“Biggest Loser” thinks biggest winner is Chrysler 200.

Chapman Dodge floor manager Howard "Woody" Carter recently finished third on NBC's "The Biggest Loser."

But while vying to claim the loser title on the weight-shedding reality show, Carter never lost sight of what he thinks is perhaps the biggest winner on the dealership lot in Las Vegas: the all-new-for-2015 Chrysler 200.

The 200 competes in the high-volume midsize bracket that's the bread, butter and jam for Toyota, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, et al., but to Carter, they are all the biggest losers when compared with the 200, especially at its price point near $20,000.

"Sales have been great. For the price point, you can't go wrong," Carter said. "It's been a big boost in the arm for us. It's a phenomenal vehicle. To get a nine-speed transmission, you had to get something like a BMW or an Audi starting at $70,000 for those cars. Ours is at $20,000 and it has the most advanced fuel efficiency in its segment."

Then Carter credited another well-known television special for his desire to score a 200 for himself.

"When I saw the Super Bowl commercial, and Eminem jumped out of it, I had to have one!" Carter said. "The quietness of it is phenomenal. It has a triple beam in it. Ward's named it one of top 10 interiors. Consumer's Digest named it a best buy in the family category, and it has the highest overall government safety rating, a top pick in its category."

Eight airbags assist in that safety performance.

The interior features easy-to-view primary gauges, plus-sized control knobs and optional 8.4-inch touch-screen display (a 5-inch screen is the base unit). The floor shifter has been replaced by a console knob like the one in the Ram 500 pickup. Carter said the 200's touch screen is the largest in its class and the 35-gigabyte hard drive can hold 7,500 downloaded songs. He also said the vehicle comes with a 110-volt auxiliary cord, push start, standard backup camera and keyless entry.

Under the hood, a new 2.4-liter four-cylinder produces 184 horsepower and 173 pound-feet of torque. It connects to a nine-speed automatic transmission, as does the available 3.6-liter V-6 that makes 295 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel-drive is available with the V-6.

In normal operating conditions, the rear axle disconnects from the all-wheel-drive system to cut parasitic power losses, which helps maximize fuel economy and likely saves wear and tear on various drivetrain components. When road conditions are slippery, the rear wheels can receive as much as 60 percent of the engine's torque.

All-wheel drive is also permanently engaged when the driver selects Sport mode. Then throttle and transmission shift responses become sharper and the electronic stability control becomes less nanny-like.

The starting-point 200 LX includes numerous power-operated and comfort features plus keyless pushbutton start. The remaining Limited, S and C levels are where most buyers will likely shop since they include plenty of extras and are necessary for ordering the V-6 and all-wheel drive.

Chrysler Chat: There's no telling how much longer the current 300 will stay in the pipeline, but the look is still plenty fresh while Chrysler still continues with updates. Same goes for the related Charger.

Given they are essentially the same vehicle under the skin, almost anything done to the Dodge Charger will eventually be applied to the Chrysler 300. Well, almost anything.

While the insane Charger SRT8 Hellcat uses a 700-plus horsepower supercharged V-8, the equivalent 300 version will still carry over its 6.4-liter V-8 with "only" 470 horses. But, the SRT8, like all other 300 models, gets the eight-speed automatic transmission that has spread throughout the rest of the line.

A few updates also are in store for the minivan set as the Town & Country adds a new-for-2015 Limited Platinum trim that quite literally has every option available including video screens, heated steering wheel, the full suite of active safety features and 17-inch wheels.

— Senior writer John Kelly contributed to this story. Contact him at jkelly@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0306.