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iR A N D P R IX
Fours Seasons Review
The Chrysler Sebring JXi
onvertibles are really cool when the The style is fresh and sleek; definitely a stand corners of the car. This new design first ap­
weather is hot. But it wasn’t until out in a crowded parking lot. The leather peared with the Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler
the dead of winter that the Sebring interior is comfortable, and the sound sys­ Concorde and now defunct Eagle Vision.
Some annoyances: moving the seat up
tem is respectable. The seats easily adjust to
JX i made its way to me. This head-turn­
ing coupe was in a minority among the vour favorite position, with the electronic and back is awkward when trying to let rear
passengers in, or when I'm trying to climb
sport-utility vehicles hogging the roads ol buttons conveniently located on the bottom
out. Nearly 12,000 miles into our year-long
the M otor City from January through of the driver’s seat.
I especially like the seatbelts, which are test drive, some little irritating things are
March.
So, I wondered, how would this warm- mounted on the seats instead of the door, cropping up. T he driver-side window
weather mobile handle in snow, sleet and providing a much more comfortable fit. In squeaks when you raise it up or down. And
fact, this is the first time ever that I hon­ that creaking sound in the steering wheel
on rain-drenched roads?
First thing first — in northern climates, estly enjoyed wearing my seatbelt — it didn't that was serviced prior to our last review is
often the most important feature on a car cut across my neck or cut into my shoul­ back.
Overall, though, this seems to be a con­
is its heater. The 1997 Sebring warms up der blade.
Another neat feature is the Autostick vertible for all seasons; not one that has to
quickly, and the defroster did a terrific job
o f clearing those icy windows many a transmission control system, available only hibernate in a garage through a blusters'
morning. The dials and controls are con­ with the V6 engine, which allows the driver winter.
veniently located within arms reach, and to shift gears manually without the hassle
don’t require a degree in meteorology or of a clutch.
Getting in and out
an understanding of weather symbols to
SPECIFICATIONS
o f the S ebring is
operate.
easier
than
I
imag­
Windy, blustery days didn’t intimidate
............$24,660
Base price.................
the light-weight Sebring. It hugged the ined, even though it
road, never losing control and becoming sits low to the
............ $26,525
Price as tested..........
sidelined. Fortunately, we had a fairly mild g ro u n d . T h e high
rear-end,
evidence
of
winter in Detroit this year, so I couldn't
......2.5-liter V6
Engine.....................
assess the Sebring’s ability to plow through C hrysler’s cab-for­
ward
design,
holds
a
the snow that usually packs Michigan
168@5800 rpm
sizable trunk, suitable
Horsepower............
roads.
Still, it never warmed up enough for me for carrying grocer­
........10 seconds
Acceleration (0-60)
to be tempted to let the top down, either. ies, dry-cleaning and
The convertible top was certainly much stur­ other cargo. Chrysler
... 17city/21 hwy
dier than 1 imagined it to be. It stayed in pioneered the cab-
Fuel economy.........
tact: no shakes, rattles, groans or signs of forward design in the
early 90s by pushing
leaks during heavy rains.
..............15.8 gal
Tank capacity..........
the wheels out to the
There’s a lot to like about the Sebring.
C
36
AFRICAN AMERICANS O N WHEELS
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T h e o n e v e h ic le e n g in e e r e d to h a n d le m o r e th a n ju s t c o m p lim e n ts . Its u n iq u e W id e T r a c k
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b e tte r c o r n e r in g , c o n tr o l a n d g rip . C h o o s e c o u p e o r s e d a n a n d s e e fo r y o u r s e lf: W id e r is B e tte r.
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