Ride Report - '08 Chrysler Sebring Convertible
Feb 9, 2009, 3:02 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Ride Report - '08 Chrysler Sebring Convertible
Four word review: Fun car, weird trunk.
Got this car at SFO a couple of weeks ago. I arrived around 8p and found exactly 2 cars between the EA and ES sections. A Mazda 6 and the subject of this Ride Report. My car appeared to be LAX based, and had about 23000 miles on the clock, so it had certainly been well used, although.
Here's a link to info about the car at Edmunds: http://www.edmunds.com/new/2008/chry...chlanding.html
Basics: This was the "Limited" edition of the Sebring, which means it came with a 3.5L V6 mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The car certainly had great performance, but the V6 was a fuel hog. I got ~20 mpg in mixed driving, and the car has a relatively puny fuel tank, giving it <300 miles of range on a full tank. Handling was solid on the freeway and on some of the winding roads separating SFO from the coast (CA 92 and CA 84). Road noise was pretty well controlled with the top up at freeway speeds. Not as quiet as a hardtop, but better than the Mustang convertibles I used to get with Hertz. The body felt pretty stuff, and there was no jitter in the windscreen like the Ford - must have some pretty strong A pillars.
The Convertible: The top and how it works with the trunk is kind of weird. With the top up, when you open the trunk there's a plastic divider tethered in place. Behind that divider is space for your baggage. It's not a big area. Edmunds has a picture of it with two golf bags:
http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpconta...otoId=20115733
But, it looks like they shoehorned them in. I got my 26" wheeled bag and a laptop backpack in comfortably, but not much else. If you're not planning on dropping the top, you can unlatch the divider, and the trunk becomes much bigger, easily accommodating bags for 2-3 people. The top is fully power operated - you don't even have to unlatch it at the top of the windshield. Just put it in P, hold the button, and wait.
Driving: As noted above, performance on the roads was solid. I took a spin down CA 1 to Monterey with the top down, and it was a fun drive, even though I needed a windbreaker since it was still in the upper 50s. (hey, I needed a break from the <10-degree weather in Chicago!).
Interior room: Very good up front for a tall guy like myself. Good legroom in the back by convertible standards (which is to say it was no worse than the rear seat legroom in my Civic).
Overall, I'd recommend this as a decent convertible option.
Got this car at SFO a couple of weeks ago. I arrived around 8p and found exactly 2 cars between the EA and ES sections. A Mazda 6 and the subject of this Ride Report. My car appeared to be LAX based, and had about 23000 miles on the clock, so it had certainly been well used, although.
Here's a link to info about the car at Edmunds: http://www.edmunds.com/new/2008/chry...chlanding.html
Basics: This was the "Limited" edition of the Sebring, which means it came with a 3.5L V6 mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The car certainly had great performance, but the V6 was a fuel hog. I got ~20 mpg in mixed driving, and the car has a relatively puny fuel tank, giving it <300 miles of range on a full tank. Handling was solid on the freeway and on some of the winding roads separating SFO from the coast (CA 92 and CA 84). Road noise was pretty well controlled with the top up at freeway speeds. Not as quiet as a hardtop, but better than the Mustang convertibles I used to get with Hertz. The body felt pretty stuff, and there was no jitter in the windscreen like the Ford - must have some pretty strong A pillars.
The Convertible: The top and how it works with the trunk is kind of weird. With the top up, when you open the trunk there's a plastic divider tethered in place. Behind that divider is space for your baggage. It's not a big area. Edmunds has a picture of it with two golf bags:
http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpconta...otoId=20115733
But, it looks like they shoehorned them in. I got my 26" wheeled bag and a laptop backpack in comfortably, but not much else. If you're not planning on dropping the top, you can unlatch the divider, and the trunk becomes much bigger, easily accommodating bags for 2-3 people. The top is fully power operated - you don't even have to unlatch it at the top of the windshield. Just put it in P, hold the button, and wait.
Driving: As noted above, performance on the roads was solid. I took a spin down CA 1 to Monterey with the top down, and it was a fun drive, even though I needed a windbreaker since it was still in the upper 50s. (hey, I needed a break from the <10-degree weather in Chicago!).
Interior room: Very good up front for a tall guy like myself. Good legroom in the back by convertible standards (which is to say it was no worse than the rear seat legroom in my Civic).
Overall, I'd recommend this as a decent convertible option.
Feb 9, 2009, 5:53 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: YYJ
Programs: Aeroplan, Priority Club, National Exec Elite, Hertz #1 Gold, Avis First, Thrifty Bluechip
Posts: 1,924
Nice report!
I rented a Touring model in YYZ last June. It has the 2.7L V6. Performance from that is adequate, but certainly not as spirited as I imagine the 3.5L is. As far as handling the model I had felt very unsettled around tight corners. I took a fairly tight corner in an industrial complex at about 30 mph and I swear it felt like the car was bending at the middle. There aren't any suspension differences between the Touring and the Limited, however the tire size is different (17" vs. 18" respectively). Not sure if that makes a difference but that was just my impression of it.
Otherwise it was a nice car to drive for the 10 days I had it. I did end up trading it for a Cobalt on the last day due to the luggage space issue. And of course, it had been about 60-65 degrees the whole time I had it, and then shot up to 85 the day I had the Cobalt.
I rented a Touring model in YYZ last June. It has the 2.7L V6. Performance from that is adequate, but certainly not as spirited as I imagine the 3.5L is. As far as handling the model I had felt very unsettled around tight corners. I took a fairly tight corner in an industrial complex at about 30 mph and I swear it felt like the car was bending at the middle. There aren't any suspension differences between the Touring and the Limited, however the tire size is different (17" vs. 18" respectively). Not sure if that makes a difference but that was just my impression of it.
Otherwise it was a nice car to drive for the 10 days I had it. I did end up trading it for a Cobalt on the last day due to the luggage space issue. And of course, it had been about 60-65 degrees the whole time I had it, and then shot up to 85 the day I had the Cobalt.
Feb 9, 2009, 7:12 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: US Silver; WN A-List; Marriott Plat Premier
Posts: 448
I've had the Sebring a few different times. It is fun to get a convertible when you're not expecting one (well, and when you can actually enjoy it as well).
My only complaints would be: 1) the sight lines out of the back and rear windows are not that great and 2) I've had that back plastic divider broken on a couple of different cars I've rented. Unless you go back in the trunk and hook it up to the latches (even though it is dangling from them) the top will not come down.
My only complaints would be: 1) the sight lines out of the back and rear windows are not that great and 2) I've had that back plastic divider broken on a couple of different cars I've rented. Unless you go back in the trunk and hook it up to the latches (even though it is dangling from them) the top will not come down.