The four-passenger 'O8 Sebring, officially called the Sebring Touring Convertible has received a full body make-over that updates the look and draws extensively on current styling cues found in other Chrysler offerings such as the Crossfire and Pacifica. Most notable are the ribbed hood, high belt-line and sculpted body panels. Our test Sebring came with optional 18-inch aluminum wheels and low profile all season tires.
There is a hard-top version available, but we drove the Sebring equipped with the power folding cloth top that stows nicely under a hard toneau in the rear deck and while such tops often consume nearly all trunk space, the Sebring still has enough room for two sets of golf clubs or a couple of overnight bags.
There are 3 engines available, ranging from a 2.4-Liter 4 to a 3.5-Liter, high output V6. Our car came with the 2.7-Liter DOHC Flex-fuel V6 that produces 189 horse power. All models are driven by the front wheels via a four or optional six-speed automatic transmission on the Limited.
Braking is provided by four-wheel anti-lock brakes with Chrysler's Electronic Stability Control available on upper trim levels.
The EPA estimates for the V6 powered Sebring we drove are 18 MPG City and 28 Highway with the Flex-Fuel engine powered by gasoline.
The "Touring Group" trim option also includes leather upholstery as well as a leather trimmed, multi-function adjustable steering wheel and shift knob. The standard radio/CD player is upgraded to a Boston Acoustics 6-disc player with hands free communication and touch-screen GPS based Navigation system.
The base MSRP for the Sebring Convertible is $25,840 with the Touring version that we drove coming in at $27,745 and the top of the line Limited trim level carrying a sticker of $31,345 before options. Chrysler covers all '08 vehicles with a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty.
If open top motoring appeals to you and you prefer the convenience of a one-step power folding top, you may well want to schedule a test drive for yourself in the 2008 Sebring Touring Convertible.