A Sweeter Lemon

When life gives you a lemon, and lemonade is out of the picture, the next best thing is probably to make that lemon as sweet as possible. This seems to be Chrysler's philosophy as it desperately waits for its Fiat-sourced product wave hits the market in 2012/2013. In an amazing feat, Chrysler has improved every vehicle in its 2011 line-up. While putyourhandsup4detroit cannot endorse many Chrysler products, competitors should take note of this aggressive assault. We have a hunch that Chrysler is going to be the new poster boy in a few years. Chrysler already previewed most of its 2011 lineup, and we don't blame them for being a little too giddy to wait for the Detroit Auto Show. Since almost the whole 2011 lineup was on display, here is a highlight.

2011 Chrysler 300

The biggest news for the 2011 Chrysler 300 is that the 2.7 and 3.5 liter V6s have finally been replaced with the brand spankin new 3.6 Pentastar V6. We can't emphasize how shitty those engines were much of an improvement this is. The new V6 will be accompanied by the familiar 5.7 Hemi V8. The 3.6 makes a healthy 292 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, up significantly from the wheezy 178 hp in the old 2.7. The Hemi is good for a rubber-burning 360 hp. Unfortunately, the 5-speed automatic transmission remains. A ZF 8-speed transmission will eventually make its way into the 300, as well as a new SRT-8 performance package (the SRT-8 goes on hiatus for the 2011 calendar year). Putyourhandsup4detroit will definitely be waiting for those goods to drop into the 300 before we make our purchase. You would be wise to do the same.


Apart from the all-new V6, other changes include an interior worthy for retail sales, updated styling, and improved driving dynamics. We generally approve of the new looks, especially the LED-headlights. Some critics feel that the lights are a cheap knock-off of Audi, but we disagree. LEDs are the future and in our opinion, expensive (looking) headlights are one of the best ways to improve the quality perception of a vehicle--just ask VW. The interior is also a huge improvement; worthy of the 30-40K price range. Speaking of which, when the 300 goes on sale in Q1, it will start at $27,995 and go up to $41,145--a significant jump from last year's model. Expect to see more 2011 300s in consumer's driveways and less in airport rental fleets.












2011 Chrysler 200/ 200 Convertible


Confession time. We kind of liked the old Sebring. Not like in a serious, recommend-to-your-friends kind of way, but in the we-are-really-embarrassed-for-the-car kind of way. We liked to get our kicks by like, just driving the old Sebring around and pretending it was real car while keeping a straight face. But seriously we feel bad for the victims who purchased one. We encourage them to seek counsel from a consumer fraud attorney.

Anyway, that was then this is now. The 200 is Chrysler's best shot and making a real midsize vehicle. Gone is that old V6 we are no longer going to talk about and in place is the Pentastar V6. The same underwhelming 2.4 4 cylinder plugs along as the base power plant. We cannot wait for a Fiat engine to make its way under the hood. We certainly hope that you do. Shockingly, the base engine still comes standard with the a four-speed transmission. We assume this is the model destined for Hertz. But seriously Chrysler is the only manufacturer is still offering four-speeds. Opting for the 5 or 6 speed transmissions is imperative. Naturally, the V6 is only equipped with a 6-speed. Fuel economy also lags behind competitors. The base engine will yield 20/31 (city/highway), and the 3.6 is good fro 19/29. In this day in age, most mid-size shoppers opt for a four-cylinder engine. Its a pity this one is so bad.


We are happy to report that much work has been spent on the mechanics. Engineers have reworked the chassis, suspension geometry, and steering for a much improved ride/handling that is on par with competitors. Likewise, the interior is all-new and about what we would expect from any legitimate manufacturer. As for exterior styling, the 200 looks like an anonymous Japanese car. Maybe that was the point. We see bits of Subaru, Hyundai, Saab, Jaguar, Suzuki, and Ford Focus in the new sheet metal. While no longer offensive, the exterior is certainly not groundbreaking. We recognize the huge constraints that Chrysler faced, and overall the 200 is a big improvement for a mid-cycle refresh (and rename). We still don't feel good recommending this vehicle, but hey, at least its no longer a joke. Hopefully the 200 can hang in there until its all-new replacement engineered by Fiat arrives for the '13 model year.




















2011 Jeep Compass


Talk about going from an ugly ducking to swan. Ok swan may still be an exaggeration, but Chrysler made a smart move by ditching the old frog-eyed look and adopting a baby Grand Cherokee face. Its just too bad they stopped at the A-pillar. We think the new look is handsome, but it will take a full redesign before the Jeep Compass becomes anything mouth-watering.



Similarly to every vehicle in the Chrysler stable, the Jeep Compass underwent major chassis improvements. It makes for a much better vehicle. The engine stays the same but the vehicle is now trail-rated, some thing achieved by the new CVT transmission which has a low-range mode. The new interior further moves the Compass towards becoming a competitive vehicle. It actually nice. We would still choose most other compact crossovers on the market, but the refresh will be enough to buy time until the Compass's replacement is ready in a year or two.