For my taste, the Sebring convertible has always been one of the best looking cars on the market. They slightly changed the front end for 2004, and it looks even better. The new wheels help as well.

But the Sebring has been around since 1996. The current one ( they called it all new in 2000), only had a new front and rear design, a partially new interior with a new Chrysler engine. (replacing the rough and noisy Mitsubishi V6 from the previous model).

We are basically looking at an 8 year old design. It still looks great, but hardly new.

The worst part of the car has to be the dashboard. Which is the newest part! The old one from the 1996 design was actually more modern. This one is flat and cheap looking. It just doesn't work with the gorgeous exterior. It really makes no sense. The 2004 upgrade only got rid of the ugly fake wood on the base model. But it still resembles an 1980's interior design... The 2004 Coupe ( based on the Mitsubishi Eclipse) received a completely new dash. The convertible and sedan models could have used an upgrade as well...

Otherwise, the interior is well put together. No big gaps between parts. And almost everything is where it should be. Except the radio is too low. And it all feels good to the touch.

One of the best part of this car is the back seat. It has about as much room as a sedan. Only not as wide. It is just too bad it doesn't have any of the modern safety and conveniences. A roll over system, like the new Beetle, or even basic headrests! That could be very dangerous in case of a rear crash. Even at very low speed. These things should be mandatory on every car, convertible or not.

The car drives pretty much like a 2 door sedan. You don't seat as low as in a sports car. It can actually be a pretty good substitute for people looking for a regular sedan. It drives the same, and is about as roomy. The V6 is mostly very quiet and smooth. As well as the transmission You only feel a little jerk when you get to a stop. (weird).

The suspension and the steering seem to have been made a little firmer for 2004. A very good thing. The car now feels much tighter than before.

But it still shakes much, much more than a regular car. And more than most other convertible. And it gets worse with age! It almost feels like a truck based SUV sometimes. There's always a little bit of shake in the steering wheel. Not too bad, but easy to notice.

As you can see, the trunk is very large and usefull for a convertible. Not large enough to conduct illigal organized crime activities. But there is plenty of room to accomodate my ugly roommate's make up kit.

And watch out for that "cave effect". The huge blind spot you are staring at when you try to back up. You just can't see anything. It's even dangerous to check the right lane before merging. The glass rear window is also pretty small, and sits very high. The car just becomes a pain to drive with the top up... And up front, there are some nasty reflections on the windshield, form the vents on the dashboard. It gets really distracting. Why nobody noticed it during the million miles of testing is beyong me.

A full redesign of the Sebring is due in a couple of years. It will be based on a Mitsubishi platform used in the 2004 Galant and Endeavor. Although some Chryler engine might still be available.

Let's hope they will make this good car a great one. More safety, a modern interior and a stronger platform should do it. You can trust Chrysler designers to do a great job. But for now, ther isn't much competition. The Mustang is an even older design (new for 2005). And the Toyota Solara will be all new very soon, but it is more expensive. Most other convertibles are even more. Which brings us the the price. MSRP starts at over $26 000. But you can get these cars for about $22 000 or $23 000. Which makes them a great deal!

For about the same price as a borring mid size sedan, you can drive a great looking, fun convertible. And it works for a small family. So there are some compromises about the interior etc.. But it's not $35 000! Everyone who loves cars should own a convertible once in their life. The Sebring is an easy and practicle way to do it. So why not take that step into putting a little more fun in your life...

For more info on this car, why don't you click HERE, and see what happens...

For more info on this cool car