Used Chrysler Sebring (2007 - 2010) review

Finding a Chrysler Sebring won't be easy and that tells you most of what you need to know about its viability as a new car. As a used option, things are a little different. You can get a big helping of American saloon that's loaded with equipment for a very reasonable sum. Quality, driving dynamics and refinement lag a little behind the mainstream alternatives but the Sebring's rarity, size and specification might persuade you to take the plunge - if the price is right.

Having established their 300C as a surprising hit in the executive sector, Chrysler felt confident enough by the Spring of 2007 to launch a plush medium range model just below it, the Sebring saloon. Its aim wasn't to take on Mondeo sector rivals directly but offer a smaller number of customers surprising levels of equipment and comfort with the option of diesel power at an affordable price. So how does it look as a used buy?

HISTORY

Named after the Sebring International Raceway in Florida, America's oldest race track, the Chrysler Sebring had stuck a toe in the waters of the UK market before this saloon version arrived in 2007. The previous generation model was briefly available as a cabriolet in 2001 and 2002 before being canned. That little cameo went unnoticed by most and did little to whet the appetite for this model's debut. It's worth remembering, however, that the Sebring has been highly successful in other markets. Drop-top versions of the first two Sebring generations were the biggest selling convertible cars in the world from 2001 to 2005, even outselling the Mazda MX-5 with over 40,000 cars produced per year. Most went to the domestic market in the US but the sales were enough to give Chrysler broader ambitions for this model. April 2007 saw the UK launch of this Sebring saloon which came on stream with a trio of four-cylinder engine options. A 2.0-litre petrol opened proceedings and there was a 2.0-litre diesel borrowed from Volkswagen. At the top of the range was a 2.4-litre petrol unit. Only one trim level was offered, the pleasantly opulent Limited. The Sebring range was supplemented in 2008 by the arrival of a cabriolet model with a folding canvas roof.

WHAT DO I GET FOR MY MONEY?

This generation Sebring features a chassis shared with Mitsubishi which also underpins the Dodge Caliber and the Mitsubishi Outlander, amongst others. It's an inoffensive looking car although lacking the sort of in-your-face impact of its bigger brother, the 300C. It represented the first time that Chrysler has tried to penetrate the medium range saloon market with a right-hand drive car and also the first time that Chrysler fitted a diesel engine in a car in this sector. There's plenty of leg and headroom inside the Sebring so it's well up to the job of family car. The boot is also of a decent size. The cabin of the Sebring isn't going to give Audi any sleepless nights but by previous US standards, it's a reasonable effort. The clocks are softy lit in blue, while the infotainment system on the centre console will be familiar to anyone who has driven a modern Mercedes. Metallic coloured plastics dominate the centre console while the cowled dials, four-spoke sports steering wheel and two-tone trim on the doors act as small design signatures that lift the fascia above the mundane. One of the most interesting features on the Sebring is the information, entertainment and communication navigation radio. This navigation radio features a 165mm (6.5 in) Thin Film Transistor (TFT) display with a touch-screen panel that can support 65,000 colours. The system provides a two- or three-dimensional appearance to graphics and animation, as well as multiple font sizes and styles. The system can follow voice-activated commands, provides real-time traffic updates and incorporates many new features for music, sound, movies and personalized picture displays, including - and here's the most interesting part - a 20-gigabyte hard disc drive for storing map data for the navigation system and photos and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port that allows for the transfer of photos onto the hard drive. You'll even be able to view the pictures you just shot on your digital camera in your car.

WHAT PRICE AM I LOOKING AT?

Not being a great car by any objective measure, the Sebring was forced to rely on its relative exclusivity and, particularly, on its value for money to capture sales. Priced in the £18,000 to £20,000 bracket from new, it offered a significant hunk of metal for that price. On the used market, however, depreciation has its wicked way and the Sebring soon starts to look a more viable option. After just one year, this medium range saloon will have shed well over half of its purchase price. At £8,000, the Sebring might be worth investigating and after two years, the values will be dropping closer to £6,000.

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK OUT FOR?

With a lot of electronic functions, it's well worth checking that everything is working. The engines are all proven units and shouldn't give any serious problems but the diesel engine has short service intervals of just 9,000 miles so it's worth checking that the previous owners has kept to this rigorous schedule. Give the cabin a thorough once-over for damage or loose bits of trim.

HOW DOES IT DRIVE?

The Sebring engine line-up encompasses three powerplants, starting with a 154bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine with dual variable valve timing good for 36.2mpg. A more powerful option is the 167bhp 2.4 petrol unit that compensated British buyers for the lack of the V6 petrol engine offered in other markets. Of more relevance is the 138bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine sourced from Volkswagen. This is probably the version to go for but be warned that refinement is well down on that of VW products using the same powerplant. Still, you do get 45.6mpg combined fuel consumption and there's a level of torque that humbles even the 2.4-litre petrol model.

BY STEVE WALKER

PARTS INFORMATION

(Based on a 2007 Sebring - approx excl VAT) A replacement clutch assembly will be about £350. A new starter motor retails at around £280, a radiator is around £460 and a replacement headlamp will cost you around £195.