What's New for 1999

Body-colored mirrors lend the Sebring LXi a more elegant style.

Review

The Sebring Coupe is a car that offers buyers nimble handling and up-market amenities for a down-market price. This sport coupe carries four occupants in comfort, with reasonable performance abilities and suave good looks. Aside from the proboscis-like grille, we can't fault Chrysler's stylists on the Sebring. Huge fog lights lend the sophisticated coupe an aggressive look, and tastefully restrained rear styling exudes class.

Underneath the sheetmetal, you'll find the underpinnings of the previous-generation Mitsubishi Galant, and the dashboard of the Mitsubishi Eclipse. The fact that the Sebring is built in the same Illinois assembly plant as these models bodes well for long term reliability.

Two Sebring coupes are available: LX or LXi. The LX is powered by a 140 horsepower version of the 2.0-liter four found in the Neon. A five-speed is standard in the LX. The LXi adds a 163-horse Mitsubishi V6 and a mandatory automatic transmission. Alloy wheels shod with bigger tires, and four-wheel disc brakes with antilock are also standard fare on the top level Sebring. Although the four-banger, when equipped with a five-speed, is the quicker car, we prefer the smoothness of the Mitsubishi powerplant. Option packages let you trim the LX out to base LXi standards.

At just over $21,000 for a well-equipped LXi, the Sebring competes well against the Pontiac Grand Prix and various midsize coupes from Japan. However, we would be hard-pressed to give up the Grand Prix's 3.8-liter V6 for this pretty face from Chrysler. Nonetheless, style is the name of the game in the personal coupe segment, and the Sebring is nothing if not stylish.