SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8
It struck me one day that people who love cabriolets, convertibles, roadsters, drop-tops, sports cars - call them what you will - are probably less concerned with who made them than with how they make their drivers feel. It's rather like motorcycles; there is an indescribable unity with Nature, a one-ness with the road and a bonding with the elements - the sun on your skin, the breeze through your hair and the living sounds of the open road.
That's why I decided to copy and paste all my cabriolet reports into a single folder where drop-top fans can find them all without having to scrabble through endless menus.
I have to warn you that it took a while to warm to the cabriolet phenomenon - convertibles are mostly loved, hankered after and driven by women, so we guys find them hard to appreciate. For that reason, you may find some of the writing a little tongue-in-cheek, sceptical or even downright chauvinist. What can I say? I'm male and I can't help it. Just bear with me though, because I believe that the stories still contain valid information that will hopefully help you make an informed buying decision.
*To read one of our road tests, just select from the drop-down menu that appears as you hover your cursor over the folder's title.
*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports, so even if you're looking to buy second-hand, you have an idea of what it cost originally.
Topless touring for the young at heart
I was told years ago that cabriolets are “girly” and “we don’t drive topless cars, guys.” Seemingly bearing this out, reactions to both this and the Volvo C70 I had on test last year, were extremely “wow” but especially from women. Men were fascinated by the cars’ powered top-folding routines, but otherwise non-commital.
My own informal survey suggested that the average buyer of the sexy Chrysler Sebring Limited convertible with foldaway hard top would surely be female, 35 to 55 years of age, single or married, blessed with a desire to cut loose occasionally and with R334 900 to spend on what might be seen as a frivolity.
Briefly, the Sebring convertible is powered by a 2,7 litre, DOHC 24-valve V6 putting out 137 kW at 5 500 rpm and 256 Nm of torque at 4 000 rpm. The gearbox is a 6-speed automatic with manual override facility.
Seating is for two adults and two small people. Unlike the Sebring sedan, the cabriolet does not make the best use of its almost-five-metre body length, losing people space to the boot that accommodates the hard top when it’s folded away.
Wheels are 7-inch wide alloys fitted with 215/55 R18 tyres, while brakes are 294 mm vented discs up front with 302 mm solid units at the back. ABS, brake assist, ESP and traction assist are standard.
Performance figures quoted by the factory include zero to 100 km/h in 10,3 seconds and a top speed of 206 km/h. Combined cycle fuel consumption is quoted as being 10,9 l/100 km, although my real life experience was closer to 11,8.
The “reason for being” of a topless car is freedom, sunshine and the warm wind in your hair. The last bit is courtesy of Lucy Jordan, and if you don’t know who she was, you’re probably too young to enjoy a yank tank cabriolet anyway. Be that as it may, the car is good for weekday work and weekend fun, but not for more than two adults. Back seat legroom is limited, while entry and exit with the top up is best left to the young and athletic.
Daily driving style could be described as leisurely, because while one can get a move on when necessary, the ‘box does not like doing so. When I tested the Sebring sedan a while ago, it had a very pleasant 4-speed transmission coupled to a 2,4 litre engine. I remarked at the time that while performance was quite good, it really needed the 2,7 engine fitted to this cabriolet.
It’s a pity that Chrysler did not leave well alone and reuse the 4-speeder, because the 6-speed does no justice to the bigger motor. It slips, it hesitates and the only way to get things done with any degree of urgency is to hold gears manually and hoof it – but there I go, talking like a MAN again.
Still talking like a mere male, the average buyer had better not be a wee slip of a girl if she wants to open the bootlid, because it’s heavier than most –a job more for Wonder Woman than for Lois Lane.
Equipment-wise, the Sebring convertible boasts a high end entertainment system with a variety of music options, video, Bluetooth connectivity, air conditioning, four airbags and a driver’s cupholder that allows one to heat or cool one’s beverage as desired.
Chrysler has presented an interesting alternative for those looking for something a little out of the ordinary in their motoring lives. It misses being my glass of chardonnay, but what do mere males know about girly cars anyway?
This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves.
What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
My articles appear every Wednesday in the motoring pages of The Witness, South Africa's oldest continuously running newspaper, and occasionally on Saturdays in Weekend Witness as well. I drive eight to ten vehicles most months of the year (press cars are withdrawn over the festive season - wonder why?) so not everything gets published in the paper. Those that are, get a tagline but the rest is virgin, unpublished and unedited by the political-correctness police. Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so I do actually exist.
I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the central hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and go to kick back and relax.
So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!
Comments?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you thoroughly disagree with what I say? That's your privilege, because if everybody agreed on everything, the world would be a boring place. All I ask is that you remain calm, so please blow off a little steam before venting too vigorously.
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Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are courtesy of www.quickpic.co.za
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8