New Cars - Released From Rehab, but Still a Bit Unsteady

Part 2 of 2

RETRACTION The Chrysler 200, which replaces the Sebring, offers a disappearing hardtop. More Photos »

By JERRY GARRETT

Published: October 28, 2011

AS Chrysler has tried to rescue its aged product lineup from the ravages of cost-cutting, bankruptcy and general neglect, some models have needed more radical surgery than others. The deficiencies of the Sebring convertible, for instance, were so encompassing that its upgrades included a new name. Say hello to the 200 convertible.

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The previous car was washed up in a perfect storm of unloved exterior design, cheap and unappealing interior appointments and unsatisfactory performance. For the new model, which made its debut this spring as a 2011 model, Chrysler addressed each of those issues and made improvements. There is plenty left to do, however, before the 200 convertible becomes a desirable choice in the showroom rather than a just-acceptable short-term choice at the rental counter.

Perhaps the most appealing feature of the Sebring, which had devolved into a dour package that even a rental fleet manager would be hard-pressed to love, was that it was possible to make some of it disappear by putting the top down.

The drivetrain, the interior, the styling — even the name — it all had to go. The 200 isn’t all new, but it looks as if it were. Most of the illusion is pulled off by extensive restyling of the front end.

The 200 convertible rides on a carryover chassis — with the doors, quarter panels and retracting top carried over as well — but the basic building blocks seem the least of this car’s problems. It handles reasonably well, with a more rigid feel when the top is up.

I had ample opportunity to test the suspension’s capabilities because, in an effort to keep the power up, I found myself driving the test car deeper and faster into corners than I normally might. I gave credit to the suspension for handling the extra loads, but the engine compartment is due for some finger-pointing.

The 200 Limited, which I tested, comes with Chrysler’s Pentastar V-6. This new 3.6-liter engine has already received the sort of praise and awards — it made Ward’s list of 10 Best Engines, closely watched in the industry — that the previous, less powerful, less efficient V-6 never did.

But in this car, the engine seemed overburdened by the two tons of mass it must push along. This seems a paradox, as the Pentastar is also available in much heavier models like the Dodge Durango, where it performs adequately.

In other vehicles, the V-6 is rated at 292 horsepower. In the 200, because of different exhaust plumbing, the output is 283. But the Mustang convertible’s V-6 is more potent, at 306 horsepower, and the Ford weighs 400 pounds less.

The standard engine in the base convertible, called the 200 Touring, is a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder that makes 100 less horsepower (and somehow gets a lower city mileage rating than the V-6). I did not test the Touring and cannot imagine how its engine could convey such a heavy car.

The V-6 is fine at cruising speeds, but it feels challenged when loaded with people and luggage, tackling hills or passing at highway speeds.

The 6-speed automatic seemed to have no idea what the engine was telling it to do; with the cruise control on, it seemed to sense a constant need to downshift into a lower gear just to keep the speed up.

Nor did I ever achieve the rated fuel economy. (The E.P.A. pegs it at 19 m.p.g. in town and 29 on the highway; my mileage was in the low 20s on the open road.)

But the service-station breaks provided welcome relief from the flat, hard, unsupportive leather seats; even the seat heaters seemed harsh. The driving position would be improved considerably if the steering wheel, which tilts, could also be adjusted toward or away from the driver.

With the front seats in a comfortable position, the rear passengers had their legs cut off at the knees. The listed 33-plus inches of rear “legroom” seems a generous measure.

In my test car, the retaining bracket for the driver’s side sun visor broke. Other than the flapping of the unsecured visor, the cabin was generally quiet for a convertible. The hardtop is well insulated.