Ride Report - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
Jan 27, 2007, 7:00 pm
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Ride Report - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
It's that time of year where LAX gets its new shipments of cars. Just this weekend, I spotted the new Lincoln MKX and refreshed Navigator, the redesigned Infiniti G35 and several new-model Kia Optimas. Faced with a Taurus or Impala as my intermediate "upgrade" - I spotted a redesigned Sebring looking lonely in the corner of the Gold stalls... 
http://www.chrysler.com/en/sebring/index.html
My base Touring model had optional factory Sirius and floor mats, for a total MSRP of $20,420.
Powertrain: The new Sebring has three available engines, and the base four-cylinder is a 2.4L unit with 173 hp, a unit co-developed with Hyundai and Mitsubishi. While this motor is competitive on paper, in real-life driving it was somewhat buzzy and felt a bit lethargic. Part of this is probably due to the four-speed automatic transmission, which hunts gears and is somewhat slow to react. Fuel economy is EPA-estimated 24/32 mpg city/highway, and while I haven't been tracking my mileage, it seems to be inline with the figures.
Ride/Handling: The Sebring tends to focus on comfort over sport in the sedan performance spectrum. Steering is a mix of precision and numbness, and offers minimal feedback. Similarly, the suspension is on the softer side and allows for noticeable body lean in the corners. The chassis, however, conveys a solid feel and ride quality is very smooth. Road and wind noise are also well-muted. Brakes are adequate in feel, but do seem to be average in terms of stopping distance (although I just turned in a Miata at TPA the same day, so maybe I'm being biased
). Overall, it's a good highway driver, but not as fun in the twisties.
Interior: The Sebring interior sees significant upgrades with its redesign, though given the current competition, IMO it is mostly average. Tactile quality is pretty nice (especially in terms of surface texturing), but materials feel hard and cheap in several areas. Build quality is very good though, as I couldn't spot any significant lapses in assembly. Space is good in terms of headroom and footroom, but being a bit narrower than other midsize cars, the Sebring may be not as roomy as some of its competitors in shoulder and hip room. The trunk is also somewhat smaller-than-average, but with a fold-down rear and front-passenger seat, versatility shouldn't be a problem. Seats felt comfortable and firm and have a standard stain-protectant. Of significant note (to me at least, after other Chrysler rentals) is that the stereo finally displays song info on Sirius. ^
Design: At first, I did not like the pictures of the new Sebring, but in person, it's not too bad. The exterior styling is somewhat adventurous and has a bit of eccentricity to it, not unlike that of many French automobiles. The front is obviously Crossfire-inspired, and the rear is tapered off much like the Airflite concept, though in the end it looks awkwardly-executed. The interior is similarly unique -- I have seen reviews calling the design "art-deco," and not really knowing what that fully means, I'm just going to agree with that. There is nice use of metallic and chrome trim to complement the contrasting color-scheme of plastics. From what I have seen in pictures, higher-end models have my favorite "tortoise-shell" trim as well. Though I like the interior design, as mentioned before, the materials quality is somewhat disappointing. The instrumentation is typical Chrysler -- white-face with black lettering and a blue-green glow at night.
Features: The new Sebring has all the requisite features in base trim, including the full set of airbags and power accessories, in addition to a tire-pressure monitor and a stereo with MP3/aux capability.
Value: As a new product, the Sebring is predictably classed in YC, though it may move to C later if more come into the fleets (Dollar and Thrifty have seemed to stock up on the base models). Given that the previous Sebring had become pretty ancient, I was interested in seeing how this newest Chrysler would turn out. While there are definite improvements, I can't say that it's a standout entrant like its big brother the 300, or like the newest midsize offerings from other competitors. I would probably place the Sebring above the Malibu and Corolla in the C segment, but below the G6, Fusion, Sonata and 6.
To sum it up:
The Good
Quiet and comfortable
Inviting interior design
The Bad
Awkward exterior styling
Not particularly exciting to drive
Disappointing interior materials
http://www.chrysler.com/en/sebring/index.html
My base Touring model had optional factory Sirius and floor mats, for a total MSRP of $20,420.
Powertrain: The new Sebring has three available engines, and the base four-cylinder is a 2.4L unit with 173 hp, a unit co-developed with Hyundai and Mitsubishi. While this motor is competitive on paper, in real-life driving it was somewhat buzzy and felt a bit lethargic. Part of this is probably due to the four-speed automatic transmission, which hunts gears and is somewhat slow to react. Fuel economy is EPA-estimated 24/32 mpg city/highway, and while I haven't been tracking my mileage, it seems to be inline with the figures.
Ride/Handling: The Sebring tends to focus on comfort over sport in the sedan performance spectrum. Steering is a mix of precision and numbness, and offers minimal feedback. Similarly, the suspension is on the softer side and allows for noticeable body lean in the corners. The chassis, however, conveys a solid feel and ride quality is very smooth. Road and wind noise are also well-muted. Brakes are adequate in feel, but do seem to be average in terms of stopping distance (although I just turned in a Miata at TPA the same day, so maybe I'm being biased
). Overall, it's a good highway driver, but not as fun in the twisties.Interior: The Sebring interior sees significant upgrades with its redesign, though given the current competition, IMO it is mostly average. Tactile quality is pretty nice (especially in terms of surface texturing), but materials feel hard and cheap in several areas. Build quality is very good though, as I couldn't spot any significant lapses in assembly. Space is good in terms of headroom and footroom, but being a bit narrower than other midsize cars, the Sebring may be not as roomy as some of its competitors in shoulder and hip room. The trunk is also somewhat smaller-than-average, but with a fold-down rear and front-passenger seat, versatility shouldn't be a problem. Seats felt comfortable and firm and have a standard stain-protectant. Of significant note (to me at least, after other Chrysler rentals) is that the stereo finally displays song info on Sirius. ^
Design: At first, I did not like the pictures of the new Sebring, but in person, it's not too bad. The exterior styling is somewhat adventurous and has a bit of eccentricity to it, not unlike that of many French automobiles. The front is obviously Crossfire-inspired, and the rear is tapered off much like the Airflite concept, though in the end it looks awkwardly-executed. The interior is similarly unique -- I have seen reviews calling the design "art-deco," and not really knowing what that fully means, I'm just going to agree with that.
There is nice use of metallic and chrome trim to complement the contrasting color-scheme of plastics. From what I have seen in pictures, higher-end models have my favorite "tortoise-shell" trim as well. Though I like the interior design, as mentioned before, the materials quality is somewhat disappointing. The instrumentation is typical Chrysler -- white-face with black lettering and a blue-green glow at night.Features: The new Sebring has all the requisite features in base trim, including the full set of airbags and power accessories, in addition to a tire-pressure monitor and a stereo with MP3/aux capability.
Value: As a new product, the Sebring is predictably classed in YC, though it may move to C later if more come into the fleets (Dollar and Thrifty have seemed to stock up on the base models). Given that the previous Sebring had become pretty ancient, I was interested in seeing how this newest Chrysler would turn out. While there are definite improvements, I can't say that it's a standout entrant like its big brother the 300, or like the newest midsize offerings from other competitors. I would probably place the Sebring above the Malibu and Corolla in the C segment, but below the G6, Fusion, Sonata and 6.
To sum it up:
The Good
Quiet and comfortable
Inviting interior design
The Bad
Awkward exterior styling
Not particularly exciting to drive
Disappointing interior materials
