The dash is less cluttered, much cleaner, with vast areas of seamless, gapless surfaces. Speedometer, tachometer and fuel level and engine coolant gauges are now clustered in three pods, down from the '06's four, distracting less from driving. Air conditioner registers are integrated into the dash panel. A nice aspect of the dash and center stack is they're laid out in a way that's inclusive of the front seat passenger, not oriented toward the driver, a factor that subtly reinforces the family-car personality of the Sebring.
The center stack houses the audio and climate controls, which are easy to use, a classic analog clock and, when ordered, the navigation system display. The center dash flows smoothly down into the center console, a single piece of nicely textured, hard plastic running all the way back to the raised storage bin that doubles as an arm rest for front seat occupants. Just aft of the shift gate are two cup holders. The rearmost of the two can heat (to 140-degrees Fahrenheit) or cool (to 35-degrees Fahrenheit) a beverage (when any of the option packages for the Touring or Limited models are specified).
The stereo's well-mixed, crisp audio did a decent job of masking the test car's ventilation fan.
Seats are comfortable, if a little short on thigh support, with soft, widely spaced bolsters. This bodes well for commuting, if not especially so for exploring the edges of the Sebring's performance envelope. The hefty steering wheel rim delivers good grip, although the massive hub and thick spokes could benefit from a diet. The high cowl cuts into forward visibility, but on the up side, the low-gloss dash top reflects little sunlight into the windshield.
The new Sebring is not the roomiest car in its class. It offers almost as much headroom front and rear as the class-topping Accord, but the Sebring's front and rear seat hip room and rear seat legroom trail all but the Saturn Aura. And only the Accord Hybrid has less trunk space.
The remaining storage compares favorably with the class. Besides the two cup holders in the front center console, a bottle holder is molded into each of the rear door map pockets. Front door map pockets are a bit shallow for anything besides maps. The glove box door is damped, so it doesn't bruise an unwary passenger's shins, but curiously, it doesn't lock, leaving only the trunk as secure storage. The bi-level bin in the front center console provides a power point, supplementing another in a covered compartment forward of the shift gate where the optional ashtray and lighter fit when ordered. A thoughtful feature: One power point is wired to the battery and on all the time, which is good for cell phones and such, while another power point is switched by the ignition key, which works well for radar detectors.
