Clunker: Plymouth/Chrysler Prowler

A lot of car companies use retro styling on their cars. Chevrolet has the HHR, SSR, and Camero. Ford integrated styling of the classic Mustangs into the modern Mustangs. Chrysler used retro hot rod styling for the Prowler. The Prowler was first sold in 1997, not made in 1998, brought back in 1999, and was originally sold as a Plymouth until Chrysler ended the Plymouth marque in 2001. For the last two years of the Prowler's production run, it was sold as a Chrysler. A total of 11,702 Prowlers were made. The Prowler definitely looks like a hot rod, but the point of hot rods are to look cool and put the biggest engine possible in the car. Something Chrysler did not do.

Vintage hot rods had V8s in them. Chrysler decided to put a V6 in the Prowler, something that goes against the rules of hot rods. The Prowler does look cool and has incredible styling, the fact that it has a V6 did not sit well with hot rod enthusiasts. Also the Prowler did not come with a manual transmission. Hot rod drivers loved to do burnouts, but it is very tough to do without a manual transmission. These facts put the Prowler on the Time Magazine's "50 Worst Cars of All Time." Hot rods had the styling and the performance. The Prowler only had the looks of a hot rod, but not the performance of the hot rod. I had a hard time deciding whether the Prowler deserved to be classified as a clunker or as a classic car, but because Chrysler made the mistake of not putting a V8 engine and a manual transmission in the Prowler, I had to classify it as a clunker.

The Prowler is powered by a 3.5L V6, paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. In 1997, the Prowler made 214 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. The 1997 model went from 0 to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds and reached a top speed of 112 mph. The later models had 253 hp and 255 lb-ft of torque. The later models went from 0 to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and reached a top speed of 126 mph. As far as performing like retro hot rods, the Prowler failed. The point of hot rods is to put the most powerful engine possible in the car and to go as fast as possible. The 5.9 second 0 to 60 time is impressive, the overall top speed is slow for hot rods. A 1997 Prowler went for $38,300. In the last year in production, a new Prowler went for $44,625. That is a little pricey for a car that can only reach a top speed of 126 mph.

The Prowler was featured in Extreme Machines and was reviewed by Car and Driver Television. The Plymouth Prowler is playable in Vigilante 8: Second Offense, Mashed: Drive to Survive, Driv3r, ToCA World Touring Cars, Roadsters, Cruis'n Exotica, California Speed, Test Drive 6, Cruis'n Velocity, Exhibition of Speed, Top Gear: Dare Devil, and Sports Car GT. The Chrysler Prowler is playable in 187 Ride or Die, Street Riders, Gran Turismo 4, and Gran Turismo 5.

I had a hard time deciding whether the Prowler is a classic car or a clunker. I love the styling of the car. But, it was lacking under the hood. If Chrysler had put a V8 engine and a manual transmission in the Prowler, I would have had no problems calling the Prowler a classic car. Chrysler owns Dodge, and putting the V10 engine from the Dodge Viper would have made the Prowler a true modern day hot rod. Sadly, Chrysler tried to cut production cost of the Prowler and put a V6 engine in the Prowler. I know what Chrysler was going with the Prowler, but if you are going to make a modern hot rod, at least follow hot rod tradition and put the biggest engine you can into the car. Aston Martin put a V8 engine in the Vantage. Aston Martin realize the V8 engine was lacking power and put the 6.0L from the DB9 and modified the Vantage's engine compartment to fit the V12. The V12 Vantage is a modern example of hot rodding. Chrysler should take note to what Aston Martin did. Chrysler made a hot rod and did not put the largest engine possible or a manual transmission in the car, and for that, I have to classify the Plymouth/Chrysler Prowler as a Clunker.

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First Impression: Chrysler 200

Chrysler produced a mid-size car from 1995 to 2012 called the Chrysler Sebring. The Sebring used Chrysler's JS platform, which is used for the Dodge Avenger. In December 2010, the successor to the Chrysler Sebring, called the Chrysler 200, went on sale. The Chrysler 200 uses the same JS platform that was used for the third and final generation of the Sebring. The 200 is a front-engine, front-wheel drive mid-size that car this is available as either a four-door sedan or a two-door convertible. In Europe, the two-door convertible version of the  200 is sold as the Lancia Flavia. Chrysler used to "200" name to try to convince consumers that the 200 is the younger brother of the Chrysler 300.

I first saw the 200 at the 2011 Houston Auto Show. The 200 looks like a more aggressive version of the final version of the Sebring. The 200 has a more aggressive front grill, headlights, and front bumper than the outgoing Sebring. There is nothing special about the 200's design. It looks like an average mid-size sedan.

The Chrysler 200 is available with two engine choices and two transmission choices. The 2.4L I4 engine, paired with either a four-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed transmission, produces 173 hp and 166 lb-ft of torque. The 2.4L engine is available in the LX and Touring trim levels of the 200. Only the 200 LX comes with the four-speed automatic transmission. The 200 Touring and 200 Limited come with the six-speed automatic transmission. The 2.4L I4 engine will get the 200 from 0 to 60 mph in 8.2 seconds. The 200 Limited and 200 S comes with the 3.6L V6 engine, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, that produces 283 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. The 3.6L V6 engine will get the 200 from 0 to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. The top speed for the 200 is limited to 120 mph, Prices for the 200 start at $18,995 for the 200 LX, $21,995 for the 200 Touring, $24,685 for the 200 Limited, $26,955 for the 200 Touring coupe, $31,950 for the 200 Limited coupe, $ 26,980 for the 200 S, and $32,450 for the 200 S coupe.

The 200 has been featured on the Office, the Mob Doctor, American Reunion, and Army Wives. The Chrysler 200 Super S is playable in Car Town.

Final Thoughts: The Chrysler 200 has average styling, average performance, and a decent price. The 200 is roomy for rear passengers. There is good head room and leg room in the rear to accommodate two adults. The 200 is a mid-size car and I do not like mid-size cars powered by engines which put out 220 hp.The engine has to be able to get a car moving. The 2.4L I4 engine gets the 200 from 0 to 60 mph in 8,2, which is barely passable. Fortunately, the 200 is available with 3.6L V6 and that is the engine I recommend for the 200. It powers the 200 from 0 to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds. Potential customers should pass on 200s with the I4 engine and go with 200s with the 3.6L V6 engine.

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First Drive: Chrysler 200 Limited V6

In 2010, Chrysler came out with 200, the successor to the Chrysler 200. I recently test drove a white Chrysler 200 Limited. The car came with a 3.6L V6 engine, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, that produces 283 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. The car came with navigation, leather seats, sun roof, power windows, disc brakes, and steering wheel mounted audio controls, just to name a few features. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. The price for the test drive car is $28,913.

The 200 was roomy and comfortable to drive. I had plenty of head room while in the driver seat. There is good head room and leg room for adults in the rear. The exterior is average. The 200 styling does not stand out from other mid-size cars like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, or Ford Fusion.

The car drove smoothly along the Houston roads.The steering was responsive. The brake and accelerator pedals were responsive. There was no jerking when I hit the accelerator. The 200 Limited is quick for a mid-size sedan.

Overall, the Chrysler 200 Limited V6 is a good car. Ride quality and performance are good. There is plenty of head room and leg room. I have no issues with the interior. The 200 Limited comes with many luxurious features for under $30,000. My one issue is the bland exterior. It does not stand out from the other mid-size cars. If you are interested in getting a Chrysler 200, do not go with the I4 engine. It does not get the car up to speed like the V6. People should get the 200 Limited is they want a mid-size car with good performance and ride quality. If exterior styling is important to you, look elsewhere. 

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First Drive: Chrysler 300S

The Chrysler 300 has been around since the spring of 2004, serving as the full-size luxury sedan for Chrysler. It replaced the Chrysler Concorde. In 2011, the second generation Chrysler 300 was released. At the 2011 New York International Auto Show, Chrysler revealed an "S" level trim for the 300. At the 2013 Houston Auto Show, I was able to take the 300S out for a test drive. This was one of two versions of the Chrysler 300 that I drove. The other 300 was tuned by SRT.

The 300S has a nice exterior. It is not sporty or aggressive, but it looks luxurious. I prefer the lined grill on the second generation 300 over the checker grill on the first generation 300. It has a nice hood and a slanted truck, and a nice luxurious side profile. The 300S also comes with 20" polished aluminum wheels with black painted pockets, and a black painted grill and headlamps. The 300S comes with a 10-speaker Beats by Dr. Dre sound system, and steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. The interior is luxurious. The 300S has leather seats with the Chrysler 300S logo located on the upper part of the seats. The dashboard is wrapped in leather. The seat was comfortable and I had good head room and leg room behind the wheel.

The 300S is powered by a 3.6L V6 enigne, paired with a eight-speed automatic transmission that comes with paddle shifters, that produces 292 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. The 300S goes from 0 to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 114 mph. The 300S has good acceleration and power throughout the rpm range. The acceleration was smooth. I did not feel any jerky motions when I upshift and downshift. The 300S has a very comfortable ride. It was very quiet inside the 300S. The 300S also has good handling. The car responded when I turned the wheel. Prices for the 300S start at $33,995, which is a good value for what you get with the 300S.

Overall, the 300S is a good full-size luxury sedan. It has good acceleration and a good ride quality. The car drives smoothly on city roads. I was very comfortable behind the wheel. And you get a good car for under $35,000. So if you are looking for a good domestic luxury full-size sedan and do not want to spend $40,000, give the Chrysler 300S a test drive. If you want a Chrysler 300 is a Hemi V8, there is an SRT-8 version of the 300.

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First Drive: Chrysler 300 SRT-8

The Chrysler 300 has been around since 2005, serving as Chrysler's full-size luxury sedan. So far, there have been two generations of the 300. Chrysler has its own in house tuning company Street and Racing Technology, or SRT for short. SRT took a Chrysler 300 C and turned into the Chrysler 300C SRT-8, replacing the 5.7L Hemi V8 engine found in the standard 300C with a 6.1L Hemi V8 that produces 425 hp. With Chrysler releasing the second generation 300 in 2011, SRT got its hands on the car. At the 2011 New York International Auto Show, Chrysler revealed the next generation Chrysler 300 SRT-8. At the 2013 Houston Auto Show, I was able to take one out for a test drive. Unlike my test drive with the Dodge Charger SRT-8 Super Bee, I did not have a slow moving car preventing me from unleashing the fury of a SRT vehicle.

On the outside, the 300 SRT-8 looks like a standard Chrysler 300, but there are few minor changes. The chrome trim has been replaced with body color trim, a lower front fascia, larger exhaust tip, and 20" aluminum wheels. The 300 SRT-8 also sits a half-inch lower to the ground than the standard 300, plus the 300 SRT-8 also has a sportier suspension and a Brembo brakes package. The interior is very similar to other Chrysler 300 that I drove. The major difference is that the seat in the SRT-8 is stiffer than the seat in the 300S. I still had good head room and leg room behind the wheel of the 300 SRT-8.

The 300 SRT-8 is powered by a 6.4L Hemi V8, paired with a five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, that produces 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and has a top speed of 175 mph. On the test drive with the 300 SRT-8, I had no cars in front of me, so I was able to unleash the fury of the engine. The 300 SRT-8 is quick. Compared to the 300S, the 300 SRT-8 has a stiffer, sportier ride. It was stiff, but not too stiff for my comfort level. The 300 SRT-8 did not try to kill my back, unlike some other vehicles I have driven. For a car with a big engine, it was quiet inside the 300 SRT-8. This car has good muscle car performance. The Chrysler 300 SRT-8 goes for $47,995, which is over $1,000 more than the Dodge Charger SRT-8. Still, that is not bad for a full-size luxury four-door muscle car.

The Chrysler 300 SRT-8 has been featured in Breaking Bad. The Chrysler 300 SRT-8 is playable in Forza Motorsport 4, Car Town, and Car Town EX.

Overall, the Chrysler 300 SRT-8 is a fun car to drive. It is a quick full-size four door door sedan. It has a few minor differences on the exterior compared to the other versions of the Chrysler 300. It still feels luxurious on the inside, even with the stiffer ride. When I was in the Dodge Charger SRT-8 Super Bee, I was not able to test out the acceleration of the car since I had a slow moving car in front of me. It was a different story with the Chrysler 300 SRT-8. I had nothing in front of me when I was on the roads in the 300 SRT-8 and I could just nail it. I could feel my heart beat fast when I was in this car. The 300 SRT-8 has a sporty ride, but I was still comfortable behind the wheel. If you want a muscle car with four doors, then check out the Chrysler 300 SRT-8. If you want a slightly softer ride from SRT, then go with the 300 SRT-8 over the Charger SRT-8. But if you want a slightly sportier ride, then go with the Charger SRT-8. Both are very good four-door muscle cars. But if you want an American full-size sedan with a softer ride, then go with the Charger or 300 that was not tuned by SRT, or go with the Cadillac XTS. SRT cars are for people who want to go quick.

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