The Chrysler Sebring has been the best selling convertible since the day it was brought out in 1996. Its main advantage is the fact that, unlike most competitors, it was designed from the start to be a convertible, not a sedan or coupe with the roof torn off and heavy braces added to keep the body together.

As one would expect from a new Chrysler vehicle, the Sebring convertible maintains its large interior (90 cubic feet plus 11 cubic feet of cargo volume), and adds more structural rigidity for better handling and a more solid feel. Bending has been reduced 44 percent, according to Chrysler.

The Sebring got an extensive make-over for '01 that pulled its overall styling theme together with those of the Sebring coupe and convertible and provided a marked improvement over the previous generation (the Cirrus).

The Sebring coupe shares major underpinnings with the Mitsubishi Galant and Eclipse, while the Sebring sedan is pure Chrysler, built on the same chassis as the Dodge Stratus. What all Sebrings have in common is a base DOHC 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and an uplevel DOHC 2.7-liter V-6. In the sedan, the four-cylinder makes 150 hp while the V-6 delivers 200 hp. Both engines are mated to a four-speed automatic; there is no manual transmission available.