It seems that ever since the Daimler-Chrysler merger, except for the PT Cruiser, poor Chrysler has been the red-headed stepchild. Before Lee Iacocca brought the company back from the brink of bankruptcy, it had been years since above-average cars had come from Chrysler, and since then, with a few notable exceptions, there has only been a procession of wannabes.

However, DaimlerChrysler has finally come up with an exception that hopefully is a preview of good things to come — the 2001 Sebring.

The Sebring, named for the famed Florida raceway, comes in two versions, a coupe and a convertible, and we have test-driven both — the coupe here and the convertible on a trip from Atlanta to South Florida where we kept it for about a week.
If a coupe is nothing else, it’s expected to be stylish, and the midsize, front-wheel drive Sebring fills that bill. The body lines appear as if this car came out of a custom Italian design shop sporting a grille reminiscent of a classic Ferrari. It features a flowing roofline and aggressive rear-end styling as well as large wheel openings to accommodate attractive wheels and large tires. The convertible has that classic, cool, “look” with the top down so many ragtops strive for but don’t quite achieve.

In reality, the Sebring coupe is essentially an upscale version of the new Dodge Stratus coupe. Both share the same platform and powertrain as the Mitsubishi Galant and Eclipse and are built in Mitsubishi’s Normal, Ill. plant. However, the Sebring sedan and convertible, which utilize mainly Chrysler components, are built in Michigan.

Neither Sebring, the coupe or the ragtop, offer their sophisticated styling at the expense of interior space. Four adults can ride comfortably, while the trunk, even with the extra room needed for the convertible, is large.

The new Sebring offers single-piece body-side aperture construction for fewer body joints. This type of construction makes the Sebring much more rigid than previous models and with improved body sealing and lots of sound-insulation material, the car “feels” more expensive than it actually is.

The Sebring comes in two trim levels. The base LX and the upscale LXi. Our test model coupe was an LX and the convertible an LXi.

To keep the entry-level-model price down, under the hood of the base LX sits a 2.4-liter 4-banger. It puts 142 horses to the highway and comes with a 4-speed automatic — just right for life in the slow lane. The LXi however, comes with a smooth 3.0-liter 200-horse V6 that delivers potent acceleration.

Both engines utilize a single-overhead-camshaft design with four valves per cylinder. They’re economical, providing high 20s highway mileage and city mpg in the high teens.

After driving both, in my view, the V6 should be the standard powerplant for this car. But at least you can order the LX with the V6 for an extra $850.

It’s curious that no manual gearbox is offered for the base LX model since it would allow the underpowered 4-cylinder to deliver better acceleration. Chrysler said it’s because most buyers order the automatic, anyway.

What’s stranger, is that the V6 comes with a standard 5-speed manual instead of the automatic. Top-of-the-line U.S. models such as the LXi usually boast an automatic with no manual offered. The LXi automatic will set you back and additional $825, or $990 if ordered with a clutch-less manual shift feature.

Chrysler says it is trying to position the Sebring coupe against foreign competition by making a manual standard with the V6 because cars such as BMW offer a stick with potent engines. The problem is most BMW shoppers don’t usually consider a Sebring because their interests lie in other upscale foreign cars such as Audi, Jaguar, Volvo and Mercedes.

Both Sebring models come loaded with lots of equipment. The LX offers air conditioning, AM/FM/Cassette, cruise control, remote keyless entry, and power windows, door locks and mirrors. While the LXi adds an upscale sound system with a CD player, leather-wrapped steering wheel, body-color outside mirrors, and wider wheels and tires. With the $1,045 leather option, the LXi interior is fairly luxurious.

Behind the wheel, acceleration is lively with the V6 and leisurely with the 4-cylinder. Both the coupe and the convertible are quiet, especially with the V6, except for some wind noise at highway speeds. The power steering is a little light, but is quick and precise with a minimum of front-wheel drive understeer.

The suspension provides a smooth ride and anti-roll bars let the Sebring hug the curves without much body sway. Wider tires of the LXi give it sharper handling than the LX. And the LXi also has 4-wheel disc brakes instead of the LX front disc/rear drum brake setup for better overall braking.

Whines: Oddly, larger wheels and tires aren’t standard on the LX V6, something that’s almost automatic with a car ordered with a more-powerful engine. In what I consider a serious omission, anti-lock brakes aren’t available for the LX and cost $565 for the LXi with the stick and $740 with the automatic. This is a poorly-disguised ploy to reduce the base price of most Chrysler vehicles. In my view, ABS should be standard on all Chrysler products — as they are on many other cars — not an extra-cost option. In fairness, note that ordering the LXi automatic with anti-lock brakes also gets you a traction control system at no extra charge.

Applause: I found this car to be an absolute blast to drive — especially the LXi convertible. The trip from Atlanta to South Florida took me way off the beaten path through a number of small towns in rural Georgia and the Florida panhandle — where the roads aren’t exactly the best. It also took me down I-75, 10 and 95 where the speed limit signs are more of a suggestion than a reality. The V6 LXi ragtop was quiet, responsive, extremely comfortable and handled well, no matter what type of road, and had no trouble keeping up with the traffic on the Interstates.

Bottom Line: Excellent styling, luxurious, well-appointed and well equipped. A surprisingly good new coupe that really shines with the V6. It’s been a long wait since the 1950s, when the last, really top-drawer Chrysler coupes rolled off assembly line. This one does that Chrysler tradition proud.