The Chrysler Sebring convertible took a break for a year and came back toned, sculpted, and stiffer, based on a new platform shared with the sedan. While it resembles the four-door, 3.1 inches more overall length and two fewer doors have certainly cleaned up the exterior. It also now offers a choice of three roofs: vinyl, cloth, and a retractable hard top. All three raise and lower at the push of a button (and can be lowered with the keyfob), use a glass rear window with defroster, and take about 30 seconds to drop. All will accommodate four sets of golf bags (or 11.3 cubic feet of luggage), top up or down, except the hardtop convertibles, which still fit two sets of clubs, top down.
The Chrysler Sebring convertible uses the sedan's engines and transmissions: a 173-horsepower four-cylinder and a 2.7-liter, 189-horse V-6, both backed by a four-speed automatic or a 3.5-liter V-6 with a six-speed automatic. The four-cylinder is coarse and doesn't have enough gusto to get this 3750-pound car going with any alacrity. It may be great in a smaller vehicle, but it's not the right fit here. Combine that with a hesitant four-speed automatic, and you have a Thrifty car rental weekend special. The smaller V-6 is certainly a better engine choice for the Chrysler Sebring. While it has only a bit more horsepower than the four, its 25 pound-feet additional torque makes a noticeable difference. Unfortunately, Chrysler didn't back this engine with the six-speed automatic, a move that keeps the MSRP lower, but also keeps the driver from getting a bite out of the 2.7. The 3.5-liter combined with the six-speed is the most entertaining. Off-the-line acceleration is smooth and shifts are quick, but neither the Sebring's steering nor handling is going to make BMW shake in its boots.
Chrysler Sebring pricing starts at just over $26,000-lower than in 2006-but goes up quickly as you add features, which we realized upon learning of our Limited's $38,000 as-tested price. The base model isn't available with the hard top-for that, the midlevel Touring package is required, and the metal roof adds $1995 to the bottom line.
The news comes not long after that of Buick updating its classic tri-shield badge to give a more contemporary appearance. Like Buick, Chrysler is likely to be introducing a touch of modern design to the iconic Pentastar, lest it be judged as dated.
