Chrysler 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible
- Thread starter Bartek S.
- Start date
Chrysler is a storied American brand founded in 1925. A pillar of the "Big Three," it is now part of Stellantis, focused on premium family mobility. Official: Chrysler
Chrysler's Sebring convertible hasn't won much adoration from enthusiasts, but in two generations of ragtops, it's been a solid performer on the sales charts. Off and on for ten years, it's been the best-selling convertible in America, trading off in recent years with Ford's Mustang.
Chrysler offers three different engine options in the Sebring convertible for U.S. customers. The base engine is a 173-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, which delivers 23 miles per gallon in city and 31 miles per gallon in highway driving.
A 2.7-liter, flexible-fuel V-6 engine with 189 horsepower is the middle choice in the Sebring family. Teamed with a four-speed automatic, it's just adequate for most of the demands placed on the nearly 3500-pound Sebring.
We found a little more energy and verve in the new 3.5-liter V-6 in the Limited model. With 235 horsepower and a six-speed automatic transmission, it's markedly quieter and more pleasant to listen to than the smaller six, though the engine's additional power isn't HEMI-obvious. It's nearly as fuel-frugal as the 2.7-liter six, too.
If you're driving in Europe, you'll be able to sample a diesel-engined Sebring.
Chrysler offers three different engine options in the Sebring convertible for U.S. customers. The base engine is a 173-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, which delivers 23 miles per gallon in city and 31 miles per gallon in highway driving.
A 2.7-liter, flexible-fuel V-6 engine with 189 horsepower is the middle choice in the Sebring family. Teamed with a four-speed automatic, it's just adequate for most of the demands placed on the nearly 3500-pound Sebring.
We found a little more energy and verve in the new 3.5-liter V-6 in the Limited model. With 235 horsepower and a six-speed automatic transmission, it's markedly quieter and more pleasant to listen to than the smaller six, though the engine's additional power isn't HEMI-obvious. It's nearly as fuel-frugal as the 2.7-liter six, too.
If you're driving in Europe, you'll be able to sample a diesel-engined Sebring.
- Messages
- 14,857
- Name
- Derek
Full credit to Chrysler which actually bothered to engineer a 3 piece folding hardtop instead of going for the cheaper option. But why does the roof have to look so ugly when it is up? Maybe it is shaped like that to provide more rear head room. The joint between the roof and the top of the windscreen looks really ugly, and the side window profile is really horrible.
Are there any better alternatives in the American market?
Are there any better alternatives in the American market?
- Messages
- 14,857
- Name
- Derek
humm better, but not that much better, there is something about the hardtop, they just don't look as well designed as European folding hardtops.
2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible production started
http://pictures.topspeed.com/cars/c...0/IMG/jpg/d/2008_sebring_convertible_3-2w.jpg
Chrysler has announced today that the production of the all new 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible started at Heights (Mich.) Assembly Plant (SHAP) alongside the Chrysler Sebring Sedan and the 2008 Dodge Avenger.
The Assembly Plant featurs a new technology, called Flexible Manufacturing Strategy (FMS) that allows the company to bring its new vehicles to market more quickly and to manufacture multiple products on one assembly line.
"We are seeing a great deal of success at the Sterling Heights facility due to the commitment of our plant employees," said Frank Ewasyshyn, Executive Vice President - Manufacturing. "Their willingness to support and foster a small-team workplace model has delivered a successful third-vehicle launch.
"With our Flexible Manufacturing Strategy, the assembly operation now has the capability to build multiple upper bodies and multiple vehicle families, allowing the flexibility to add new models or "cross-load" models from other plants in order to better meet market dynamics," said Robert Bowers, Plant Manager - Sterling Heights Assembly Plant.
2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible production started - Top Speed
http://pictures.topspeed.com/cars/c...0/IMG/jpg/d/2008_sebring_convertible_3-2w.jpg
Chrysler has announced today that the production of the all new 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible started at Heights (Mich.) Assembly Plant (SHAP) alongside the Chrysler Sebring Sedan and the 2008 Dodge Avenger.
The Assembly Plant featurs a new technology, called Flexible Manufacturing Strategy (FMS) that allows the company to bring its new vehicles to market more quickly and to manufacture multiple products on one assembly line.
"We are seeing a great deal of success at the Sterling Heights facility due to the commitment of our plant employees," said Frank Ewasyshyn, Executive Vice President - Manufacturing. "Their willingness to support and foster a small-team workplace model has delivered a successful third-vehicle launch.
"With our Flexible Manufacturing Strategy, the assembly operation now has the capability to build multiple upper bodies and multiple vehicle families, allowing the flexibility to add new models or "cross-load" models from other plants in order to better meet market dynamics," said Robert Bowers, Plant Manager - Sterling Heights Assembly Plant.
2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible production started - Top Speed
...!
Ubermensch
Schwarzwald Sprinter
- Messages
- 197
I love the look especially the interior, but due to Chryslers woes, I have to pass on it.. 
Full Test: 2008 Chrysler Sebring Limited Convertible
What Do Women Want?
So Daimler and Chrysler are divorced. But we needn't worry too much about the American company, not if the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Limited Convertible is anything to go by. Not that this four-passenger convertible is going to redefine the automotive world as we know it. It's just that there seem to be some ingenious people in Chrysler's marketing department who have figured out what women want.
Car companies have been trying to figure out what women want for a long time. They first got serious in the 1950s when large numbers of women began to buy cars, and then later in the 1970s when women revolutionized the consumer-oriented automotive market. Today even the tall white males at Detroit car companies will acknowledge that women have the decisive voice in the majority of car purchases, and they've got the research to prove it.
And what women apparently want is the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Limited Convertible, a four-passenger car with convertible style and all-weather hardtop practicality. Everywhere we went in this Sebring, women came up to us and wanted to talk about it.
It All Starts With Looking Good
As with so many things, it probably begins with looking good. And the Sebring Limited Convertible has the looks to attract many suitors, with a long, smartly styled hood matched to a high-waisted profile. For 2008, the Sebring's wheelbase has been stretched 2.9 inches longer, and it's also 2 inches wider, 3 inches longer and 3.5 inches taller. All this adds up to a bit more interior room, some 88.7 cubic feet of it.
The cabin is similarly becoming, all clean lines and no clutter. Like a pair of snappy sunglasses, the rim of the steering wheel of the Limited is inlaid with plastic tortoise-shell trim and it's complemented by a strip on the dash. Too bad the material doesn't look too classy here, so it's probably best that this stuff is underemployed. There's lots of plastic trim meant to resemble satin-finished aluminum, and it's a lot more persuasive. Unfortunately, the leather upholstery seems like the hardest-wearing hide available, just one step beyond vinyl.
The key female-friendly component here is the presence of four seats, which transform the Sebring convertible from indulgence to practical automobile. There are other sporty four-passenger convertibles like the Ford Mustang, Pontiac G6 and Vw Eos, yet the sedan-style profile seems to have special appeal. The Sebring's backseats can take two adults, and each rear seat also has locating points for a child seat.
Steel That Folds
What makes the Sebring Limited unique is the hardtop convertible, a $1,995 optional replacement for the standard cloth top. With the press of a button on the dash (or even the key fob), 30 seconds of whirring and clunking ensues from various electric motors and servos, the hardtop retracts beneath the hard rear tonneau and then the stoplight courtship display is complete.
The MB SLK reintroduced the hardtop convertible to an enthusiastic public in 1997 and now everybody is used to the idea, but this contraption really makes the Sebring convertible look way more 21st century.
Hardtop convertibles are becoming more popular now, particularly in Europe where the added dimension of security ensures they can be parked on the street overnight without being molested. The Volkswagen Eos is a good example, and the Eos V6 competes against the Sebring here in the U.S. The $36,970 Eos has its price, however, and it's $2,625 more expensive that the Limited.
The Sebring also has a larger trunk than the VW whether the top is up or down. Speaking practically, the Chrysler's trunk holds four golf bags with the roof up, two with the roof down.
You Go, Girl
On the highway, the Sebring's cabin is quiet when the hardtop is in place, and since the 235-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine has some modicum of muscle, inadvertently creeping above speed limits is done easily, especially since there's no thrilling exhaust note that only boys seem to like. With the added structural integrity afforded by the steel roof, the Sebring hardly flexes when it encounters rough road surfaces. And such flexing is only slightly more perceptible with the roof stashed away.
The suspension bits are standard-issue, with MacPherson struts up front and a multilink independent arrangement in back. There's plenty of potential for performance, but Chrysler knows this market requires soft 'n gentle.
At times it seems the mere act of driving past a road sign warning of a twisty road will make the Sebring's front tires chirp in protest, while the body will roll and the nose of the car will show no inclination to follow the sporting line through a corner. As long as you're comfortable with that, the Sebring convertible is a comfortable car, as it's easy to drive and maneuver; a light-effort ride for the boulevard.
While this raspy SOHC V6 hardly seems up to the high-output label that Chrysler gives it, there's a useful margin of power over the alternate 189-hp 2.7-liter V6 and 173-hp 2.4-liter inline-4 with which lesser Sebring convertibles are equipped. Its 235 hp and corresponding 232 pound-feet of torque are more than sufficient for what this front-wheel-drive chassis can handle. The heavy 3,959-pound Limited hits 60 mph from a standstill in a sedate 8.3 seconds, while the quarter-mile is eventually dispatched in 16.3 seconds at 86.3 mph.
The next step along the drivetrain is a perfectly adequate six-speed automatic transmission that only occasionally emits a mild thunk when changing gear. Just put it into Drive and forget it. You can bring the lever into manual mode, but this is a practical matter for ascending hills or descending them, not an opportunity for sporting diversion. The fuel economy is not impressive either and we observed an average of 19.6 mpg.
Altogether, pleasantries are thin on the ground when describing the driving experience. The steering offers little feel or feedback. It took us 133 feet to come to a full stop from 60 mph, which is a measure of this car's sizable weight. The brake pedal has a long, soft action that inspires little more than an urge to hit the anchors much earlier whenever a bend approaches.
Practical Indulgence
A convertible speaks to anyone who has a feel for luxurious indulgence, but women are far too intelligent for such a thing these days, especially since the latest marketing research suggests that these smartest of consumers are not in a spending mood at the moment.
Yet the 2008 Sebring Limited Convertible attracts the interest of women because so much style and luxury seems like a more practical proposition. A hardtop promises safety, security and long-term weather protection. Meanwhile, a four-passenger package is practical as a real everyday car.
While the Sebring hardtop is hardly a threat to the MB CLK, it promises the same thrill of open-air driving, and the fact that it makes such a thing remotely possible for so many people adds to its charm.
This promise is what attracted so many women to this car during our test-drive. This is a clientele that any carmaker would love to have, the smartest, best informed and most style-conscious segment of the population. But if the Sebring hardtop hopes to entice women into a longer relationship than an interlude at the rental car counter during a fun-filled vacation, it needs to back up the promises it makes with a more convincing impression of quality.
Full Test: 2008 Chrysler Sebring Limited Convertible
What Do Women Want?
So Daimler and Chrysler are divorced. But we needn't worry too much about the American company, not if the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Limited Convertible is anything to go by. Not that this four-passenger convertible is going to redefine the automotive world as we know it. It's just that there seem to be some ingenious people in Chrysler's marketing department who have figured out what women want.
Car companies have been trying to figure out what women want for a long time. They first got serious in the 1950s when large numbers of women began to buy cars, and then later in the 1970s when women revolutionized the consumer-oriented automotive market. Today even the tall white males at Detroit car companies will acknowledge that women have the decisive voice in the majority of car purchases, and they've got the research to prove it.
And what women apparently want is the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Limited Convertible, a four-passenger car with convertible style and all-weather hardtop practicality. Everywhere we went in this Sebring, women came up to us and wanted to talk about it.
It All Starts With Looking Good
As with so many things, it probably begins with looking good. And the Sebring Limited Convertible has the looks to attract many suitors, with a long, smartly styled hood matched to a high-waisted profile. For 2008, the Sebring's wheelbase has been stretched 2.9 inches longer, and it's also 2 inches wider, 3 inches longer and 3.5 inches taller. All this adds up to a bit more interior room, some 88.7 cubic feet of it.
The cabin is similarly becoming, all clean lines and no clutter. Like a pair of snappy sunglasses, the rim of the steering wheel of the Limited is inlaid with plastic tortoise-shell trim and it's complemented by a strip on the dash. Too bad the material doesn't look too classy here, so it's probably best that this stuff is underemployed. There's lots of plastic trim meant to resemble satin-finished aluminum, and it's a lot more persuasive. Unfortunately, the leather upholstery seems like the hardest-wearing hide available, just one step beyond vinyl.
The key female-friendly component here is the presence of four seats, which transform the Sebring convertible from indulgence to practical automobile. There are other sporty four-passenger convertibles like the Ford Mustang, Pontiac G6 and Vw Eos, yet the sedan-style profile seems to have special appeal. The Sebring's backseats can take two adults, and each rear seat also has locating points for a child seat.
Steel That Folds
What makes the Sebring Limited unique is the hardtop convertible, a $1,995 optional replacement for the standard cloth top. With the press of a button on the dash (or even the key fob), 30 seconds of whirring and clunking ensues from various electric motors and servos, the hardtop retracts beneath the hard rear tonneau and then the stoplight courtship display is complete.
The MB SLK reintroduced the hardtop convertible to an enthusiastic public in 1997 and now everybody is used to the idea, but this contraption really makes the Sebring convertible look way more 21st century.
Hardtop convertibles are becoming more popular now, particularly in Europe where the added dimension of security ensures they can be parked on the street overnight without being molested. The Volkswagen Eos is a good example, and the Eos V6 competes against the Sebring here in the U.S. The $36,970 Eos has its price, however, and it's $2,625 more expensive that the Limited.
The Sebring also has a larger trunk than the VW whether the top is up or down. Speaking practically, the Chrysler's trunk holds four golf bags with the roof up, two with the roof down.
You Go, Girl
On the highway, the Sebring's cabin is quiet when the hardtop is in place, and since the 235-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine has some modicum of muscle, inadvertently creeping above speed limits is done easily, especially since there's no thrilling exhaust note that only boys seem to like. With the added structural integrity afforded by the steel roof, the Sebring hardly flexes when it encounters rough road surfaces. And such flexing is only slightly more perceptible with the roof stashed away.
The suspension bits are standard-issue, with MacPherson struts up front and a multilink independent arrangement in back. There's plenty of potential for performance, but Chrysler knows this market requires soft 'n gentle.
At times it seems the mere act of driving past a road sign warning of a twisty road will make the Sebring's front tires chirp in protest, while the body will roll and the nose of the car will show no inclination to follow the sporting line through a corner. As long as you're comfortable with that, the Sebring convertible is a comfortable car, as it's easy to drive and maneuver; a light-effort ride for the boulevard.
While this raspy SOHC V6 hardly seems up to the high-output label that Chrysler gives it, there's a useful margin of power over the alternate 189-hp 2.7-liter V6 and 173-hp 2.4-liter inline-4 with which lesser Sebring convertibles are equipped. Its 235 hp and corresponding 232 pound-feet of torque are more than sufficient for what this front-wheel-drive chassis can handle. The heavy 3,959-pound Limited hits 60 mph from a standstill in a sedate 8.3 seconds, while the quarter-mile is eventually dispatched in 16.3 seconds at 86.3 mph.
The next step along the drivetrain is a perfectly adequate six-speed automatic transmission that only occasionally emits a mild thunk when changing gear. Just put it into Drive and forget it. You can bring the lever into manual mode, but this is a practical matter for ascending hills or descending them, not an opportunity for sporting diversion. The fuel economy is not impressive either and we observed an average of 19.6 mpg.
Altogether, pleasantries are thin on the ground when describing the driving experience. The steering offers little feel or feedback. It took us 133 feet to come to a full stop from 60 mph, which is a measure of this car's sizable weight. The brake pedal has a long, soft action that inspires little more than an urge to hit the anchors much earlier whenever a bend approaches.
Practical Indulgence
A convertible speaks to anyone who has a feel for luxurious indulgence, but women are far too intelligent for such a thing these days, especially since the latest marketing research suggests that these smartest of consumers are not in a spending mood at the moment.
Yet the 2008 Sebring Limited Convertible attracts the interest of women because so much style and luxury seems like a more practical proposition. A hardtop promises safety, security and long-term weather protection. Meanwhile, a four-passenger package is practical as a real everyday car.
While the Sebring hardtop is hardly a threat to the MB CLK, it promises the same thrill of open-air driving, and the fact that it makes such a thing remotely possible for so many people adds to its charm.
This promise is what attracted so many women to this car during our test-drive. This is a clientele that any carmaker would love to have, the smartest, best informed and most style-conscious segment of the population. But if the Sebring hardtop hopes to entice women into a longer relationship than an interlude at the rental car counter during a fun-filled vacation, it needs to back up the promises it makes with a more convincing impression of quality.
Full Test: 2008 Chrysler Sebring Limited Convertible
Similar threads
