2008 Chrysler Sebring Sedan LX (Base) review from North America

Nothing has gone wrong so far, but the car is new.

The car has a 3 year, 36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty and a lifetime powertrain warranty with a $100 deductible. You have to take the car in for a dealer inspection every 5 years for free, but in exchange, you're covered for life. If your transmission dies in 30 years, Chrysler will replace it for $100.

This car is a great value. For under $18,000 I got a car loaded with auto, air, Sirius satellite radio, keyless entry with alarm, and a very comfortable ride.

I like the looks, but others don't. It's a matter of opinion both inside and out. I like the aggressive nose, character line on the side above the door handle, and the funky art-deco styling inside.

The seats are comfortable, though a bit narrower than in other cars. There's tons of headroom and legroom. For a tall guy like me, that's a plus.

Acceleration is adequate from the base 4 cylinder, and I've averaged 30 MPG from this engine/transmission combo. The engine is a but noisy, but gets good mileage. It goes right up to 80 MPH without a problem and has plenty of merging and passing power both on the highway and in town.

Handling is good for a mid-sized car, with a nice balance of control and comfort. Bumps are soaked up well by the suspension, but the car comfortably handles rural road curves and high speed handling on the interstate is effortless.

The body is VERY stiff and doesn't bend, twist or rattle. This car really feels like its hewn out of solid steel -- very reassuring in handling and also when it comes to safety. Chrysler says the Sebring earned a 5-star front and 5-star side crash rating. It has 6 standard airbags -- 2 front, 2 front side seat, and 2 curtain airbags.

Front disk/rear drum antilock brakes are standard. They are good at stopping from speed, have minimal fade, and good pedal feel.

The thing that really blows me away about this car is how much standard equipment Chrysler has put in it for the price. Power everything, great radio (with a free year of Sirius satellite service), keyless entry, premium dash, etc. for a very competitive price. Competitors from Ford, GM, Toyota and Honda cost thousands more and didn't have as many features.

Some reviewers panned this car as "not enough." If Chrysler was charging $30K or so for this vehicle, as competitors are, they'd be right. But for under $18K for the base model (which is still loaded), it's a screaming deal that the competition cannot match.

If you're looking at a smaller car, you can get a Sebring for about the same money -- and get more space, more options and the same mileage. If you're looking at a car from the Koreans, Chrysler has come up with a similarly priced car that feels, drives and looks more upscale. If you're looking at another midsized car, it's difficult to beat the value this car offers -- which is why I bought it!

Chrysler, and this car, don't get enough respect. That's actually good news for those of us in the market, as Chrysler has produced a good car with great incentives and a reassuring warranty. This is a lot of comfortable, good looking car for not much money.