Good morning! It’s warm and sunny where I am, which has me thinking about convertibles. So we’re going to check out a couple. These two both just barely fit into our $2,500 budget for the week, but neither of them really needs anything.
Yesterday we looked at two sedans from 2009, and the final tally was decisive: the manual transmission Ford Fusion won handily. The Volvo’s minor maladies and likely higher maintenance costs counted against it, as did its dings and dents. Many of you were concerned about rust on both cars, and yes, there’s probably some, but you do know you can wash cars in the winter to keep the salt off, right?
For me, it’s the Fusion without a second thought. I’d much rather have a manual in a cheap car, and a garden-variety Ford is more “me” than a turbocharged Volvo. Parts should be cheaper and easier to find for it, as well.
So, now let’s turn our attention to convertibles. I know they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, and they can be kind of a pain in the ass for everyday use, but on that perfect day (or night), when the sun (or moon) is out, with the right company, and the right song on the radio, they can be absolutely magical. Let’s see which one of these you’d rather drive on such a day (or night).
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 2.4-liter DOHC inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Orange, CA
Odometer reading: 88,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Chrysler brought the convertible back to America after six long sunless years in 1982. Yeah, that first LeBaron convertible was just a K-car with the top chopped off, and it was not the most reliable thing on the road, but the top went down, and that was enough. And to be fair, it did get a lot better as time went on. The LeBaron finally left showrooms in 1995, and was replaced by this car: the Sebring. This is the second-generation Sebring, which ran from 2001 to 2006.
This Sebring is powered by the base engine, a 2.4-liter four cylinder also found in the PT Cruiser. You could get a V6, and most Sebrings I’ve seen are so equipped, but the 2.4 is more reliable, more efficient, and a lot easier to work on. This one hardly has any miles on it to speak of, and it was just serviced and just passed a smog test. It also has “almost new” tires and brakes, so it shouldn’t need anything right away.
It’s nothing fancy inside, but it has all the stuff you need. It’s in good condition, too, as far as I can tell. The photos in the ad aren’t great; they’re mostly close-ups of various features of the interior. So if you want to know what those cruise control buttons on the steering wheel look like close up, they’ve got you covered, but this is the only overall interior shot we get.
It looks decent outside as well. The seller says it comes with a new top still in the box, but the top that’s on it looks pretty damn good, so I don’t know what’s going on there. I don’t think those are the original wheels, either, but they look fine on it.
2008 Toyota Solara SLE convertible – $,2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 3.3-liter DOHC V6, five-speed automatic, FWD
Location: San Gabriel, CA
Odometer reading: 215,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
The Toyota Solara is more accurately known as the Toyota Camry Solara. It was introduced in 1998 with different sheetmetal from the Camry sedan, unlike earlier two-door Camrys. Under the skin, however, it’s the same old reliable car you all know and love. It was available as a coupe or a convertible, but today, it’s the convertible we’re interested in.
Like the Camry, the Solara was available with either a four-cylinder or a V6 engine. This one has the V6, a 3.3-liter unit that sends 210 horsepower to the front wheels through a five-speed automatic. Like most Toyotas, it’s more than capable of racking up some miles, so it’s no surprise that this car has passed 200,000. The seller says it runs and drives well, but the tire pressure monitor light is on. The tires are fine, so a sensor has probably failed. Also, if I’m reading the ad correctly, it sounds like the air conditioning is stuck on.
It has seat covers and a steering wheel cover that are probably hiding some wear, considering the mileage, but overall it looks good inside. It’s the fancy SLE model, so it has all kinds of goodies inside for you to play with.
The second-generation Solara’s styling is, let’s say, challenging. It’s okay from the front, but this rear three-quarter view is something only Sir Mix-A-Lot could love. Dropping the top doesn’t improve its lines any, either. But, I suppose you can’t see the outside when you’re sitting in the inside. It’s in good condition, with just a couple minor scrapes and bruises, but thankfully no “Camry Dent.”
If you live in a place where you can put the top down with some frequency, a convertible as a daily driver can actually be nice. With the top up, these are just ordinary cars with worse rear visibility and more road noise, but when the weather is right, you can push that button in the center console and turn them into something much more enjoyable. And even if you can only use them once in a while, the price of these is low enough to keep them around as a second car. Which one are you going with?
The Toyota was good when it was new, and might still be good. The Sebring was never good. But for this kind of money, who cares? Neither is supposed to be good.
Low-mileage and better condition Sebring for me. I like that Toyota, but the mileage is high, paint rough, headlights faded and I’m gonna guess it will need a lot more work than the Sebring.
Also the Sebring looks like a private sale while the Solara seems to be a dealer… which is to say you’ll likely learn more about the TRUE ownership/maintenance history of the Sebring than you will with the Solara.
The Sebring is a decent deal. If the Toyota were cheaper, the decision would be tougher, but it’s a little beat at that price. Honestly, I prefer the Solara’s styling, but the Sebring is fine for a part-time cruiser. That said, a PT Cruiser convertible would have more style.
The Sebring has been detailed to within an inch of its life. The tire shine is still clean, and the steam cleaner lines on the carpets are still there. If the Solara had had the same treatment, the votes would be different than what they are.
The Solara will still be eating up the miles ten years from now, and what little attention it will need will be simple maintenance. The Sebring would be an outlier if it managed to reach the mileage that the Solara has now.
On the other hand, the Toyota seller should have fixed the AC stuck on problem, touched up the paint scratches and had the paint buffed to the shine that the Sebring has. The hood has peeling clearcoat, and the seller didn’t even bother to straighten out the front license plate.
My choice would be a Solara over a Sebring, but not necessarily this Solara. The price is very low on both of them, though, so either one will make someone happy.
That Sebring has been babied by someone who truly loved it, and I’d rather have that than a Toyota that has issues that would need to be sorted out first. I’d grab the Sebring, give it to my mother as a surprise, and let her tool around in it trouble-free until something breaks that my dad and I can fix easily.
Thought I might be bucking the trend with the Sebring, but it appears that many of you feel the same. The thing is in good shape…that’s really what you want with a convertible. It doesn’t have to be fast or sporty, but it should look good. It’s probably not going to be a daily, just a thing to putter around with on the weekend – but you could press it into that kind of service if you wanted to. Chances are the Toyota (even at 215k currently) will still be going strong when you’d put the Sebring out to pasture, but I don’t think that’s the main thing with something like this.
The secretary at my elementary/middle school had a succession of gold Chrysler convertibles (LeBaron and then Sebring), always parked in her reserved spot with the license plate O2BCOOL.
This one is in the correct color and looks well taken care of, perhaps carefully driven by a retired school secretary and full-time grandma. I’d cruise in it readily.
Sebring, it is in pretty good shape for the year and price.
I rode around in a coworker’s Sebring for a couple of seasons (door to door sales) and it was one of the shittiest cars I’ve ever experienced. Sight unseen, Solara all day.
I’m torn between the two. I trust the Toyota to get to 250k miles way more than the Sebring getting to 150k. However, that’s actually more driving for the Chrysler.
I can 100% see either vehicle as a pretty good deal for the money and can go either way.
But I picked the Toyota. Silver looks slightly less dated than beige. That’s really all I have.
Yeah, I was kind of on the fence, and I think I picked the color more than anything.
I thought the opposite: with all the grayscale paint jobs forced on us nowadays, beige looked refreshing to me
Yeah, potahto, potato. If I was voting today, I would do the Chrysler because the inside isn’t boring (and branding) black.
Sebring because of Michael Scott – The Office
Like so many of the 2000s Toyotas Solara has sort of grown into it’s looks. I hated the way the look now I don’t love it but it’s better then the sebring. Plus still in the Toyota never die era.
Oof. I am not a convertible person so I don’t want either. But since I have to choose, I now have to decide if I want a crappy Chrysler that is almost identical (sans convertible) to a company car I had in 2002 that I absolutely loathed, or a high-mileage version of one of the ugliest Toyotas ever made. Chrysler? Toyota. Chrysler. Toyota? Nope, I’m sitting this one out.
I had a 2007 Solara that I bought new for a few years, so I “see” them I pass by them. There seems to be a disproportionate number of them on the road; the newest ones are 18 years old!
I have no interest in either of these as toys. I don’t know what it would take for me to see a Sebring or Solara as a “fun” car, but being a convertible isn’t enough.
The Sebring seems like a nice car for the price, though. What it lacks in fun it makes up for in being cheap, unhorrible transportation.
I’ll take the Sebring to Target and start cruising for mid moms. Lol
I went with the Sebring to live out my Micheal Scott Cosplay
The Solara is so fucking ugly, I’d hate myself every time I had to drive it. The Sebring is at least pleasant looking, and a neighbor of mine has had one for years, and it’s been good to him. Sebring!
I can’t believe I voted for the Sebring over the Solara, but the Sebring is in such great shape and appears so well cared for and the Solara so doesn’t.
I’m better the better-loved Sebring is the better bet… just barely.
I have a later-aughts Toyota with over 200k that needs a few minor things.
Before I did, a decade or so ago, I was called and subsequently selected for jury duty, and was thankfully able to borrow my grandfather’s Sebring convertible for that mostly-beautiful September week.
It was a nicer driving experience than the ’07 or so that replaced it, in part because I could comfortably put my arm on the windowsill, and better looking by far than either that newer model or this Solara, which Argentine Utop rightly called out as having a bit of that melted-plastic Hyundai look to it.
That said, since the Sebring’s top *looks* fine but isn’t shown down, I can’t help but wonder whether there’s been a miscommunication as to what’s in the box and its power operation has failed. Still, contorting myself into the backseat to pull up the top while holding the switch, street-parked in town first thing on a weekday morning, was worth it, and might even be again now that I’m older and more sore.
No question I would choose the Sebring today, but I am happy these aren’t the only two choices. I am now convertibleless, and I plan to keep it that way unless I move to a new state and even then if I get a convertible it will be something used with an interior designed to take some abuse (old jeep maybe?).
I can’t believe I voted for the Sebring. In high school we had a substitute teacher named Mr. Norton. He was nice, but had a completely monotone voice, no matter his emotion. He wore beige pants and beige sweaters and drove a beige Sebring convertible. I always thought the Sebring fitted him perfectly. Dull, but pleasantly so. I’ve never liked the Sebring much but if you want something comfortable that you can drop the top on occasionally, well it’s just about perfect. I’ll take better condition and lower miles over the Camry, plus I think the Sebring looks better.
Solara. Obviously Toyota reliability even with all the extra mileage.
It also has the added bonus of that if anything went wrong with the roof I could look at my wife and say “What did you do!?”. For a short time she worked in the area of the factory where they put the convertible tops on.
Sebring, easy. Chrysler nailed the affordable convertible cruiser for decades. It’s not a sports car, or a daily, or a luxury car; but it excels at the ins purpose of being a relaxed convertible for tooling around on nice days.
I’m not surprised this one looks so nice – people that bought these usually babied them.