2007 Chrysler Sebring in Hemet, California

The new, 2007 Chrysler Sebring is an overdue update of the marque's affordable, mainstream family car. It's intended to compete with Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima, plus the Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Mitsubishi Galant, and Saturn Aura. As the list makes obvious, it's a hyper-competitive market niche. Just being "good enough" no longer makes the cut. It also helps to stay current with the competition's generational cycle, and the Sebring was falling short in both regards.

The 2007 Sebring rectifies these shortcomings in almost all respects. It gets a third powertrain; a new look; a new interior; and a subtle but generally effective tweaking of the acoustical foundations and structural underpinnings.

Chrysler's engineers, designers and stylists did more than just enough with the new Sebring. The base engine, a new, 2.4-liter inline-4, is not only significantly more powerful, but also more fuel-efficient. The mid-level engine, still a 2.7-liter V6 gains an ability to run on E-85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. A new, top-of-the-line, 3.5-liter V6 is paired with a new, six-speed automatic transmission.