There have been few cars more invisible than the Chrysler Sebring. Launched in 1995, it never rose above the crowded midsize sedan field to enter public consciousness. I personally liked the sleek, low-cowl styling, but it was apparently too subtle for the typical midsize sedan buyer. A half-hearted 2001 redesign brought nothing new to the table, and thus was, if anything, a step backward. As a result, a large proportion of each year's production has gone to Thrifty.

For 2007 Chrysler has totally redesigned the Sebring. The new car's styling is much more distinctive, and its interior is roomier. But is it good enough to earn retail customers, or is this one also destined for Thrifty? I took one for a test drive to find out.

The new Sebring is offered with three engines, a 173-horsepower 2.4-liter four, a 189-horsepower 2.7-liter V6, and a 235-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. To see the car in the best possible light, I wanted to drive the last. So I called around town and found one dealer that claimed to have the Limited trim. I drove across town--many other dealers were closer--only to find that they also only had the Base and the Touring. So I drove a Touring with the 2.7.

Styling

I've already gone on record elsewhere about how hideous I find the Chrysler Sebring's new exterior styling. But I'll hit the main points again here. First, the front end, with its large, droopy, puppy dog headlights and six-grooved hood, could not be homelier. Second, the window outline has been faked with a large triangle of black trim. On light-colored cars the effect almost works; on dark ones the trim piece disappears into the body, leaving the impression that the strip of chrome beneath the windows continues onward a few more inches than it ought to. Finally, the large, amorphous tail lamps don't tie in with any other aspect of the design; they don't look like they belong on this car.

These faults not withstanding, the car I drove, with silver paint and the optional 18-inch alloys, looked much better than the black, steel-wheeled base car in the showroom. For this car to have a shot at success Chrysler should make the 18s standard and offer the car only in light colors. Each black one that escapes is a nail in the Sebring's coffin.

The interior is a very interesting place to be. Thick silver plastic trim pieces styled in the art deco idiom grace the doors and dash. I kind of like them. The plastics are generally hard, but they have interesting textures and feel sturdy. Everything looks and feels tight and precisely assembled. There's certainly more character here than in the interiors of Chrysler's large cars.

If there is a problem with the interior, it might be that there's too much going on now rather than too little. The general approach to styling reminds me of the 1958 Buick and Oldsmobile. Back then, Chrysler had introduced some ultra-swoopy big-finned new designs. In response, GM threw a ton of chrome trim onto the dated, stodgy bodies of the Buick and Oldsmobile. The public didn't like. But, the challenge is greater in the current case. Chrysler needs to break through the clutter and public indifference. Maybe heavy-handed styling is what is needed to set the new Sebring apart from the competition.

Accommodations

The new Chrysler Sebring, with a height of 59 inches, is tall for a sedan. This enables it to provide about as much room inside as the current class leaders. Adult heads and legs should find ample space, front and rear.

The driving position relative to the instrument panel is much lower than in an Accord or Camry. Though forward visibility is still more than adequate, this driving position makes the car feel bulkier than it might otherwise.

The front seats are firmer than those in the average domestic sedan. Which I don't mind. What I do mind is that they are very flat. If anything, the seatback felt bowed out in the center. (Adjusting the lumbar doesn't affect this.) Passable, but far less comfortable than the seats in the Camry SE I drove afterwards.

The rear seat is similarly just passable. It offers decent thigh support, but the seatback is quite flat.

The trunk is roomy, and the hinges on its lid are the non-intrusive sort. The 60/40 split rear seat folds to reveal a large opening. This is good to see in this day and age of ever more constricted passthroughs. The front passenger seat also folds flat, in case you need to carry an especially long object (the brochure uses a pair of skis to demonstrate).

On the Road

As I said, I really wanted to drive the Limited with the 3.5. The 2.7 has never been an outstanding engine, and it continues to accompany merely adequate acceleration with a wheezy soundtrack in its latest iteration. The four is nearly as powerful, more fuel efficient, and costs $1,350 less. There really isn't a justification for a 189-horse six these days; Chrysler should just offer the four and the 3.5.

The 3.5 not only provides more power, but is teamed with a manually-shiftable six-speed automatic rather than the 2.7's conventional four-speed box. I've sampled Chrysler's new six-speed in the 2007 Pacifica, and it's a good one, with a stump-pulling first gear, quick responses to throttle inputs, and smooth shifts. The four-speed doesn't begin to compare.

The ride and handling of the new Sebring are better than the previous sedan's, but still aren't especially notable. They're decent, nothing more, nothing less. In other words, they're about what I'd expect to find in a rental car. If the Sebring were set up for an enthusiast, the steering would have to be quicker and more communicative, and there would have to be less lean in turns. Ride motions would have to be more tightly damped. As it is, the ride is fairly smooth and quiet, but so is the ride of most competitors. The chassis tuning is very safe, complete with the expected front-drive understeer.

The Camry SE V6 I drove afterwards blew the Sebring away in all aspects of performance. It even earns slightly better fuel economy ratings to the Sebring I drove despite offering 79 more horsepower.

I still hope to drive the Limited with the 3.5 in the near future. Maybe it will provide performance more worth writing about. I'm bored with the Touring. Time to move on.

Chrysler Sebring Price Comparisons and Pricing

In the past, the Sebring's strongest draw has been a low price. The new one isn't so strong here, at least not until the big rebates arrive.

Let's forget about the 2.7. Comparing four-cylinder base trim cars, the Sebring is about $900 less than the Camry before adjusting for feature differences, and $420 less afterwards. Load both cars up with the top V6 and every other shared option, and the gap widens to about $2,200.

Saturns sell at sticker. Still, the sticker on a loaded Aura XR is within dollars of the INVOICE price of a similarly loaded Sebring Limited. And adjusting for features is in the Saturn's favor.

I can only conclude that significant rebates are already baked into the Sebring's price.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Sebring:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/Sebring.php

Last Words

Wrapped inside the Sebring's bizarre styling you'll find a thoroughly average appliance, at least in the base and Touring trims. I did almost forget to mention the Sebring's main claim to fame: a heated and cooled cupholder is available with the Touring and Limited. Chrysler will also be advertising the 20-gig media storage drive that is part of the optional navigation system. But I'm not one for the bells and whistles. I want a pretty face and an entertaining driving experience. The former isn't available here. I still need to find out whether the Limited can deliver the latter.

A Note on Chrysler Sebring Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Sebring rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Chrysler Sebring reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need data on all cars--not just the Sebring--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

I can report from personal experience that 2002 model year Chrysler four-speed automatics can fail at 52,000 miles and that, when they do, Chrysler Customer Care doesn't. In recent years Chrysler provided a standard 7/70 powertrain warranty, but it's back to 3/36 for 2007. I'd now be inclined towards purchasing an extended warranty with any Chrysler product.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Dodge Stratus R/T review (previous generation)
Ford Fusion review
Hyundai Sonata review
Kia Optima review
Mazda6 review
Mitsubishi Galant review
Nissan Altima review
Pontiac G6 GTP review
Saturn AURA review
Toyota Camry review