Times have changed in America, that much we can tell you.
Remember the day when mid-sized convertibles were as trendy as the mullet hairstyle? Those days are long gone, which is why it's a little surprising that automakers are still producing these vehicles.
Consumers still love convertibles, but these days, it has to be of the sporty variety. The 2013 Chrysler 200 Convertible->ke3341 is not a sports car, but it does come with the capability of being a convertible. So you can say that the vehicle offers the best of both worlds, right? The sporty performance of a coupe and the open-air freedom of a convertible all wrapped in a midsized vehicle's body.
To be fair, there are a number of positive attributes with the 200 Convertible. It's been completely refreshed to make Chrysler->ke21 forget about the forsaken Sebring. It also has an impressive powertrain configuration that does justice to its looks.
So there's still hope for the 200 Convertible. But hope is fleeting, especially in the auto industry and ultimately, the midsized convertible is a dying breed.
Chrysler may have something with the 200 Convertible but for the most part, it's going to take a lot of convincing to get people interested in this kind of car these days.
Click past the jump to read about the 2013 Chrysler 200 Convertible
2013 Chrysler 200 Convertible
- Make: Array
- Model: 2013 Chrysler 200 Convertible
- Engine/Motor: inline-4
- Horsepower: 173
- Torque: 166
- Transmission: Six-speed automatic
- [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Exterior
The promise of a clean and sleek midsized convertible isn't lost on us. Give credit to Chrysler for putting in the work on providing the 200 Convertible with its redeeming qualities.
The front end looks clean, maybe even too clean that it hardly inspires anything more than an ambivalent reaction. The inclusion of LEDs on the projector lamps is a welcome sight, as is the streamlined quality that harkens back to those old bulky convertibles of yesteryear.
Speaking of its dimensions, the 200 Convertible is really long. Too long, at least, for our liking. The car's decklid is a challenge to open, something that should have been expected for a car this size yet you would've hoped Chrysler had already addressed. Closing it isn't a problem but you would've liked it to be the same for both ends.
You can't talk about this model without discussing the folding hardtop, which may look good but is just too bulky and complicated to even use.
Dimensions in(cm):
Wheelbase |
108.9 (2765) |
Track, Front |
61.7 (1567) |
Track, Rear |
62.7 (1594) |
Overall Length |
194.8 (4947) |
Overall Width |
72.5 (1842.6) w/o side mirror / 82.3 (2089.3) with side mirrors |
Overall Height w/Cloth Convertible Top |
57.9 (1470) with 225/55R17 |
Overall Height w/Retractable Hard Top |
57.8 (1469) with 225/55R17 |
Cd |
0.342 |
Exterior Features
Features |
200 Touring |
200 Limited |
200 S |
Convertible Top |
|||
Power cloth soft top |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Power retractable hard top |
- |
Optional |
Optional |
Defroster — electric, rear window |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Lamps |
|||
Bi-function halogen projector headlamp |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Automatic |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Headlamp off-time delay |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Front fog lamps |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Mirrors |
|||
Dual, power, heated, body color |
- |
Standard |
- |
Dual, power, heated, bright |
Standard |
- |
Standard |
Remote start (included with Cold Weather Group) |
Standard |
Standard |
|
Trunk lid release — power |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Interior
The interior of the 2013 200 Convertible doesn't do much in the way of making you feel like you're in a cabin that inspires luxury. Spacing in the front is an issue that's only exacerbated by stiff front seats that can get really uncomfortable on long drives. You can get away with improving the interior quality with all the additional options available, but it's still a bummer knowing that Chrysler could have made some of these options, including its 8.4-inch UConnect screen, standard yet didn't do so.
The rear does carry enough room for more than one passenger, although folks with longer appendages, comfortably fitting in the back can prove to be a real challenge.
So what's good about the interior of the 200 Convertible? Not a whole lot, although the use of soft plastic throughout the cabin is more than what you're going to get from other midsized convertibles, or whatever's still being offered in the market these days.
Interior Dimensions
Seating Capacity - F/R |
2/2 |
EPA Total Interior Passenger Volume, cu. ft. (cu. m) |
88.4 (2.50) |
Front |
|
Head Room w/Cloth Convertible Top |
38.7 (984) |
Head Room w/Retractable Hard Top |
39.0 (992) |
Legroom |
42.4 (1077) |
Shoulder Room |
56.4 (1432) |
Hip Room |
52.7 (1339) |
Seat Travel |
10.2 (260) |
EPA Front Compartment Volume, cu. ft. (cu. m) |
53.6 (1.52) |
Rear |
|
Head Room w/Cloth Convertible Top |
37.0 (939) |
Head Room w/Retractable Hard Top |
36.3 (921) |
Legroom |
33.5 (850) |
Shoulder Room |
47.1 (1197.4) |
Hip Room |
44.2 (1123) |
EPA Rear Compartment Volume, cu. ft. (cu. m) |
34.8 (0.99) |
Cargo |
|
Trunk Lift-over Height |
31.2 (792) |
EPA Total Trunk Volume – Top Up |
13.3 (0.38) |
EPA Total Trunk Volume – Top Down |
7.0 (0.2) |
Interior Features
Features |
200 Touring |
200 Limited |
200 S |
Console |
|||
Center console with FORE/AFT sliding armrest |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Soft center console armrest |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Door Handles (Interior) |
|||
Color keyed |
Standard |
- |
Standard |
Bright |
- |
Standard |
- |
Door Locks — power |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Floor Mats — premium |
|||
Front and rear, carpeted |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Instrument Panel |
|||
Analog clock in instrument panel |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
LED instrument cluster with tachometer |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) with trip computer and tire-pressure monitoring (TPM) display |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Outside temperature display in instrument cluster |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Bright Chrome I/P, gauge cluster rings |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Quick Silver steering wheel and door trim bezels |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Soft-touch, reverse in-mold graining |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Incandescent map/reading lights for front seats |
Standard |
- |
- |
LED interior map/reading lights for front seats |
- |
Standard |
Standard |
Mirror |
|||
Day/night manual rearview |
Standard |
- |
- |
Automatic-dimming rearview mirror with microphone |
- |
Standard |
Standard |
Power Outlets — two, battery- and ignition-fed |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Seats |
|||
Premium cloth |
Standard |
- |
- |
Premium leather-trimmed seats |
- |
Standard |
- |
Premium leather-trimmed seats with ‘S” suede inserts |
- |
- |
Standard |
Heated front seat (included with Cold Weather Group) |
- |
Standard |
Standard |
Six-way power driver and passenger |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Driver-adjustable lumbar |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Shifter |
|||
Leather shift knob |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Sound Systems |
|||
AM/FM radio with CD player and MP3 play capability |
Standard |
- |
- |
Media Center 430 CD/DVD/MP3/HDD |
Optional |
Standard |
Standard |
Media Center 730N CD/DVD/MP3/HDD/NAV |
- |
Optional |
Optional |
Six speakers |
Standard |
Standard |
- |
Boston Acoustics speaker system |
- |
Optional |
Standard |
SiriusXM Radio |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Uconnect Voice Command w/Bluetooth |
Optional |
Standard |
Standard |
Speed control |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Steering Wheel |
|||
Tilt and telescoping |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Leather-wrapped |
Standard |
Standard |
- |
Leather-wrapped, performance tu-tone |
- |
- |
Standard |
Audio controls |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Sun visors |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Lighted Visor mirrors |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Trunk |
|||
Lid release — power with internal emergency release |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Trunk mat |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Drivetrain
Depending on what model you get, the Chrysler 200C is offered with a choice of two powertrains: a 2.4-liter in-line-four engine that develops around 173 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque or the automaker's award-winning 3.6-liter V-6 engine that produces 283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. This engine, in particular, is pegged to hit 60 mph in 7.5 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of about 120 mph.
The in-line-four engine is offered as standard on the 200 Convertible Touring model while the latter V-6 comes as standard on the 200 Convertible Limited and S models.
Engine Specifications
Model |
200 Touring |
200 S and Limited |
Engine |
2.4-LITER, GASOLINE, DOHC, 16-VALVE, VVT, SMPI I-4 |
3.6-LITER, GASOLINE, DOHC, 24-VALVE, SMPI V-6 |
Type and Description |
Four-cylinder inline, tuned intake manifold with electronic active charge motion control valves with dual counter-rotating balance shafts |
60-degree bank angle, liquid-cooled, three-plenum intake manifold with electronically controlled manifold tuning valve and short-runner valves |
Displacement |
2,360 cc |
3,605 cc |
Bore x Stroke |
3.46 x 3.82 in. |
3.78 x 3.28 in. |
Construction |
High-pressure die-cast aluminum block with dry iron liners, cast-aluminum cylinder heads, cast-aluminum ladder frame, forged-steel crankshaft |
High-pressure die-cast A380 aluminum block with iron liners and semi-permanent mold A319 aluminum heads |
Compression |
10.5:1 |
10.2:1 |
Power (SAE net, estimated) |
173 bhp (129 kW) @ 6,000 rpm (71 bhp/liter) |
283 bhp (211 kW) @ 6,400 rpm |
Torque (SAE net, estimated) |
166 lb.-ft. (225 N•m) @ 4,400 rpm |
260 lb.-ft. (353 N•m) @ 4,400 rpm |
Max. Engine Speed |
6,500 rpm (electronically limited) |
6,800 rpm (electronically limited) |
Estimated EPA Fuel Economy mpg (City/Hwy) |
18/27 |
19/29 |
Suspension
All Chrysler 200 Convertible models come with an independent MacPherson strut suspension in the front with a coil spring over gas-charged absorbers and stabilizer. On the back, the suspension setup features a multi-link independent suspension with coil springs, a link-type stabilizer bar, gas-charged shock absorbers and an isolated rear suspension cradle.
Trim |
All 200 Convertible Models |
Front |
Independent MacPherson strut, coil spring over gas-charged shock absorbers, stabilizer bar |
Rear |
Multi-link independent with coil springs, link-type stabilizer bar, gas-charged shock absorbers and isolated rear suspension cradle |
Pricing
Chrysler promised that the 200 Convertible will come with an affordable sticker price with the base model coming in at $27,325. Depending on your definition of what "affordable" is, that MSRP is either comfortably priced or you're better off getting the more impressive American muscle cars that include the Ford Mustang or the Chevrolet Camaro.
Should you opt for the 200 Convertible, you can at least find comfort knowing that the U.S. market will offer three different models: the Chrysler 200 Convertible Touring, the 200 Convertible Limited and the Chrysler 200 S model.
Pricing Details
Model |
Engine |
MSRP |
200 Touring Convertible |
2.4L DOHC I4 |
$24,325 |
200 Limited Convertible |
3.6L Pentastar V-6 |
$32,320 |
200S Convertible |
3.6L Pentastar V-6 |
$32,820 |
Competition
The market is bare with direct competitors, which should give the 200 Convertible a leg-up, right? Well, not quite. One of its chief rivals, the Volkswagen Eos, has been discontinued.
Likewise, Ford and Chevrolet have pretty much taken themselves out of the midsized convertible game. In fact, you can make a case that the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible fits itself nicely as a competing model to the 200 Convertible.
2014 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible
They're both priced at around the $30,000 mark for respective base models and the 200 Convertible is kidding itself if it says that it can compete with the Camaro in terms of looks and overall sex appeal.
Even the Camaro's base 323-horsepower output is significantly more than what the 200 Convertible is capable of producing. The only thing the Chrysler convertible has over its rival is the plethora of options you can give to it and the fact that roomier rear seats, which the Camaro probably doesn't even care about.
Conclusion
As much as we appreciate Chrysler for putting in the extra work to make the 200 Convertible more appealing than its Sebring predecessor, we can't find the value in buying it, especially at its price where there are multiple other vehicles where you can get more value for your buck. Ultimately, the 200 Convertible isn't the kind of car you'd want to own; it's the kind of car you'd want to borrow for the weekend.