Faults:

Right turn signal switch. You have to hold it in place.

Carpet under gas pedal has a hole worn through.

General Comments:

Love it. Originally bought it for way below book value with the intention of flipping it. However, I was enjoying the drive home so much and every subsequent drive since that I could not bring myself to sell it.

This particular model and engine was done right. Size and styling is a lot like a newer Corolla. The 2.4 liter four cylinder is very powerful and efficient. My winter highway driving has yielded 33 MPG. When I read previous reviews, there was a lot of criticism about the four cylinders being "buzzy and underpowered". Wrong! Power delivery is very much adequate and predictable. The few times that I have had to step into the VTEC power band have been somewhat surprising how quickly the car goes from 45 to 80. Definitely not underpowered!

I would recommend the four cylinder over the six. The six has some major design flaws that the four does not and cannot compare with the cost of operating. The most significant is that the six has an internal timing chain driven water pump. When the water pump fails, the timing chain skips and your valves make contact with piston, resulting in catastrophic failure.

The options and ergonomics are excellent. All power options work well and are easy to use. The seats are very comfortable and visibility is above average. The premium sound system is sensational!

The suspension and steering is tight, smooth, and predictable. The brakes have good feel and are predictable as well, however leave one significant complaint: Drum brakes on the rear? Really! Didn't that go out in the eighties?

The paint quality must have been another cost cutting target? Of the odd two dozen or so cars that I have owned and hand waxed, this one has double the amount of factory defects. The typical car has three or four. This car has eight. And it's black. Black cars are typically painted with more care because the defects show more. I guess you have to consider the nature of the company when the car was built?

Despite its few shortcomings, I appreciate this car immensely. It's smooth, elegant, well designed and an absolute joy to drive.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong so far, but the car is new.

The car has a 3 year, 36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty and a lifetime powertrain warranty with a $100 deductible. You have to take the car in for a dealer inspection every 5 years for free, but in exchange, you're covered for life. If your transmission dies in 30 years, Chrysler will replace it for $100.

General Comments:

This car is a great value. For under $18,000 I got a car loaded with auto, air, Sirius satellite radio, keyless entry with alarm, and a very comfortable ride.

I like the looks, but others don't. It's a matter of opinion both inside and out. I like the aggressive nose, character line on the side above the door handle, and the funky art-deco styling inside.

The seats are comfortable, though a bit narrower than in other cars. There's tons of headroom and legroom. For a tall guy like me, that's a plus.

Acceleration is adequate from the base 4 cylinder, and I've averaged 30 MPG from this engine/transmission combo. The engine is a but noisy, but gets good mileage. It goes right up to 80 MPH without a problem and has plenty of merging and passing power both on the highway and in town.

Handling is good for a mid-sized car, with a nice balance of control and comfort. Bumps are soaked up well by the suspension, but the car comfortably handles rural road curves and high speed handling on the interstate is effortless.

The body is VERY stiff and doesn't bend, twist or rattle. This car really feels like its hewn out of solid steel -- very reassuring in handling and also when it comes to safety. Chrysler says the Sebring earned a 5-star front and 5-star side crash rating. It has 6 standard airbags -- 2 front, 2 front side seat, and 2 curtain airbags.

Front disk/rear drum antilock brakes are standard. They are good at stopping from speed, have minimal fade, and good pedal feel.

The thing that really blows me away about this car is how much standard equipment Chrysler has put in it for the price. Power everything, great radio (with a free year of Sirius satellite service), keyless entry, premium dash, etc. for a very competitive price. Competitors from Ford, GM, Toyota and Honda cost thousands more and didn't have as many features.

Some reviewers panned this car as "not enough." If Chrysler was charging $30K or so for this vehicle, as competitors are, they'd be right. But for under $18K for the base model (which is still loaded), it's a screaming deal that the competition cannot match.

If you're looking at a smaller car, you can get a Sebring for about the same money -- and get more space, more options and the same mileage. If you're looking at a car from the Koreans, Chrysler has come up with a similarly priced car that feels, drives and looks more upscale. If you're looking at another midsized car, it's difficult to beat the value this car offers -- which is why I bought it!

Chrysler, and this car, don't get enough respect. That's actually good news for those of us in the market, as Chrysler has produced a good car with great incentives and a reassuring warranty. This is a lot of comfortable, good looking car for not much money.