2006 Chrysler Sebring
Tuesday, October 31st, 2006
Until this recently, Chrysler offered three midsize cars in the Sebring category, much as Toyota offers a Camry trio—sedan, coupe, and convertible. Based on a different platform than the sedan and convertible, the coupe has been retired, reflecting the shift in the market away from two-door vehicles, among other manufacturing factors. The remaining Sebrings make incremental improvements for this year, with the standout news being the addition of a performance-oriented TSi sedan.
Base Sebring sedans and convertibles are reasonably well equipped, with air conditioning, power windows, and cruise control as standard. Things become confusing when progressing through the trim levels. The Touring version of the sedan has a satin silver instrument panel and electronic cruise control, but you need to move to the Limited or TSi models to get a full share of luxury features such as leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, and an eight-way power driver’s seat.
The GTC convertible has a sportier interior than the base car, with bucket seats and a sport steering wheel. Touring has leather seats, a power driver’s seat, leather shift knob, and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls. The Limited is mildly uprated, with fancier leather and an Infinity speaker system for the stereo. As with the sedan, real California wood inserts, heated seats, and navigation can turn the car into a relatively luxurious piece.
Essentially, Sebrings have either an inline-four or a V-6 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. The base sedans are fitted with a 2.4-liter/150-hp DOHC four-cylinder engine that makes solid power, but doesn’t seem too happy about its work. Touring, Limited, and TSi models get a small-displacement 2.7-liter V-6 engine that makes 200 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque.
The TSi gets the four-speed driver-interactive AutoStick transmission. The convertible has a similar powertrain hierarchy: the base model has the four, while the other three have the V-6 as standard. The Limited, however, is available with the AutoStick transmission.
The Sebring sedan is a pleasant car to drive, but it’s underpowered relative to its Japanese competition, whether you choose the four- or six-cylinder engine. The powerplants also want for smoothness, sounding quite coarse at the top of their rev ranges. And while the four-speed transmissions are smooth shifting, they aren’t quite up to par with a Honda automatic.
The sedans ride nicely, though, with a bit more body movement than the current norm, as they ultimately lack the subtle refinement of the Japanese sales leaders. The one exception is the TSi. With its sport suspension, standard anti-lock brakes, and AutoStick transmission, the TSi is the eye-opener of the range, instilling more immediate dynamic response from the Sebring than expected, leaving us wanting more engine. It’s quite entertaining to drive, though the rear wing may be a bit much for some buyers over 18 years old. MSRP Price Range on 2006 Chrysler Sebring: $20,055 - $31,675.
Tags: 2006 chrysler, chrysler sebring, sebring, 2006 sebring
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