Chrysler Sebring Touring 2007 review

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Overall: 3 stars

Of course, remote dumping of the fuel well is a much easier option and much less bloodthirsty.

With its frilled hood, lamb-shaped headlights, and other quirks, the Chrysler Sebring is certainly no ordinary midsize car.

In this car clone segment, it stands out for something a little different.

However, if that's what you want, its Dodge Avenger cousin looks more masculine, rides better and is less fancy.

I drove the Sebring Touring with its stock 17-inch wheels for a week and found these wheels to be the best thing about this car.

Despite the divisive appearance, at least I found it to look like it belongs to its wheels, rather than hovering over them like most of its half-finished competitors.

Larger wheels with a 60 percent profile also helped ensure a smooth ride and a smooth ride; through the bumpy streets of Brisvegas.

But I didn't like anything else.

I just found too many petty problems with this car. To begin with, the Yank didn't handle the transition from left to right hand drive very well.

Of course, the indicators are on the left, which is not a big problem, but the parking brake is also on the left of the center console, the hood lock is in the left footwell, the gear indicator is on the left of the lever and the key is on the left of the steering wheel, which I'm still not used to. even for a week of driving.

There were other minor problems, one of which left me with a wound on the index finger of my left hand.

Quite often, Chrysler and Jeep lineups feature a lockable gas cap that requires a key.

They are not only inconvenient, but also difficult to use. The key enters and turns to the left (or right?) and then cannot be removed until you close it again. So you need to squeeze your hand into the fuel well with the key still in the cap and try to turn the cap to the right (or left?).

In this act of juggling, I somehow managed to break my finger on the sharp metal in the fuel well. Of course, remote dumping of the fuel well is a much easier option and much less bloodthirsty.

But such bizarre things could be overlooked if the car had good driving dynamics. This is not true.

While it rides well, it steers and handles vaguely. The 2.4-liter engine is noisy and rather underpowered, especially when hitting a hill or a weighed down couple of passengers.

In fact, my wife remarked that it looked more like a crude diesel engine than a modern gasoline engine.

What's even worse is that it's paired with a slow-shifting four-speed automatic transmission. A six-speed manual is also available and may be a better option.

No matter what you think of the exterior style, you may find the interior a little better.

It's a pretty standard Chrysler car with a fair amount of hard plastic but some nice touches of styling, like a chronometer-style clock in the center of the dash, pale green illuminated controls, and three-position instruments.

The two-tone cockpit is a rather pleasant seat with good front and rear legroom and a spacious feel.

But there isn't much room in the cargo area with its high floor and low ceiling, plus there's only a temporary spare under the floor.

The steering wheel is height-adjustable, not reach-adjustable like most American cars. However, the driver's seats are electronically adjustable in almost any position; so I could find a reasonably comfortable driving position. Of course, reach adjustment would be an easier and cheaper way to get a good and safe driving position.

The standard leather seats are very firm, with a convex backrest that feels like the adjustable lumbar support is pushed far forward. This is not true.

What we liked were the auto-raise and lower front windows, cup holders that heat or cool, and a high-quality Harmon Kardon sound system with an MP3 input jack and a MyGig hard drive system that lets you store 20GB of music on board. without having to use your iPod.

That's a fair amount of tasty kit for mid-size cars on a budget.

For your $33,990, you also get plenty of safety features, including ABS, stability control, traction control, brake assist, six airbags, and a tire pressure sensor.

If you can get past the nitpicks, languid driving behavior and stylish design, then you'll be rewarded with a car that's safe, packed with features and offers a competitive price tag.