I had one of these as a rental car, and I am surprised no one mentioned the incredibly flimsy air vents in the interior. The vent nearly broke off in my hand, and that was my first experience with the car. Needless to say, it all went in similar fashion; the car even stalled the next morning (with only 7k on the clock!). The only other automatic Ive driven to stall on me was an 04 Cavalier, which was designed with about the same enthusiasm. The Sebring seems to be little more than a rental company joke.

Buick, you’re a funny guy.

Aesthically speaking, horrible car made worse. I just hope that when these things completely lose market share, Chrysler will suffer and learn from this dismal mistake.

The four-cylinder engine sounds like washers and nuts in blender. The interior smells like cheap laundry soap. The sticker price is completely out of whack with the quality and insane compared to the competition.

Comparing it to an Acura could be a sign of mental defect.

this car with the 2.7L V6 (186 HP SAE @ 5,500 rpm; 192 ft lb)… was surprisingly enjoyable as a rental…

I truly hated this car through and through prior to driving it. It is ugly for sure. But the motor was a delight. Why? It loved to be redlined. It really did. It reminded me of my 1993 Ford Probe GT (2.5L DOHC V6, 164hp, 7000rpm redline).

There is just something special about small displacement V6 engines that are actually eager to hit their rev limiter; and this motor had this peakiness near 5,000rpm that was made climbing the tachometer kinda fun. Other than that, wouldnt touch this thing for penny over $10,000 and full warranty for 5 years or more….

That was the end of the fun. In Kansas people drive politely, it’s nice to share the road with them, and thank God I didn’t have to do anything like accelerate, turn or brake except very gently. This car is like one of those playground ponies-on-a-spring. It required constant steering correction to keep it from wandering around on the road, it jiggled and flapped on the excellent Kansas interstate, and the inside sounds like a chorus of random insects all buzzing and chirping away.

The lady at the Motel 6 thought the car was pretty, but she also thought Tang was fine as part of the “continental breakfast”.

Actually, the Sebring is better looking than the 2009 TSX. Although that says more about the TSX than it does about the Sebring.

The 2009 TSX looks exceedingly ugly, if that same Acura dealer still have unsold 2008 TSX’s parked beside it.

But if you indeed park a Serbing beside a 2009 TSX, you will find the TSX is actually not as ugly as the Serbing. Reference point does matter.

I rented one on the Big Island last September. The lady at the counter said “We’ve got a Caliber for you.” Groaning under my breath, I went out and found that the plate number and key belonged to a Sebring instead. Good, I thought, I got an upgrade. Maybe it really was, can’t say for sure as I’ve never willingly approached a Caliber.

I agree that the last generation Sebring was a nicer car. I drove one in the shipyard several times, not like driving on the road but still one can compare a lot of things.

My mom has an ‘08 Malibu LT (V-6, leather, the works) and it’s an excellent car by ANY measure, regardless of price. Don’t believe me? Drive one.

Oh, and to the person who mentioned the 4 speed auto that came with the 4-banger, that’s now been replaced with a 6 speed, which has really perked up the performance.

My money’s on the Malibu winning this comparison handily.

its sad that they have fallen so far.

I rented the previous gen Sebring convertible and while, yes it shivered and wallowed and the materials weren’t particularly up to scratch (I mean, nearly every convertible shudders and shakes right?) the driving dynamics were pleasant and smooth, the engine was reasonably quiet and the transmission was mostly unobtrusive.

At my local Avis center, I’d rather spring for a high priced convertible than be cursed with either the Sebring OR Avenger.

i loath that vehicle, i cant even call it a car

Paid $17.1k for an ‘09 Camry LE. $5500 off sticker

And that’s a Maytag, not a Kenmore

Chrysler slapped down $2533 in rebates and spiff pricing. Ford granted a whopping $4485. GM’s rebates total $4011. Note: these were not haggled concessions. They are simply the starting point discounts being offered.

Also, note my plural usage here. The Chevy dealership confided that the GM did away with the big rebates that it used to live and die by. So they lowered MSRP and eliminated them – until the market cratered. Now rebates are back, but the General’s powers that be don’t want to revive the Big Rebate so they have created a nonsensical system of multiple rebates that nobody – not even the dealership – can figure out. GM has created a rebate web site for the dealerships. They log in, plug in the car’s particulars and it tells the salesmen what rebates are available for that sale. On the particular day that I tested the Malibu, three rebates applied that totaled the afore mentioned $4011.

There is currently a $3500 rebate on the Fu, and $1250 off the Bu according to Edmunds. You seem to be ignoring that in your post.

I’m off work tomorrow. I’ve got to hit the Chrysler dealership in order to drive this hot-mess.

This should be interesting! Pray for me.

So it means the Malibu costs $21,625 and the Fusion $20,635. If you decrease the Sebring by $2,533, and it used to cost $845 more, how do you get that it’s now $2,300 more? I get a diff of $1,688 less than the Fusion, and $2,678 less than the Malibu. I can has math helps?