I know Chrysler significantly upgraded this 2011 Chrysler 200 Convertible Limited after the bankruptcy, and I also know it's an interim model meant to maintain sales while an entirely new midsize car is brought to market. But the 200 just isn't a competitive vehicle, even in hardtop convertible form, and even with the new Pentastar V6.
Full disclosure: I had the 200 convertible on a murky, cold, rainy night (and morning) in Detroit, so I was stuck with the top closed--never an ideal situation in which to evaluate the merits of a cabriolet. With the top up, the 200 was noticeably tight, with a solid-sounding body structure and no trace of water leakage.
The flaws were in the details. The shifter slid in its gate with a plastic-on-plastic scrape. The autolock mechanism on the doors sounded like cell block H bolting closed for the night. Even the vaunted Pentastar V6 engine was coarse and poorly insulated in this application.
My girlfriend in high school often borrowed her mother's 1988 Chrysler LeBaron convertible for us to tool around the Atlanta suburbs in. While my memories of that car may be artificially rosy, I was surprised at how much the 2011 Chrysler 200 convertible reminded me that old K-car ragtop--the feel of the controls, the rough edges, the raspy engine. It was all there.
I'm always up for a trip down memory lane, but I doubt that most buyers shopping $35,000 convertibles will be as forgiving.
This car is a step up from the one it replaced in the Chrysler lineup, and that's about all the good you can say about it. It looks better; the interior is a couple of steps up as far as looks and materials. But the suspension is not up to par, crashing over bumps and wobbling through corners. God help you if you happen to have to move the steering wheel while in a fast corner. This suspension does not like to be upset.
The V6 is anemic, with barely enough oomph to get up to freeway speed from an on-ramp. You learn quickly to mash the throttle hard at your earliest just in case there's a big truck bearing down on you.
I give Chrysler props for working to make the old Sebring better. It's a good attempt, but it just didn't quite make it. At $35,000, I'd look elsewhere for my top-down ride.
As the other guys noted, the 2011 Chrysler 200 Convertible Limited is definitely a step up from the previous generation, but still has a ways to go.
The exterior is mostly unchanged. It still has the stubby, squared back end and still sits up too high for me. I never disliked the front end, but the new shape of the headlights and the LEDs make it much better.
I'm still pretty sure there are few cars that look good with a convertible hardtop. The Ferrari California is one, and I think that's it. On this car, like the other 95 percent, its lines are thrown off by the back window coming into the trunk. It's the same on the BMW 3-series convertible. Not that this car looked stunning from the get go, anyway.
The interior though, is another story. I thought it was a huge step up from the previous models. The black leather seats were comfy, the center part of the dash was covered in piano black, and I didn't even think the analog clock looked out of place. It sports the same easy-to-use radio/navigation system as the rest of the brand.
Power felt low from the Pentastar V6, which is probably attributed to the near 4,000-pound curb weight. You do have to get on the gas early and often if you want to keep speed.
