2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible

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By  Marty Padgett, Executive Editor

2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible
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2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE STYLING | [5 out of 10]

Kelley Blue Book: “Unique styling…sets the Sebring apart”
Cars.com: “recall(s) a kindler, gentler Chrysler”
Jalopnik: “lackluster performance and…a body to match”
Car and Driver: “No Longer the Ugly Duckling, but Hardly a Swan”
NY Newsday: "it's a good looker"

Reviewers were split on the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible’s style. Kelley Blue Book has praise for it, describing it as “elegant,” noting its “egg-crate” grille and large headlights. NY Newsday acknowledges it as a "good looker," but has little to say beyond that. Mother Proof describes the convertible as "sharp looking," but felt as if the design was targeted at older drivers with its "large grill" and "boxy feel." Cars.com discussed the “lean lines” that “stretch the convertible,” adding that the two-door convertible did not have the “squatty look of the sedan.”

More opinionated sources had an active dislike for the Chrysler Sebring Convertible’s shapes. Jalopnik was highly critical of this vehicle’s styling, commenting that “it took a keen eye, some serious hallucinogenic substances and a love of the George Foreman Grill to make the already ‘fugly’ Chrysler Sebring even less fetching.” The Los Angeles Times wrote a scathing indictment: “It makes me long for the exquisite craftsmanship of the Pontiac flipping G6…and the Sebring Convertible is homely, too.” The rear end is “cantilevered gracelessly over the rear wheels,” as if “it's had unholy congress with an El Camino.”

TheCarConnection.com has driven the Sebring Convertible extensively and has similar opinions about the Sebring Convertible inside and out. The new body design is choppy, ungainly, and unattractive with any of the available tops raised in place. Inside, the dash is a mishmash of shapes and textures, with some lines going retro and others trying to carve a modern look. Edmunds considers the styling OK—they praise an “ergonomically friendly art deco design that says Chrysler Building more than Chrysler car”—but are equally let down by textures and materials that degrade the styling that actually does work.

Conclusion: As Car and Driver said of the Sebring, Chrysler’s built a car with “a face only a manufacturer could love.”

2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE PERFORMANCE | [6 out of 10]

Kelley Blue Book: “ride and handling characteristics aren't at the top”
L.A. Times: “a rattling, thumping, lolling tragedy of a car”
Car and Driver: "The Sebring is no fun at the dance"
Road & Track: “either six-cylinder engine is a better choice”
ConsumerGuide: “struggles in passing and merging situations”
Detroit News: "On the road, the Sebring convertible is fun to drive"

The 2008 Chrysler Sebring’s standard four-cylinder engine is the company’s much-touted “World Engine,” which is used in several other vehicles, including the Dodge Caliber and the Jeep Compass. While its fuel economy is acceptable, if not spectacular by today’s standards, the four-cylinder engine has some serious shortcomings. The 173-hp four-cylinder is mated to an automatic transmission and musters 23/31 mpg but is sluggish in nearly all driving modes, freeway or city. It’s the car that Chrysler sends to rental-car fleets, and to say it’s unentertaining is a vast understatement.

The pleasures of top-down driving aside, most sources agree that the 2008 Chrysler Sebring is significantly underpowered. ConsumerGuide acknowledged that the optional V-6 engines provide “ample power,” but this power gain is negated by a less-than-adequate transmission that shifts slowly and “harshly.” The 235-hp V-6 option is teamed with a six-speed automatic; TheCarConnection.com’s editors believe it’s markedly quieter and more pleasant but just not enough for a convertible skirting $30,000.

The four-cylinder engine may be adequate for sedan models, but it definitely struggles with the extra weight of the convertible. Chrysler recommends against using the four-cylinder Chrysler Sebring Convertible for towing; however, both V-6 versions are capable of hauling a payload of up to 1,000 pounds.

Cars.com notes that the Convertible weighs about 400 pounds more than the Sebring sedan, and the mass takes a toll. In terms of handling, the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible has a fairly smooth ride, but its dynamics pay a price for the convertible top. The steering has decent feedback, but Edmunds notes that “handling is also compromised by all that weight over the rear wheels.” ConsumerGuide noted some "body shudder" when driving the convertible over rough surfaces.

Conclusion: The 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible is an acceptable performer only with the V-6 engine—and even then, handling is far from crisp.

2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE COMFORT AND QUALITY | [6 out of 10]

Car and Driver: “Sebring [is] at the bottom of the class”
USA Today: “shakes a little…but otherwise pleasant to drive”
Edmunds: “there is less front and almost no rear legroom”

Reviews for the comfort and quality of the 2008 Chrysler Sebring convertible were mixed, although none were stellar. Opinions ranged from “acceptable” to downright “awful.”

Car and Driver was "impressed by the interior materials," but most reviewers felt the Sebring Convertible’s trim left a lot to be desired. Edmunds.com describes materials as "below average, with cheap plastics and hard surfaces."

According to USAToday, while some individuals' physiques may find the seats "agreeable," the interior actually leaves a great deal to be desired; the front seats had an "uncomfortable bulge" on the back rests' lower edge, and the lumbar adjustment (always a bugbear in automotive seating) was incorrectly placed. Meanwhile, leg and knee room for backseat occupants was virtually nonexistent. Once the hardtop is down, it leaves almost nothing in the way of trunk space.

TheCarConnection.com’s editors found better comfort in the front seats—and actually noted a decent amount of headroom in the back. But backseat passengers don’t fare as well, as legroom for adults in the back is tight, and seating for three across is impossible. The mismatched, plasticky interior is the Sebring Convertible’s bigger problem; for a car that can exceed $30,000 quite easily, the Convertible’s trim and finishes look more like those in a $20,000 car.

Conclusion: The 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible has mediocre materials and not enough rear legroom to make its case.

2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE SAFETY | [9 out of 10]

ConsumerGuide: “Narrow roof pillars contribute to good outward visibility”
USAToday: “Expected bags, belts, side-impact bags for front occupants, anti-lock brakes”
Edmunds: “the brakes…are the best”
Road & Track: “standard side seat-mounted air bags…tire-pressure monitoring system”
NY Newsday: "as good as it gets"

The 2008 Chrysler Sebring comes up fair to middling in most other respects, but with the Sebring, Chrysler has spared no expense when it comes to safety features. Visibility from behind the wheel is excellent, and the anti-lock brakes included standard on all Sebring models have been rated superior to excellent by all sources except Jalopnik.

The 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible comes with standard front and side airbags, as well as ABS. An electronic stability system is offered as an option with the convertible models. According to NY Newsday, this option runs $425. Also standard with the Sebring is the tire-pressure monitoring gauge. This not only assists the driver in maintaining safety but fuel economy as well, since a vehicle riding on tires that are underpressured can waste up to 10 percent of its fuel.

Safety ratings are strong. The driver has four-star front-crash protection and the front passenger, five-star protection, according to the NHTSA. Side impact is five stars for front and rear occupants, and the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible rates four stars in rollover resistance.

Conclusion: Those for whom safety is a primary concern will be quite satisfied with the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible.

2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE FEATURES | [9 out of 10]

USA Today: “available with vinyl or cloth folding soft top, or with a retractable hardtop”
Kelley Blue Book: “standard…AM/FM, 6-disc CD player and SIRIUS Satellite Radio”
ConsumerGuide: “tilt/telescopic steering wheel, cruise control…”
Car and Driver: “Base models … are outfitted on the okay side of not bad”

The 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible has all the high-tech features buyers want, and some usually found only on more luxurious convertibles.

Most reviewers were impressed with the Sebring Convertible's available sound and entertainment systems. Kelley Blue Book and other sources report that the base LX model includes a six-CD stereo and Sirius hardware. An optional audio system is available. Designed by Harman Kardon, the MyGIG system enables the user to download up to 20GB of MP3 files from jump drives or other portable media via its own USB port. It can be teamed with a “nifty voice-activated…navigation-and-audio system, which includes…available real-time traffic reports,” says Car and Driver.

The choice of convertible tops might be a boon for decisive buyers who know what they want. But USAToday found the mechanism can be temperamental. The paper reports that it’s necessary to pay close attention when raising and lowering the hardtop, as there is nothing to sense obstacles if something binds or something (or someone) gets tangled up in the mechanism. The top does allow the driver—via a keyfob button—to open and close the top without being inside the car.

Car and Driver notes that in case your beverage of choice gets too cooled by the wind or too warmed by the sun when driving the 2008 Chrysler Sebring convertible, an optional “heated-and-cooled cup holder [is] capable of warming your latte to 140 degrees or chilling your soda to just above freezing.”

Conclusion: Those who like high-tech gadgetry and a high-quality sound system will find very little to complain about with the 2008 Chrysler Sebring.