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Sebring seductress
For serious commuting or flights of fancy, this Chrysler pair delivers
By Bob English
Thursday, August 21, 2003
It seems odd, when you think about it, that the ultra-sophisticated automobile industry of the new millennium, with its products stuffed with enough electronics to launch a space shuttle, airbags that pop out of the most unlikely places and concert hall quality stereos, should continue to offer cars that can be opened completely to the elements.
There was concern in the 1970s that the convertible was about to disappear for good. With all the cocooning elements of the then 'modern' car, the industry reasoned people simply wouldn't be interested in a flip-top anymore. That they were, and still are, is why I found myself driving Chrysler's Sebring Limited Convertible a few weeks ago. Open topped cars are all about the obvious things: Looking cool, having fun, trips to the beach and all the other clichés of convertible ownership. But they offer simpler pleasures too, like ambling down a winding country road through rolling farm country on a warm summer evening, with the dying sun lighting towering cloud formations. This motoring atavism allows you to actually smell and breathe in scents - new soft smells of mown hay and flowers, even the ammoniac tang of cow manure - and feel the passage of air on your skin that hasn't been forced out of an air conditioning vent. It exposes you to the possibility that a change in the weather might actually affect your drive. And by going slowly you feel attuned to the experience of driving, the road and the car itself, in a totally different way than if you were pushing hard.
Okay, so they're expensive and not too practical, but on an evening like that they're worth every penny.
Which, in the Sebring Limited Convertible's case is a fairly stiff $38,640. Our tester, with optional AM/FM/cassette/6-disc CD changer, heated front seats and a full-size spare, rang up a total of $39,600. Convertible buyers obviously don't find this too extravagant as the Sebring is the best selling convertible in North America, as it has been since its introduction in 1996.
The current car is the second generation, redesigned along with the Sebring Sedan and Coupe for 2001. The sedan and convertible share the same platform and drivetrains, while the coupe is a Mitsubishi-based unit. We also spent some time recently with the Sebring LXi sedan, deciding they would make a nicely matched pairing in a two-car-family of Chrysler enthusiasts. The LXi sedan carries a $27,795 sticker price.
As has been the case for a decade now Chrysler's stylists got the look right. These are very attractive cars either in sedan form or as a convertible, top up or down.
And speaking of the top, this nicely shaped, multi-layer unit keeps interior noise to acceptably low levels, at least in convertible terms. And it's easy to use. You simply unlatch two clips and press a button to retract it. Putting it up is just as simple. If you're into neatness there's a tonneau cover to hide the lowered top under, but as this occupies trunk space when not in use, most people will probably leave it behind. Trunk space, incidentally, is a useful enough 320 litres. The sedan is quieter, trunk space a more generous 453 litres and, of course, there are four doors and it can seat five occupants.
Riding in the convertible with the top down is pleasant for front-seat riders at least, and at speeds up to 100 km/h or so wind buffeting isn't a problem. You probably won't want to cruise at much more than that though. Rear seat passengers get blown around as usual.
Both cars come with a high level of equipment, including such things as tilt wheel, power windows, mirrors and locks, partially power driver's seat, air conditioning, leather trim, automatic power door locks, remote keyless entry, trip computer, fog lamps, a theft deterrent system and security alarm.
The array of four, round, white-faced, chrome-bezelled gauges in both cars looks good and there's an information centre with outside temperature, compass, etc. Below are round dials for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system and equally easy to use stereo controls. Seats in both vehicles are quite well shaped, have bolsters on the soft side, but are reasonably supportive. There's good head-, shoulder-, foot- and legroom in both cars. Headlamps offer mediocre performance at best.
This pair was powered by a smooth and revvy 2.7-litre V6 rated at 200 hp at 5,900 rpm and 190 lb-ft of torque, produced at a very high 4,850 revs. Four-cylinder, 2.4-litre, 150 hp engines are also available. Despite the six's high torque peak, the 4-speed AutoStick manumatic transmission (it allows you to select gears yourself when required) manages to translate engine output into decent overall drivability, but not a huge amount of performance. My stopwatch shows the Sebring convertible requiring a rather un-sporty 9.9 seconds to get to 100 km/h, although the 80 to 120 km/h time of 6.9 seconds isn't too bad.
Front suspension in both is a double A-arm system while a multi-link system holds up the rear. Steering is via a power rack and pinion wheel that feels a bit numb on centre, but not too bad otherwise. The 16-inch wheels are shod with P205/60R16 all-season tires. Ride verges on hard in the convertible, while the sedan is a little more supple. The sedan also feels more structurally solid, while the lack of a roof to tie things together gives the convertible a wiggly feel and spoils the driving experience somewhat with rather excessive cowl and steering column shake.
As I said earlier, a nicely matched pair. Maybe your Chrysler dealer would be willing to cut you a deal on a 4-cylinder sedan for commuting and a V6 convertible for weekend fun.
Immediate competitors:
Ford Mustang,
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder,
Toyota Camry Solara
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