Likes:
- Smooth ride
- Lots of useful options
- Spacious interior (sedan)
- SpaceRoom for four adults (convertible)
- Choice of convertible tops
Dislikes:
- Awkward styling
- Unimpressive performance
- Chintzy interior materials
- Lack of refinement (four-cylinder)
For 2010, the Chrysler Sebring is again offered either as a sedan or a convertible. The sedan competes at the heart of the mid-size sedan class—including models like the Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion—but fails to wow on almost any count, while the Convertible, despite being one of the best-selling ragtops in America, is decidedly mediocre. The Sebring Convertible is neither a sporting machine nor a car to be seen in; rather, it's the kind of car you take for a cruise for ice cream on a hot summer night for the sheer experience of being in a convertible.
Overall, the Chrysler Sebring sedan is less controversially styled than its Dodge Avenger sibling, which tries to pull off a scaled-down version of the Dodge Charger’s muscle-car stance. However, the Sebring ends up lookingappearing slab-sided and offers a collection of details andthat is neither look attractive nor hideous. The Convertible’s styling is downright awkward, though, with a roofline that doesn’t quite work. On the inside of either model, the Sebring is inoffensively styled but disappoints in the details, with the Sebring lagging behind its rivals in terms of quality.
The Sebring line now offers just two engine choices—: a standard 2.4-liter, 173-horsepower four-cylinder; or an optional 3.5-liter, 235-hp V-6 coupled with a new six-speed automatic transaxle. While we’ve found the four-cylinder versions of most other modern mid-size sedans to be perfectly agreeable and adequate for mostthe majority of needs, the base powertrain in the Sebring feels coarse, and sluggish to react with the four-speed automatic. The much more powerful V-6 brings a different, smoother character altogether, with a more responsive six-speed transmission and better refinement, but fuel economy ratings with the V-6 lag the competition, at 16 mpg city. Fuel economy is rated at 24/32 mpg for the four-cylinder.
