Saw the new '07 Sebring Thursday

Just a bit of difference from the previous Sebring, but mostly positive
IMO. Chrysler can actually still do a tasteful styling job! <
The limited foot room for a long leg big foot front seat passenger has
been corrected. It's OK for me now. Still the same small glove
compartment.
The large Sebring trunk may even be a bit larger with tis new model.
I find the trunk space of the small SUVs too small for my use. Generally
they are too narrow for my golf clubs to go across the back, with our
cases towards the front.
The Caliber trunk is far too small for me and the truck like Nitro I
looked at is also deficient in trunk capacity, although I consider it
too large for me.

The desirable 2.7L engine is the same, no variable valve timing yet.
About C$27 for the 2.7L car, which has a very good level of equipment.

Unfortunately two negatives for my use have been introduced.

1. Several finger size deep channels in the hood. Bad for cleaning off
dirt and will be ugly for snow and ice. Obviously designed in California
and not audited by someone still left in Detroit, where the winter snow
will it tell all.
I can just see the snow and ice from those deep channels blowing up on
the windshield.
You can just see the channels in the hood picture here:
http://www.chrysler.com/en/sebring/gallery/

2. A full sized spare isn't an option, so I assume it won't fit the well.
The sales manager got into my discussion with the sales person over this.
When I said assuming one dares a long trip on our "service free"
highways without a matching spare, "where does one put the flat". His
response: "put it in the trunk". Obviously not a very deep thinker.
The sales person said just keep my '95 Concord then. He meant it
because he already proudly pointed out the oldie Saab of his parked out
front. I'm surprised they allowed that!

 

<snip>

and this has to do with Nissans because.....?

 

UGH!

Some people's taste is all in their mouths...

Must be a Chrysler salesman trying to drum up some sales for an ugly car!

The 96-02 Coupe was one of the best looking cars ever made. This thing is
an abbhoration!

 

The new Sebring doesn't quite meet my requirements;
obvious from my two negatives.
Of those other cars I mentioned (Altima is a Nissan isn't it?) a few do
appear meet my requirements and I'll look closer at them.
Since I keep a car for up to 10 years, I evaluate them closely.

 

well..why you would even think of a domestic car if you're looking at
something to last 10 years is beyond me.

 

Well my mom's 1987 Chrysler 5th avenue is going on 20 years and has
135,000 miles. Really not alot of miles in the past few years but get
this, it even has the original exhaust.

 

My daily driver is a 1978 Chrysler Newport.

 

LOL...

 

Every once in a while they screw up and make one RIGHT!

 

Mine is a 1940 Chrysler Royal!

 

Is it as nice as this one?

http://adcache.collectorcartraderonline.com/10/5/4/49198054.htm

 

yeesh..that takes "butt ugly" to a whole new dimension.

IMHO of course.

 

I've owned older cars as well (like a 67 Dodge Dart). And quite
honestly, they may still be running but the ones I've owned and the
ones I've seen are, figuratively speaking, total crap.

They handle like a boat, rattle like dump truck, drink gas like
flushing a toilet and the fit and finish would make a blind man blush.

And don't even get me started on the paint.

No thanks, older American cars are like older Vettes. Great to look
at, but you have no idea what's involved to keep them looking nice and
on the road.

 

No, I can only drool with envy! Well, that and get it into the body
shop for a long-promised vacation....

 

Yeah, I used to be a Mustang enthusiast, and have owned several of the
65-70 'Stangs. But once a got my first "modern" car (an '88 CRX Si),
I just could not go back to those beautiful-looking, shitty handling,
oil-stinking, primitive, cars.

 

M-bodies were THE hardy car of the late Chrysler Corporation.

I replaced my OE exhaust on my '86 5th with 2" aluminized behind the
converter, which instantly caused highway fuel economy to jump up and
the cats to run cooler with lower emissions. These cars weren't
"pretty" like the gussied up crap from Roger Smith's GM, but they were
far, far more reliable cars. Even in the darkest days and during the
Iacocca-led charge toward FWD, Chrysler could still build a rugged,
dependable vehicle. That's why a vast majority of municipal fleets
and police fleets across the country stuck with the M-body right to
the end. When the M-body was retired in '89 and they were forced to
go to the "vitamin pill" Caprice from GM, maintenance expenses and
failure rates skyrocketed. After one fleet, most never went back to
GM for anything, and GM was excluded from many bidding competitions,
leaving the Crown Vic the '90s' "cop car" by default.

 

Last of the "oversized" Chryslers; the M-bodies would start taking
over shortly after this.

The one in the ad, being from Pennsylvania, is probably a rust bucket
made to look nice, unless it's been garageded 99% of the time. Many
senior Chyslers of that era suffered from the same rust problems that
the horrible F-bodies did, making good ones quite rare.

Seen yesterday in VG shape: 1978 Aspen 4 door sedan, which has all
the signs of where the M-body really came from! I took a look at the
car with the proud owner's permission...not a speck of rust anywhere,
thanks to use of road salt being illegal out here.

 

So does my mother-in-laws 1987 Aries.

 

I have been on all sides of the automotive business, designer, retailer and
fleet maintenance company owner for over a 55 year period. I have never
owned a domestic, or foreign, car that was ever problematic and I have owned
several dozens of them. ALL manufactures are building good quality, long
lasting, dependable vehicle today. One should pick the model
that best suits their needs and buy the one that best suits ones budget,
period.

One would expect that a guy with a Ph.D. in anything, let alone his field,
would be smart enough to use an allies and not post all of his personal
information in a NG filled with kooks. LOL

mike hunt

(EDITED, out of compassion, Mike)

 

I have a 1971 Pinto with 300K on the clock, that looks and runs like new.
Nearly all original, but the exhaust was changed once. LOL


mike hunt