Let's avoid the more glaring issues for a moment, like the lack of a third-row option on a $30,000 SUV, and cut to the chase: As with many new vehicles from Chrysler, you've got to pay to play. The right setup is way up high in the model chain. The Nitro R/T, for example, offers a nice powertrain with some cool new innovations inside and a bold design on the outside. But it does so for around $30,000, and there are many SUVs with more features for sale at around that price. In the end for the Nitro, anything less than the top trim becomes a silly caricature, a macho design connected to a four-speed automatic.