I've started seeing these around

"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
02/23/2015 at 17:57 • Filed to: None

I am disappointed. It photographs much nicer than it looks in real life. Is it a horrible looking car? Not really, but it has a very jelly-bean-esque 90s Taurus feel going around it, and just looks very cheap.

I'm not a fan.

DISCUSSION (35)

TheHondaBro > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 17:59

Whenever I see one in real life, I have to look again so I can make sure it's a 200. It's a boring-looking car in person.

E. Julius > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:02

Ahhh I've said the exact same thing about the resemblance to the 90s Taurus! I think this is a design that will be utterly silly looking in ten years.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:05

Really? I think these look even better in person than in pictures. I like it better than the Fusion TBH, mostly because its overhangs aren't as along and the rear doesn't look like an alien.

Textured Soy Protein > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:07

The press photos are:

1. Press photos, i.e. immaculately photographed and photoshopped

2. Only of the higher trim levels

In real life, the volume sellers look like this:

Kinja'd!!!

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > E. Julius
02/23/2015 at 18:08

Yep. Take away those headlights and it has zero memorable styling cues.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/23/2015 at 18:08

It's just painfully dull to me. No styling cues to speak of other than the grille, which is way more rounded off in person than it appeared in press photos.

WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:09

They're becoming very popular here, and I've seen more than a handful of them. They look like a Hyundai at the back, the front looks like an '04 Town and Country.

Kinja'd!!!

But, the LED ribbons on the headlamps at night are pretty striking.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Textured Soy Protein
02/23/2015 at 18:09

Ew. Ew ew ew ew ew.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Textured Soy Protein
02/23/2015 at 18:10

Even blacking out all of the chrome on that would do wonders for the appearance, but it still looks like a rental car from the early-mid 2000s with fancy-ass headlights slapped on.

Textured Soy Protein > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:10

The 200 S has the blacked out trim—like the blue one you posted.

and 100 more > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:13

My buddy just got one. He's not a car guy at all (despite years of working at a dealership), and he was originally looking for a Dart, but tried one of these out and bought it. Says its like riding inside the USS Enterprise (space ship, not navy vessel).

I find the proportions a little weird, but they're not bad overall.

Rico > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:14

THANK YOU. I sat in this at last years NYIAS and the inside was nice but the outside is still a bloated whale, I would rather get a Charger as Dodge's designs are looking much sharper.

Does it look better than the previous gen 200? Hell yeah but it still looks lame.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:15

I think the dullness depends on what color/wheel combination you see it in. A blue S with dark wheels like you pictured looks way better than a black Limited in person. My first one I ever saw was a blue S and that has stuck with me and helped make the more lowly trim levels look better.

I think the lack of styling cues on it are going to actually help it age better. The Fusion and Camry (most daringly styled cars in the category, IMO) are going to start looking old in a few years time, where I think the more conservatively styled cars (200 and Optima) are going to continue to look good.

Rico > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/23/2015 at 18:16

Nah the rear of the 200 is the only thing it has going for it, your Fusion kills it.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:17

One of my ex coworkers just bought one brand new, how she manages to pay for one on a best buy cashier wage is beyond me (probably a lot of help from mom and dad) but I'm just like there are so many better looking/more fun cars that can be had for cheaper. Hell I'd take a Dart over this.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/23/2015 at 18:18

I dunno... I *really* like the Fusion.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Textured Soy Protein
02/23/2015 at 18:18

Yeah, but still not great.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Rico
02/23/2015 at 18:20

I disagree. The overhangs are entirely too long both front and rear, wheels manage to look small even though they're 18 inch wheels, as mentioned the rear looks like an alien. The front end is the only thing that is genuinely beautiful to it. When I first saw ours I was awestruck, but as time goes on I find the design more and more strange other than that front end.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:23

I liked everything stylistically ours the first few weeks we had it, but as time goes on I find the design to just be meh other than the front end, which looks great to say the least.

I'd call this the most flattering view of the car.

Kinja'd!!!

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
02/23/2015 at 18:24

I'd take literally anything not fiat-chrysler over this, if it's anything like the Charger I drove.

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:27

They had one of these, a Dart, and a 500L parked in the local mall piazza. The Dart stole the show looks-wise, which isn't saying much.

P.S. I used to have a green jellybean era '98 Taurus, and to me the shape was reminiscent of a sea-turtle.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:28

That's because you drove a rental special charger. If you drove an actual charger with an actual engine and transmission you probably would have had a better taste in your mouth. Judging an entire car company based on a shitty 2 year old beat to death rental car isn't very fair to anyone haha. I loved my friends Dart Rallye with the 6 speed manual and the turbo 4. Probably one of the best modern compact cars for sale now

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
02/23/2015 at 18:32

It had hardly any miles on it, and I've also driven Nissan rental cars and Chevy rental cars. The base-model Chevy Sonic rental was by far the best rental car, and the Nissan whateverthefuck was the worst, closely behind the Charger. It's still a Chrysler product, and even on a base model it was unforgivable. Not just the engine and trans, but the interior build quality, comfort, space, size, weight, etc.

shop-teacher > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:47

I never could understand what people were on about it being a good looking car. It's just a boring jelly-bean blob.

crown victor victoria > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:49

On some level you have to consider it replaced this:

Kinja'd!!!

And the 200 is a got dam masterpiece by comparison.

Alex B > WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe
02/23/2015 at 18:55

Cannot unsee!

Alex B > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 18:56

It's nasty. Enough said.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > crown victor victoria
02/23/2015 at 19:08

Honestly if they took that and gave it a new interior and front fascia I think it would actually look better than what they ended up with.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > shop-teacher
02/23/2015 at 19:09

Well, in that picture it looks quite nice, but in real life you realize just how ROUND it is, and the black plastic grille doesn't translate well into the real world at all. Needs to be glossy if it's going to be black.

shop-teacher > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 19:26

I don't even think it looks that good in pictures, but it is even more boring in person.

Manic Otti > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 19:34

It's not bad really, just very generic.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/23/2015 at 19:36

I like it okay, but a combination of factors leads me to agree with you.

1. Half the ones I see in real life are rental-spec, not fully loaded ones like the ones in commercials.

2. Real life, not a studio.

3. Like with a certain Ford, I can't find anything so common to be that noworthy or interesting anymore. Still handsome, but it seems dull and mundane due to how common it is.

Rico > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/23/2015 at 21:20

I think it's the rear quarter panels and the rear bumper that make the proportions on the Fusion look strange. Tbh I hated the Fusion back in 2013, I always considered it some sort of fake Aston and just wasn't feeling it but as the years have gone on I have started to like it. Do you feel if the exterior proportions were shrunken down it would look better?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Rico
02/23/2015 at 21:29

I think it would look a lot better if the wheels were pushed out more or the bumpers were pulled in. That and cutting an inch or two out of the car below the windows.

Rico > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/23/2015 at 21:39

Ah I feel you, yeah if it was less "thick" profile wise it would look much sleeker. I'm not a huge fan of lowered cars for simply style (i.e. no functional value) but this 400 HP Fusion that was shown at SEMA looks bad ass lowered, the wheels fill the fenders better, and it looks like the wheels are a different offset.

Kinja'd!!!

I can do without the lip though but that is probably for more downforce.