2008 Chrysler Sebring

PROS  Confident top-down cruising, Comfortable ride, roomy trunk 

CONS  Balky transmission, Too much highway float 

There's nothing more relaxing than cruising along a country road with the top down and the wind in your hair. That's the mood that Chrysler is trying to capture with the new-for-2008 Sebring convertible. Carefree, wind-in-your-hair, motoring.

The midsize Sebring has been a mainstay in the Chrysler lineup for years, competing with vehicles like the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, and Toyota Camry. It's available as a sedan and convertible. The sedan was last redesigned in 2007 and the convertible gets a complete makeover for this year. Both share engine and chassis.

While the sedan has four doors and seats five, the Sebring convertible is a two-door with seating for four on front buckets and a rear bench. With the '08 redesign, buyers now have a choice of tops. Returning is a standard is a power soft top in vinyl or canvas. Newly optional is a body-color-painted steel, retracting hardtop. Both have a heated glass rear window and stow in the trunk.

The convertible comes in LX, Touring, and Limited trim levels. Standard on all are antilock brakes, tire-pressure monitor, and dual front and front-side airbags. Stability control is optional on the Touring and Limited. Park assist and rear-view monitor are not offered.

All models of the convertible are front-drive with each getting a unique engine. LX comes with a 172-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, Touring comes with a 190-horsepower 2.7-liter V6, and Limited gets a 235-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. The LX and Touring get a four-speed automatic while the Limited gets a six-speed automatic with separate shift gate for manual operation.

Standard equipment on the LX convertible includes air conditioning, tilt-telescope steering wheel, cruise control, power mirrors, power windows, power locks, keyless entry, AM /FM/CD/MP3 player, automatic-off headlights, theft-deterrent system, and 16-inch wheels. Touring models add heated power mirrors, AM/FM radio with in-dash six-disc CD/MP3 changer, trip computer, compass, touring suspension, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Limited models add to Touring equipment automatic climate control, leather upholstery, Boston Acoustics sound system, steering wheel radio controls, automatic day/night rearview mirror, power cloth convertible top, fog lights, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Options include heated front seats, satellite radio, sunroof, Bluetooth cell-phone connection, remote engine start, and the MyGIG Multimedia system. It includes navigation system with voice recognition, CD/DVD player, digital-media player connection, satellite radio, traffic information, hard drive, and Bluetooth cell-phone link.

The LX convertible lists for $26,160, the Touring $28,935, and the Limited $32,375. All three have a destination charge of $690. The Sebring convertible is assembled at Chrysler's Sterling Heights, Michigan, factory.

Get Up and Go  The available four cylinder feels overwhelmed most of the time but turns out to be a quiet cruiser and is likely to return the best fuel economy. The step-up 2.7-liter V6 doesn't provide a big power boost, but does add a slightly more refined flavor. Both of these engines mate to a four-speed automatic. It does a Yeoman's job of delivering the power to the wheels, but is clearly out of place among competitor's five- and six-speed automatics. 

The Sebring Limited convertible's 3.5-liter engine is stout, providing ample power at all speeds and exceptional passing punch. The engine isn't as refined as the V6 offered in the Toyota Camry Solara, but then again few engines can match that engine's sewing-machine-like smoothness.

The six-speed automatic transmission doesn't shift as confidently as it should--especially between first and second gear where the gear change is slurred and often accompanied by a mild driveline jolt. The transmission also sends a slight shudder through the driveline as is downshifts gears when the vehicle is coming to a stop.

Chrysler recommends that owners use 89-octane fuel for best performance and economy with the 3.5-liter V6. It is EPA rated at 16 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. That's class competitive with Pontiac G6 convertible and Toyota Camry Solara convertible. In routine driving it's easy to average 22 mpg, highway commuters might see as high at 25 mpg overall.

On the Road  Intended as a cruiser rather than a sports coupe, the Sebring is softly sprung. The suspension and conservative tires provide excellent bump absorption. With that comes a fair amount of float and swell over bumps as the soft suspension seems to bound a bit at highway speeds. While not unreasonable, this undulation will certainly temper aggressive driving.

There is a trace of chassis shudder when the convertible traverses railroad tracks or impacts large bumps. It's markedly improved compared to the previous-generation Sebring convertible and perhaps less noticeable than on G6 and Camry Solara convertible.

The Sebring feels nimble around town, something that couldn't be said for the '06 model. Steering is precise, there's not a lot of body lean, and the brakes are strong and easy to modulate. Sebring convertible is a little out of its element when the speed picks up a bit and the road grows twisty, but then again it's not intended to be a sports car.

Sebring convertible is easily the quietest top-up convertible on the market for less than $30,000. Wind, road, and engine noise are impressively suppressed with the soft top up, even more so with the available hard top in place. Top down, front-seat occupants don't have to raise their voices for normal conversation at highway speeds. Rear-seat passengers face additional buffeting and may have to hold their hats in place.

Behind the Wheel  The Sebring's interior is refreshingly modern. Materials are appropriate for the class and most surfaces are soft to the touch. The driver faces a trio of large easy-to-read dials from behind a nicely padded steering wheel that features available wood trim.

Most controls fall close to hand, with conveniently placed window and lock buttons on the driver's armrest. Climate controls consist of three simple dials. Audio controls are also quite convenient and logically marked. The available navigation system isn't as easy to program as some, but provides quick and precise directions.

Chrysler's UConnect hands-free voice control and MyGIG multimedia system give the Sebring a technology leg up on most competitors. Both systems do a good job of integrating with the vehicle and work to remove, rather than add to, driver destraction.

Front-seat occupants ride on chair-like seats that have just the right amount of padding for both short- and long-trip comfort. Leg room is adequate and head room quite good. The driving position is fairly natural and it's easy to get comfortable behind the standard tilt-telescope steering wheel. Rearward visibility is exceptional for a convertible. Yes, there are a couple of blind spots to the rear three quarters, but they are small compared to most competitors. The longish doors can be troublesome in tight parking spaces.

The rear seat back is too upright for best comfort, but the seat cushions are nicely padded. Head room is good and leg room adequate as long as the front seats aren't pushed all the way back. Getting in and out is made easier by convenient seat-back release handles located at the top of the front seat back.

Though listed at 13.1 cubic feet, trunk space is drastically reduced if you plan on putting the top down. Still, there's enough space for a couple of weekend bags and a set of golf clubs. Interior storage is limited to a modest glove box and narrow center console. However, there are two cupholders--one with available heating or cooling--and door map pockets.

Bottom Line  Chrysler boasts that the Sebring is the lowest-priced four-seat hardtop convertible on the market. That may be true, but price only half the story with Sebring. The 2008 redesign brings substantial improvements in power, refinement, ride quality, and workmanship. So much so that Sebring can stand on its own against competitors like the Pontiac G6 and Toyota Camry Solara.

While this isn't an extremely popular segment, shoppers would be wise to compare Sebring to rivals before buying. Obviously it performs best with the gutsy 3.5-liter V6, but it's a comfortable cruiser with any engine. Sweetening the deal is Chrysler's lifetime powertrain guarantee, which should put to rest any issues with overall drivetrain quality.