A WHO TO CALL: m Auto Editor | Andrew McCredie 1° \. 85 2131 (a7) Oy SEMEL BUEN, iS Sek Teta Ratio ASSET EAE RN A NP we Madi esti THE NEW Chrysler Sebring is a Mitsubishi- ; based sporty coupe with room for five passen- gers, a big trunk, balanced handling, and a Price as tested: $27,330 Base price (LXi): $24,025 Roomy c coupe offers equai portions of substance and style PORTY COUPES often sacrifice © ‘ride qualit; y and rear-seat accommo- , dation in the pursuit of performance and; a stylish appearance. . “It’s rare to come ACTOSS a 2+2 coupe where the rear passengers’ knees aren't wedged against the front seat backs, so it was a pleasant surprise to discover that the new Chrysler Sebring — and its near-twin, the ‘Dodge Avenger — offer sufficient rear legroom and headroom for two or even three passengers. * As the term 2+2 suggests, most coupes have room for two front passengers and two fear passengers, but the Sebring has three rear seat belts. This adds a dimension of ver- satility to the Sebring which most sporty coupes lack. Parents can take their kids to soccer games, adults can take friends to din- ‘ner, families can go on day-trips — without having to'pry passengers out of the rear seat ith a can-opener, And there’ 5 enough room in the tronk for TRACER sporty 155 horsepower 2.5-litre V6 engine. Wile _ test drive everybody's !uggage too, another rarity in a coupe. The Sebring’s bigger-than-average- for-a-coupe (13 cu. ft.) trunk has a low liftover height and a flat loading floor. There's also a standard 60/40 split rear seat 2.40 store longer items. Go in the snow, fun in the sunt EXTENDED CAB PICK-UPS dust received, large special allacatian| | FINANCING 1ST YEAR OF 5 YR. AM. GAC MAXIMUM FOR YOUR TRADE . 96'S ARE ARRIVING SQ WE'VE SQUFEZED THE PRICES (OW Base price (LX): $18,155 Type: two-deor, five-passen- ger, mid-sized coupe Layout: transverse engine/front-wheel-drive Engine: 2.5-litre V6, SOHC. 24 valve, sequential multi-port fuel injection Horsepower: 155 @ Bp, Torque: 161 ft. -Ibs. @ 4,400 Tp, ‘Transmission: automatic - Curb weight: 1,432 kg (3,157 Ibs.) Wheelbase: 2.635 mm (103.7 in.) Length: 4,760 mm (187.4 in.) Width: 1,770 mm (69.7 in.) Trunk capacity: 37! litres (13.1 cu. fto Warranty: three years/60,000 kms front 5.500 four-speed Photo submitted The base model, called the Sebring LX. comes with a standard 140 horsepower 2.0- litre DOHC four-cylinder engine, the same engine used in the Neon Sport coupe. A man- ° ual five-speed or four-speed automatic trans- mission are available with this engine. The Sebring LXi. meanwhile, is equipped with a standard 155 horsepower 2.5-litre SOHC V6 engine. Only an automatic trans- mission is offered with this engine. The V6 engine offers a quick take-off and a sporty sound, and cruises comfortably and quietly | on the highway, turning over 2,300 t.p.m. at 100 km/h (62 m.p.h.) in fourth gear. But: passing power could be better — the V6 - seems to lack power in the 80 to 100 kin/h 50 to 62 m.p.h.) passing range. The standard four-speed automatic trans- mission features a large, console-mounted shift lever with an integral on/off overdrive button — a feature I always find useful for quick down-shifts and improved around-town performance. The Sebring is a surp ingly well-bal-" AS WE CAN &0! ALL NEW ALL USED anced sporty car — it’s low and wide and has a fully independent double wishbone suspension. The ride is very comfortable and cor- : nering is flat, stable and grippy.. . thanks in part to the larger 205/55 HR- 16 inch performance radials that are standard equipment on the LXi. The LX has smaller 195/70 HR-14 inch all-season tires. The LXj.also offers standard four wheel disc brakes while the LX has front disc/rear drums. ABS is opticnal on afl models, Speed-sensitive power steering offers excellent feel and weighting but i found the, turning circle (12 m/39.4 ft.) to be unusually large, making parking-iot manoenvres diffi- cult, Another reason to be careful when manoeuvring in tight spaces is the body-col-' ored front bumper which is so low in height it scrubs up against standard concrete curbs. The Sebring offers a sporty interior with a sweeping dash and console with a large floor shifter. Though forward visibility is very good, the side-window siils and the lower edge of the rear window are comparatively high, giving occupants, particularly rear pas- sengers, the feeling of sitting in a bathtub. - And like most modern cars, the driver cannot see the nose or the tail of the car from the driver's seat. See Coupes page 24 ” ALL NEW TAHOE/SUBURBAN ‘There is nothing an ure, market to comparel: GUAS: . 9 MON-THURS -6 FAI-SAT - HANKSGIVING OQNDAY.11-5. -