all the SRT8s are exceptions IMO. especially the jeep srt8 or the newer jeeps in general.

 

It did? I don't remember that. It had fail written all over it (IMO). They sold a lot but that's because it's a pretty cheap car with good discounts often

 

sure, as most american cars do... Taurus won Car of the Year award.

 

Uh I remember it getting reviews for finally not being a complete piece of ****. Every review I read basically said it was a huge improvement over the Sebring, not that it was on par with any of the segment leaders.

 

Are you referring to the 1986 one? That one changed sedans

 

Totally irrelevant thread when the new one is 10X better.

Reviewers are saying this is in a whole other class compared to the mid-size competition. Saying it feels like a luxury car in a field of regular cars.

 

1996 got COTY awards and ten 10 years later it started getting worst car awards :-)... similar goes to Ford Probe, PT Cruiser and many others that ended up being on worst car lists few years later on. In fact, if we look at those lists, a lot of cars that won COTY awards ended up being some of the worst cars ever made.

I remember 200 getting some positive feedback, if not great during introduction... but year later ever mag rated it as worst car in the class.

Dart also got a lot of positive feedback at start from mags, now it gets the opposite from the customers.

Point is that they are trying to be enthusiastic about american cars but at least in the end, objectivity wins... unlike with german magazines, where german always wins.

 

In a recent issue MotorTrend mentioned some of its worse COTY awards, both foreign and domestic. They were pretty funny.

You're right, the 200 did get some positive feedback, but once again it was all about how much of an improvement it was over its predecessor. They applauded the fact that it was now bearable to drive. No one said anything about it being good in relation to the competition.

The Dart suffered the same fate to a lesser extent. The early reviews were encouraging but they complained about the transmission and lumpy power delivery that came with the 1.4L I4. This came into focus even more when the Dart was in comparison tests, which is why it has failed to win anything in this hyper-competitive segment. Long-term tests have still been positive, however.

Net, the magazines certainly are enthusiastic but they don't shy away from criticizing them when they're not discussed in a vacuum. I predict the new Chrysler 200 will not win many comparisons but will be lauded for being a solid contender.

 

ISFPOWER, your 300 SRT8 is sharp. Great value for the money and nice-looking car. Whoever said the 300 is a POS is smoking something or living in a cave. I would be happy to own one myself.

 

A lot of COTY's were/are awarded on the basis of "significance" rather than actual substance. And of course ultimate quality is never known with totally new American models. I remember when the PT Cruiser was new. The first 2-3 years proved very good initial quality. Give it 5+ years and it fell apart. My mother had one and it costs many thousands in repairs.

 

The 86 Taurus is pretty much why we have today's Camry and Accord (both were virtually compacts back then). It was the first affordable, mainstream family sedan with European sensibilities of style and handling. It was truly a game changer. It wasn't until the second generation Taurus that Ford lost sight of what the original Taurus was about... plus competitors started catching up by then.

 

I read a couple of reviews today and, while none were gushing, the consensus seems to be that the 200 is a sportier choice among sedans in this class, albeit with some sacrifices to interior room and comfort. And I was surprised to learn that top-level variants have genuine wood trim inside. Which other car in this class can boast that?

 

I'd hit it.

 

seems like all the reviews of the new 200 are saying the same thing. A lot better than the previous model. In other words, "it's a lot better than the piece of ******t it used to be". LOL.

chrysler has a lot of winners and losers. But it can't seem to market it's winners the right way. It's the usual 6000 off MSRP. Horrible way to do business.

 

Chrysler is going upscale. More premium than Dodge is the goal. No different than Chevrolet - Buick.