Road Test of the 2012 Chrysler 200 Sedan V6

Before viewing the brand new 2012 Chrysler 200 Series Sedan, I had mixed idea on what my overall experience would be with the car. The car had a Penstar V6 engine. The 2011 model year was called by many people a disguised Chrysler Sebring. My first impression of the car upon viewing it was the overall exterior had some modern appeal like the headlights, but no real change in body style since the previous year or even the Sebring. Upon getting in the car I felt the controls were all within reach and the LCD display was a very nice “extra” on the center console.

Upon starting the car up, you could feel slight engine reverberations, but as you would expect for an entry level vehicle. Upon pressing the accelerator I found the car to be very quick and nimble with no hesitation due to gear shift. The extra horsepower with the v6 did not seem to be lacking in the least. I test drove the car in open traffic for approximately 5 miles at 55 mph. The car did no shake or rattle even under heavy acceleration. Upon reaching curves the car did though put out quite a bit of understeer and the brakes needed to be heavily applied. The braking force was on average with that of a larger car like a Toyota Avalon or Chevy Impala. The car itself drove kind of like a boat though; it was wide but not very long at all in overall length. I could view the car as an entry level executive car, definitely not a car if you want a youthful sports car like experience.

For me the car handled on average with similar cars in the field such as Honda accord sedan, Toyota Camry sedan and others, but the car had nothing special about it. Paddle shifters like in the Nissan Maxima may have greatly improved the experience. I would not buy anything less than the v6 motor, it gave firm power, but did lack in uphill acceleration. It is not a car for speed or if you like the joy of driving, it is an everyday car to get you from one place to another. The styling is somewhat new, the model is in its 2nd year, but it has no real qualities, besides the luxurious interior to make it a fun car to drive.


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