2006 Chrysler Sebring Convertible Limited Test Drive

You'll either love it or hate it

2006 is the last year for the Chrysler Sebring Convertible, but it's going out in style; it has been the best-selling convertible in the US for seven out of the past nine years. What sets the Chrysler apart is its roomy back seat and trunk -- in fact its only real competitor is the Toyota Solara. From a mechanical standpoint, the Toyota is probably a better car -- but I still like the Sebring better. $26,790 base, $34,055 as tested, EPA fuel economy 21/28 MPG city/ highway.

First Glance: An old familiar friend

The Sebring Convertible should be a familiar sight to most drivers by now. It first appeared in 1996 as a replacement for the drop-top LeBaron. Chrysler redesigned the Sebring in 2001, but its not as if most people would notice; you had to look pretty hard to spot the changes. Say what you will about Chrysler: They know when not to mess with a good thing. The basic shape may be a decade old, but it still looks good to me.

Why is the Sebring so popular? Space is its biggest claim to fame; it doesn't squeeze back-seat passengers the way most convertibles do. (That's because it's based on a sedan platform, whereas most convertibles start life as coupes.) It's certainly not the most sophisticated or well-designed convertible on the market. The argument about good ol' American value doesn't entirely apply: the Sebring's price range is the same as the Toytoa Solara convertible. Buyers can probably negotiate a better deal on the Chrysler, but resale values drop like a sack of manure as soon as you drive it off the lot.

I imagine most people like the Sebring for the same reason I do: It's simply a likeable car.

Continued below...

In the Driver's Seat: What's up with the wood trim?

If there's one thing I could change about the Sebring, it'd be the interior materials. The wood trim (link goes to photo) on my tester was horrible: It looked a bit like plastic, but its burrs and rough spots were straight out of the scrap lumber bin at Home Depot. I was afraid to touch it for fear of splinters. The rest of the interior was done in a green-over-beige color combination. Beige: Good. Green: Weird. Still, I can forgive the oddball trim. I found the front seats to be really comfortable. The seat belt's upper mounting point is in the seat itself, which means a) it fits every occupant perfectly and b) there's no belt to duck under when getting into the back. Robin gave two thumbs up to the Sebring's optional seat heaters; they have six temperature settings and they warm the lower back as well as the butt.

The Sebring is one of the only convertibles where I'd voluntarily opt to sit in the back seat. It’s comfortable and roomy, not just by convertible standards but by sedan standards.

Other high points: Big trunk, easy-to-operate power top and a lockable center console. (Lockable storage is especially important in a convertible: Convertible tops are more expensive to replace then stereos.)

On the road: Bad body flex, great fuel economy

With the steel roof hacked off, convertibles need extra bracing for rigidity; stiffness is generally considered a benchmark of convertible quality. The Sebring isn't very stiff: At lower speeds you can feel it flexing and twisting over uneven spots in the road. But, as with the interior, the whole driving experience works so well that one can forgive it.

Robin and I took the Sebring for an all-day drive through central California, and neither one of us could come up with a single complaint. Ride? Wonderful, Handling? Just right -- Robin dove into a few curves with plus-four pucker factor speed, but the Sebring sailed through with nary a squeal from the tires. The Sebring has no special wind-baffling gear, but even at sixty-five-per we barely had to raise our voices to converse.

Even the powertrain is a perfect balance of power and economy: plenty of power in the hills, and our 27.8 MPG average in open-topped back-hills driving (which rose to 28.3 for the week) meant that Robin and I could afford to take trips like this more often. (Its EPA ratings are 21 MPG city, 28 highway.) The 4-speed automatic is a bit quaint, but it did just fine by the 200 horsepower 2.7 liter V6 under the Sebring's hood.

Journey's End: Dissent in the About.com Cars ranks

So we've established that the Sebring Convertible is far from perfect, and that despite all that, I really, really liked it. There wasn't a drive short enough to drop the top and motor in the sun. (To be honest, had it not rained for a day, I probably never would have lowered the top at all. Top up it was reasonably quiet and weather-tight.)

That said, Jason Fogelson test drove the Sebring Convertible in 2005. His conclusions were almost the opposite of mine: He didn't care for the shape, he thought the engine was wheezy, the handling sub-par and the wind noise excessive. He didn't even like the back seat. The cars we drove were nearly identical. One man's trash, as the saying goes.

If you're looking for a family-friendly convertible, I think you should definitely test drive the Sebring Convertible. You should also check out the Toyota Solara convertible. It's stiffer and much better built, but -- to me -- not as enjoyable. The two cars are a study in opposites; drive them both and chances are you'll love one and hate the other.

You know which side of the fence I'm on: I love the Sebring Convertible. Would I buy one? You bet I would... just not one with wood trim.