is not a canyon carver. So there is a limit on how much fun you can have.

From a noise, vibration, and harshness standpoint, there’s only tire noise. I never noticed wind noise at all and the cabin is very quiet. Sight lines in all directions are very good as well which was a huge problem on the previous generation 300C.

Downsides? Only one. I’m currently averaging 16.4 L/100 KM’s in rush hour and stop and go highway traffic. I’m not shocked by this in the slightest, but I do hope it improves over this week.

Speaking of the cabin, I’ll be looking at that tomorrow. And it’s one area where Chrysler has made every effort to impress you.

When the Chrysler 300C first showed up on the scene in 2004 as a 2005 model year car, it created quite the sensation. Born out of the Daimler Benz/Chrysler tie up, it was tasked with bringing luxury to the automotive marketplace at an affordable price point. It sold like crazy and I even thought of it as being “gangster cool.” It grabbed enough mindshare that even young people wanted to be seen in them. In short, it put Chrysler on the map. It also made them cool and hip.

Fast forward to today. The 300C is now in its second generation and it has had a refresh for 2015. It’s grown up and become less hip and trendy. Instead it is more elegant and sophisticated. That starts with the exterior: 

From the front it does look like the previous 300C. The blacked out grill is very cool looking. I should note it has LED daytime running lamps and fog lamps.

The 20″ chrome wheels really give the 300C quite an imposing look.

Integrated tailpipes along with LED tail lights complete this sophisticated look that reminds you of the previous generation 300C. Though, seeing as this has a HEMI V8 under the hood, I would have put a HEMI badge somewhere on the vehicle so that others know what you have at the command of your right foot.

I’ll be posting a multi-part review that will cover the following sections:

• Engine, transmission, handling, fuel economy, and driving comfort
• Interior
• Technology in the vehicle
• Wrap up

Tomorrow, I’ll start talking about the HEMI V8, the 8 speed transmission (no that’s not a misprint) and how well it drives. Without giving two much away, I’ll say that the drive is very interesting. Stay tuned!

So I’ve come to the end of this review. What are my final thoughts? I thought the Chrysler 200s AWD is a vehicle that is very different than most of the vehicles in the mid sized segment. It’s a great daily driver that has has a very innovative interior along with an infotainment system that’s easy to use. But if you want to have some fun, it’s got the handling and power to do that too. I think that if you test drive it, you’ll like it.

The final fuel economy that I got was 10.4 L/ 100 KM in mixed city and highway driving. That’s great as I really made liberal use of the power that was available to my right foot. One thing to note, I drive a car with all wheel drive, 2 less cylinders, half the horsepower and about 100 less pound feet of torque and get pretty much the same fuel economy. That makes the fuel economy in the 200s AWD stellar.

What is all this going to cost you? Well, the particular 200s AWD had a lot of option boxes checked, but it wasn’t fully optioned. Thus it came up to a grand total of $38,799. But if you want something at a lower price point, it starts at just under $20,000 with FWD and a 4 cylinder engine under the hood. That’s cheaper than anything in the segment. Now with all wheel drive, it was difficult to cross shop as the usual suspects in this segment don’t have all wheel drive. It basically leaves it to fight against the Subaru Legacy and Ford Fusion who both have all wheel drive options. But neither can match the power of the 200s. Perhaps you can also include competitors such as the Audi A4 and BMW 3 series given the quality of the interior the 200s comes with. But those cost thousands more. That leaves the 200s AWD occupying a very unique place in the mid sized marketplace. What’s also unique is how it’s made. Thanks to Google you can take a look at state of the art factory that they are made in.

The bottom line is this. If you want a mid sized vehicle and you don’t want something from Honda or Toyota, look at the Chrysler 200s. I think that a test drive and a look at the interior may be enough to have you drive away with one.

The technology in the Chrysler 200s AWD is not the longest list that I have had to write about, but there’s still a lot here. Let’s start with the safety technology. Here’s the list of things that will keep you safe:

• Eight air bags including driver and passenger knee blockers
• Blind-Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross-Path Detection
• Rear back up camera
• The usual traction control, stability control, tire pressure monitoring systems.
• Electronic Park Brake with Safe Hold: This is designed to protect you during unexpected driving events. If you happen to open the driver’s door, unlatch the seat belt and exit while still in a forward or reverse gear, the system will automatically engage the parking brake to secure the vehicle.

The next thing is the key. It’s a proximity key that allows you to walk up, open the door, press the start button, and drive away. You can also remote start the 200s, open the trunk, and unlock the doors. Like other Chrysler vehicles I’ve reviewed, there’s also a real key on the inside. When you want to lock the car, simply press a button on the door handle when you get out of the car. Net result: You never have to take the proximity key out of your pocket.One other trick: It’s smart enough to fire up the HVAC system to either cool the car down in the summer or warm it up in winter.

Now on to the UConnect infotainment system. It’s now into its fifth iteration and it’s still very good. Navigation is still provided by Garmin which is a good thing. And as usual, it took me seconds to pair my iPhone via Bluetooth and make everything work the way I expected. Plugging in my iPhone via USB allowed me access to all the music and playlists on it. The voice recognition was good, though I had trouble with street names. The system is still powered by a huge 8.4″ touchscreen which is clear and easy to read in all lighting conditions. There are redundant controls that are well designed and easy to reach. When it comes to the design part, I’ll use the controls on the steering wheel as an example. Individual buttons have their own feel so that once you know what the functions are, you can use them purely based on feel. It’s still a excellent system to use. But it’s facing some significant competition in the form of the system that comes with the Hyundai Genesis which comes with a 9″ screen and is just as easy to use. As well as Mazda Connect which has a smaller screen, but is incredibly intuitive to use. It’s clear that car companies are trying to improve their infotainment systems to the point that they will be key features that set them apart from the competition. And I’m not even taking into account the impending onslaught of cars coming with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay on board.

No matter where I was sitting, the audio was fantastic. Supplied by Alpine and putting out over 500 watts of audio to 9 speakers, it has crisp highs and well defined bass with zero distortion. Kudos to Chrysler for providing a top notch stereo.

Now you can add features such as adaptive cruise control that can bring the car to a stop, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, forward collision warning with active braking, perpendicular and parallel park assist which worked very well when I tested it in the Jeep Cherokee earlier this year. Thus you can equip the 2oos with as much technology as you need.

In the last part of my review, I’ll wrap up some loose ends and I will give you my final verdict.

I’m going to do something very unusual here. The Chrysler 200s AWD has one of the better interiors I’ve seen in the mid-sized class that I’ve seen. Here’s why:

The seats are a mix of cloth and leather. They’re well bolstered and kept me in place during spirited driving. The Front seats are heated.

The chrome door handles don’t feel cheap and are a very nice touch.

All the controls for the door locks, windows and side mirrors are on the armrest on the door.

The tunes are handled by a sweet sounding Alpine audio system.

All the controls for the interior and exterior lights are to the left of the steering wheel. the trunk release is there too.

The pedals are kind of plain given the other appointments that the 200s AWD comes with. It does have a dead pedal which is welcome. Suggestion to Chrysler: Some aluminum sport pedals would really look nice.

The steering wheel is leather wrapped and has redundant controls for the infotainment system on it. It feels really nice in my hands. It’s also heated.

The instrument panel is very cool looking. The gauges are easy to read and the centre portion can be customized to show the info that you want to see. Plus navigation instructions from the infotainment system are replicated here.

You get paddle shifters that work regardless of what position the shifter is in.

Speaking of the shifter, here’s the centre console. The shifter for the transmission isn’t a lever. It’s a dial. To the right is the electronic parking brake. Above it are the HVAC controls and the controls for the infotainment system. There are clear advantages using a knob for the transmission can be seen in a few areas….

Underneath the centre console is this storage space which is very handy….

You get great cup holders….

….That hold a Starbucks Venti sized drink with ease. But these cup holders have one trick….

…. as underneath them is this storage space that has a USB port, aux jack, and a 12V outlet…..

…. Plus it has a hole to fish USB or other cables through to the storage area underneath the centre console. That’s a great idea!

Under the arm rest is another storage space (which is lit by the way).

There’s an 8.4″ touchscreen on the dash that was visible in any lighting condition.

There’s a lit glovebox that is HUGE. Someone I gave a ride to was able to fit a iPad Mini in there without an issue.

The front passenger gets a 12V outlet for themselves. I think this is the first car that I’ve ever seen this feature in. It’s a very welcome addition.

You get a massive dual pane panoramic sunroof.

The back seats will fit two comfortably. A third person in the middle will have to deal with the protrusion for the driveshaft. Leg room is fine. But because of the sloping roofline, the very tall might be challenged. Also, exiting and entering might be interesting for the same reason. The seats can be flipped down in a 60/40 split.

If you don’t need the middle seat, you can flip it down to get some cup holders…..

…..as well as some storage…..

….Or you can utilize the ski pass through.

The trunk is HUGE. You’ll have no problem carrying whatever you need. Though I will note that the hinges are exposed. Thus they can crush anything that is under them.

To illustrate how big this trunk is, here’s the usual picture of our groceries in the trunk. As you can see, there’s tons of space left over.

Everything is laid out logically and easy to reach. Most surfaces are soft and everything is well put together. Though I have some minor quibbles, this interior is significantly better than any mid-sized car that I’ve seen lately. I think that when you see it, you’ll be impressed with it.

Part four of this review will cover the technology in the car. There’s a lot of it to cover so stay tuned.

Meet the 3.6L 295-hp,  262 lb-ft of torque Pentastar V-6 that’s under the hood of the 2015 Chrysler 200s. Now you’ve seen this engine elsewhere in other Chrysler products that I’ve reviewed. But this has got to be the best version that I’ve driven. I say that because you have a lot of power on tap. You have two choices in terms of driving this car. Put the transmission into “D” and it’s quick enough and interesting to drive and its far more interesting than the V6 Honda Accord or V6 Toyota Camry. But if you put the transmission into “S” makes this car a bit of a rocket that people won’t see coming. The exhaust has more of a snarl to it and each gear is held longer to leverage all 295-hp. It’s intoxicating I must admit. So is the 0-60 time which according to Dynolicious was 6 seconds flat. That will leave most other things in the mid-sized class in its dust. One thing I should note. When I put the transmission into “S”, it disables traction control. I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. But that’s just me.

The Chrysler 200s AWD has two features that set it apart from other cars in mid-sized class. First is all-wheel drive. This system runs in front-drive mode most of the time, with the rear axle disconnected to minimize fuel consumption. But when needed up to 60 percent of torque can be directed rearward. It’s more of a bad-weather system than an enthusiast-oriented means of putting down power. Having said that, it does seem to be transparent in terms of operation and I could not detect any torque steer and the car always felt sure footed. The other feature is a 9 speed transmission. Programmed for efficiency, unless it is in “S” mode it favors the fuel-sipping rather than the power-generating part of the rev band. Having said that, it shifts smoothly for the most part and works quite well.

In terms of noise, there’s only minimal tire noise and minimal wind noise, and the engine has a pleasing and inoffensive growl to it. Handling is excellent as the suspension which is on the firm side without being punishing. I can switch lanes and it will stay stable without any meaningful body roll. You feel the road and only severe bumps will be felt by the driver. In terms of the steering, while it is quick to react and it allows the 200s to have a very tight turning radius, there’s zero road feel coming from the wheel. Thus you have to rely on your seat of the pants to figure out what the car is doing. Fortunately, you do get enough feedback from the suspension to make that work. As a result, you can have fun on some back roads if you so choose. One item that I think that people will like are the pedals. The accelerator doesn’t have a hair trigger to it and it makes it very easy to apply the exact amount of power that you want. Ditto for the brakes which are very progressive and easy to modulate. When it comes to gas consumption, I’m currently getting an average of 10 L/100 KM and I’m not exactly driving in a way that encourages fuel economy.

So far, I like the Chrysler 200s AWD, and when you tune in tomorrow you’ll see the interior which is for the most part an absolute winner.