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· 26 Jan 2023

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Chrysler Sebring Review

Whether you've just left the Enterprise Rent-a-Car counter at the Tampa airport or you're a regional manager for a paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the Chrysler Sebring Convertible has always been a comfortable, luxurious, convertible ride. It made its debut over a decade ago and is one of the best-selling convertibles in America in terms of sales. With the redesigned 2008 Sebring Convertible, Chrysler hopes to maintain that preeminence by adding comfort and luxury with an expanded equipment list and a retractable hardtop.

The new Sebring convertible, as well as the redesigned version of the sedan body introduced last year, is based on a stretched and widened version of the platform used for the compact mid-size Dodge Caliber. Like the Caliber, the Sebring's driving experience leaves much to be desired: the ride and engine are not very refined. Although the optional 3.5-liter V6 is quite powerful, fuel economy is poor. With all-wheel drive, it gets 15 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway, which is worse than a Chevrolet Corvette.

The choice of a retractable hardtop or a traditional softtop for the convertible is more attractive to buyers. The optional retractable hardtop eliminates wind noise in the cabin and makes the car easier to use year-round. The standard soft top is available in vinyl or cloth depending on the trim level and features a large rear window. While not as fashionable or weatherproof as the $2,000 hardtop, the roof's lines are still a nice touch.

We were disappointed when we tested the Sebring sedan. It's pretty bland and offers nothing special in terms of performance or interior design. In what is arguably the most fiercely competitive automotive segment, the Sebring lags far behind virtually everything from the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima to the Saturn Aura and Hyundai Sonata. We suggest you look elsewhere.

But the Sebring convertible is much more compelling. Partly because there isn't as much competition (Honda, for example, doesn't make an Accord convertible), and partly because there's simply more to like. The Sebring's closest competitor is the Toyota Camry Solara, and compared to that aging vehicle, the Sebring has a steel roof, better driving dynamics and more interior features. The Pontiac G6 convertible also comes standard with a retractable hardtop and is sportier, but not as stylish or spacious. This makes the new 2008 Chrysler Sebring convertible a nice choice for mid-size cars. Don't be surprised if it starts popping up in a rental car lot in Florida or in Michael Scott's parking spot on The Office.

Performance and fuel economy
The Chrysler Sebring sedan is available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. All Sebring convertibles are front-wheel drive. The base engine is a 2.4-liter inline-four that produces 173 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque. The Touring can be equipped with a 2.7-liter V6 engine, which produces 189 horsepower and 191 mph of torque. Both engines are paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. The Limited is equipped with an optional 3.5-liter V6 engine with 235 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is only available with the latter engine and the Limited sedan trim level.


EPA fuel economy for the 2008 Chrysler Sebring four-cylinder sedan is 21 mpg city/30 mpg highway, while the 2.7-liter V6 gets 19/27 mpg. The front-wheel-drive 3.5-liter V6 in both body styles gets 16/25 mpg less than many other premium V6 sedans, and all-wheel drive lowers those numbers by 1 mpg.

Safety
The Sebring convertible comes standard with anti-lock brakes and seat-mounted side airbags, while the sedan offers full-length curtain airbags. Stability control and traction control are standard on the Limited AWD sedan, optional on the Touring and Limited front-wheel-drive trim levels and not available on the LX trim levels. In steering impact tests, the Sebring sedan received five out of five stars for front seat side protection. Three stars for rear seat side protection.