The transmission takes longer to shift than other cars I've driven; this is especially noticeable when accelerating from a standstill.
This car was a rental I drove 1300km on a road trip with two people.
Both my friend and myself thought the seats were quite comfortable.
The handling is not very stable at higher speeds (ie 70 mph) as the steering feels loose; you would feel very uncomfortable letting go of the wheel even for a second; in comparison my old 89 Honda and my friend's 88 Volvo were unbelievably stable at high speeds!
I agree, my dad just rented one the other day, it was a joke that this thing is supposed to compete with the Camry and Accord!
It is true that Sebrings can't compete with Camry & Accords as far as quality, refinement, fit & finish as well as reliability. Where they find their market (as small as it may be compared to the competition) is that the base model Sebring that listed for around $17,000) with discounts & rebates could be had for around $14,000. This is with power locks, windows, AC & stereo. Some buyers are limited by budgets, others just see a low price and don't think ahead (rapid depreciation for one thing), so they were somewhat marketable.
I would rather spend my $14,000 - $17,000 on a low mileage late model high-line vehicle (or at least higher line), where someone else already took the huge depreciation hit.
If I just had to buy new, I'd rather spend the same money on a Civic or a Corolla. But a late model Saab or BMW would be my first choice.
In my opinion, for a family that's just looking for an inexpensive second vehicle, the Sebring is okay, but there are better choices out there if you shop smart.
We just picked up a 2006 Sebring last Wednesday with 18k on it. MSRP when it was new was $20,000 and we got it for $13,000...very very good vehicle... it does take the tranny a little long for it to shift under hard accel. but oh well otherwise its great! still all Mopars in my family 2 which is good.
We love our sebring!! Only 23k miles and no problems. It does take a little longer than it should to shift when accelerating. wonderful car.
Just bought our second Sebring. The transmission in the 2.4L does take a while, but then again, this is a "luxury" car not a sports car. The Stratus has a little better transmission response (think it's due to the torque converter).Tthe 2.7L one that we just picked up is great! Nice and fast, and gets the same gas mileage as the 2.4L.
The trick is to buy them used, and make sure they aren't ex rental cars.. those cars have been beaten. Buy em used and get em for nothing! I have well over 110,000 miles on mine (2.7 V6) and have had literally no problems, other than routine maintenance. Sure they aren't the best but I find them a great value used. I must say the handling is great on mine is great along with comfort. The transmission is a bit slow, but very reliable... will defiantly buy again!... one disappointment though is that it didn't differ much from my 2000 Chrysler Cirrus... oh well, it was good too!
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