2002 Chrysler Sebring Sedan LX Plus 2.7 V6 from North America

Summary:

The Sebring is as close in European design as any North American manufacturer has come yet

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong yet. I did find that the headlights were aimed too high from the factory. After the dealer lowered them I no longer had oncoming cars flashing their lights at me.

General Comments:

This car has lots of power from the 200 HP V6 and shifts very smoothly.

We find that this car is quiet and rides very smoothly. It does as good a job as some other larger cars I've driven.

Fit and finish are both good. Interior dash design is open with everything easy to see and all buttons and knobs are easy to use. We did add an aftermarket woodgrain kit on the dash and door panels to upgrade the appearance.

Exterior design is excitingly sporty and attractive, For all the 2002 model cars I think it's one of the best looking cars in it's class.

Many of my co-workers encouraged me to buy a Japanese car so we compared the Sebring mainly with the 2002 Nissan Altima only because the Toyota Camry would cost $10,000 more to get the same options due to the way it was bundled. With Toyota I would have to get every option they offered in order to get the ones I wanted. The Altima could offer almost identically to what we wanted on the Sebring.

The Altima however was going to cost us $6,500 more and that still only got the 4 cylinder to the Sebring's V6. My co-workers encouraged me to recognize this additional cost as something that would be recovered later since they are convinced the Nissan would hold it's value better. Well I drive new cars for 10 years so if I include interest lost on the extra $6,500 if invested for 10 years I calculate the Nissan would have to return me an additional $10,000.

After 10 years and about 200,000 kilometers I did not believe I could get that much more. I also don't expect the car to cost me that many thousands more to keep running.

After all, the car had a 7 year, 115,000 km warranty on the power train with 5 years on everything else.

We were not prepared to drop down into a smaller Nissan, Toyota or Honda in order to afford the options we wanted. In my opinion the value offered by the Sebring is worth giving it as much consideration as any import in it's class.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th January, 2004

25th Sep 2006, 10:24

That's one smart car shopper!

25th Sep 2006, 12:04

If they keep the Sebring for 7-10 years, they will be fine.

However the Sebring's depreciation in the first 1-3 years drops the value to about one third of MSRP, so you must "use it up" to realize the savings.

Change the oil every 3,000 miles (use synthetic) and you should be fine.

2002 Chrysler Sebring Sedan LX Plus 2.7 I4 from North America

Summary:

A great buy for reliable transportation

Faults:

The passenger side view mirror recently came loose from the car. Dealership commented that it was probably a factory mistake of not tightening the screws enough. Other than that, nothing.

General Comments:

This car is a smooth, quiet, comfortable ride that I am very pleased to own. Great value for the price. I plan on keeping this car for quite a long time. Only problem that I have is that my model has the 4 cylinder engine, where I was used to a V6 in my old car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th December, 2003

2002 Chrysler Sebring Sedan LX Plus 2.7 from North America

Summary:

A mid-size affordable dream car with all the bells and whistles!

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong on the vehicle so far. It's been absolutely wonderful.

General Comments:

This is one of the nicest and economical vehicles that I have ever owned.

It is extremely roomy inside with great suspension and very smooth handling.

I feel absolutely safe while driving this vehicle.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th June, 2003