Convertibles have come a long way in the past five years. Chassis are stronger, reducing flex. Better top materials and seals have improved cabin noise levels. Glass rear windows have become the norm, and many top mechanisms do their thing with no more than the touch of one button. While the notion of larger-than-sports-car-size four/five-seat convertibles seemed dormant for a while, fresh entries like the Toyota Solara and Chrysler Sebring underscore that the midsize ragtop is alive-and quite well.

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When Chrysler introduced the Sebring in '96, it was an instant success with consumers-as well as rental fleets in places like Hawaii and California-offering a family-size drop-top experience at an economical price. Often criticized for less than stellar build quality and Macarena-like cowl shake (a condition common to unibodied convertibles, which obviously can't benefit from the additional structural rigidity of the roof panels), the Sebring remained a top seller, thanks to its commodious cabin and good value. It has been completely remodeled for '01, with a new and structurally stiffer chassis, more power, and a much upgraded interior.

Fast forward to 2000, when Toyota took its then-year-old Solara, chopped the top, and jumped in to take on Chrysler. So who makes the better five-seat drop top?

The Solara, built in conjunction with ASC (known primarily for its factory sunroof installations), is the first convertible we've encountered in recent memory that makes more wind noise with the top and windows rolled up rather than down. This is the fourth Solara convert we've experienced and the quietest of the bunch, but conversation over 60 mph is difficult at best. The top fluttered at speed and the headliner was already sagging in places. Granted, this particular tester had over 10,000 miles on the clock, but with Toyota's reputation for stellar fit and finish, this wasn't what we've come to expect.

The Sebring's cloth top, on the other hand, reminded us of convertibles costing thousands more. Dropping the top was an easy deal: Unlatch the dual header latches, depress the console-mounted switch, and the top quietly and effortlessly drops into the lined well. You won't have to raise your voice to converse or crank the stereo, top up or down.

Convertible top aside, the Solara exhibited fit and finish on par with the rest of the Toyota line, with excellent body-panel gaps and first-class paint quality. Ditto for the Sebring, which has effectively shed its former clothing as rental-fleet king for upscale style and excellent execution. We especially like the Sebring's new exterior treatment, with a large chrome egg-crate grille, and bold shapes.

On the road, the Sebring feels like a purpose-built convertible-which it is-offering an acceptably stiff chassis, minimal cowl shake, and appropriate suspension tuning. Highway expansion joints don't jar occupants, and it holds curves steadily without breaking a sweat. We wish the steering were a tad quicker responding to input and with better road feel through the wheel.

The Sebring's stiff spring/soft shock combination serves up a compliant ride with moderate dive and minimal fade under emergency braking. Traversing heavily rutted roads wasn't a problem in the Chrysler, where the suspension easily smoothed out every surface irregularity. The Toyota bounces and jiggles from one rut to the next; however, when the road surface is smooth, the Solara offers an acceptably comfy ride.

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In the twisties,the Solara's suspension capability runs out quickly, with a great deal of understeer showing during hard-cornering maneuvers. It's too easy to make the front tires rub against the inner wheelhouse in decreasing-radius turns. It exhibits a good deal of dive and squat when accelerating or during emergency braking exercises. The Solara continually bottoms out when crossing shallow dips in the road. Like the Sebring, the Solara's steering feels vague with too little feedback available through the wheel. With its slow steering rack, turn-in isn't as precise as we'd like, but predictable nonetheless. Granted, these are cruisers, not racers, but overall, the Solara's suspension tuning is just too soft.

Powering the all-new Sebring is a 2.7L DOHC V-6 that delivers 200 hp and 193 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. We like the precise four-speed automatic with AutoStick controls. Shifted manually, the tranny upshifts smoothly and precisely, and downshifts crisply on command.

In the brake department, the Limited incorporates what Chrysler calls "ABS Plus" software into its four-wheel disc-braking system, which senses braking in turns and controls the vehicle's yaw rate. Emergency stops from 60 mph were linear with moderate ABS pulse, grinding the Sebring to a halt in 127 ft.

Powered by a 3.0L/200-hp DOHC V-6, the Solara is silky smooth at idle with good off-line torque, but power softens in the midrange. Mated to an electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission, the Solara shifts smoothly and positively until you push the accelerator to the floor, where we found the transmission to be slow to kick down to a lower gear, often free-spooling for an instant before slamming into gear. However, having driven numerous Camrys, we're confident in saying this condition is specific only to this particular car, and not to the entire breed.

Four-wheel ABS-assisted disc brakes are standard issue on the Sebring we tested and provide powerful, linear stops. Mash the pedal from 60 mph and the Solara stops in 123 ft-4 ft shorter than the Sebring-with moderate pedal pulse and the usual ABS noises.

Inside, the Solara interior treats occupants to nicely trimmed front bucket seats that offer good lumbar and thigh support, although lateral support is lacking during cornering exercises. Optional dual side airbags are neatly tucked into the outboard sides of the seats. The dash and door areas are accented with fake walnut-looking trim-which should have been carried out to the center stack area, instead of the cheapish black plastic used there.

The driver's controls are all within easy reach, with the exception of the convertible top switch and rear windows, which are buried in the front of the center console along with a second 12V powerpoint. Climate controls are a dream, with a large temperature-adjustment knob and oversize buttons to regulate venting and fan speed.

Sliding into the Sebring's lush cockpit is a pleasure. Its retro-inspired chrome-rimmed analog dials and nicely detailed badging bring to mind something out of the Auburn Speedster era. The dash addresses the driver, and all controls fall easily to hand. Its HVAC is even easier to use than in the Solara, with three large rotary dials providing control. Our only complaint is with the location of the four-disc CD changer at the bottom of the center stack. Placed behind the cupholders, it's just about impossible to change or select discs with Frappuccinos in place.

Dual French-pleated leather-lined buckets hold driver and passenger firmly in place. The driver seat has a manually adjustable lumbar pad that works wonders on aching vertebrae. Out back, passengers are treated to a good deal of lgroom in both vehicles, as long as the front seats aren't in the full aft position. The Sebring's couch has near-perfect rake, good lumbar support, and decent leg- and foot room. The Solara rear bench also offers adequate lumbar support, but is raked too far forward to be really comfortable on long trips. Both cars score high for easy ingress and egress with the top down, but rear passengers will struggle to get out with the top closed.

Storage space is always at a premium in convertibles, and five-place variants are expected to have a trunk that will accommodate far more than the usual golf bag. The Sebring has a deep trunk that holds 11.3 cu ft of luggage. Inside, large map pockets flank each door and the center console has deep storage for CDs or cassette tapes.

With 8.8 cu ft of storage space, the Solara's trunk may be smaller in size, but is better carved to hold larger bags. In the cockpit, there's an oversize center console, a decent glovebox, and large map pockets built into the doors for additional cargo capacity. Even though both cars are seatbelt-equipped for five, their top mechanisms eat into rear-seat passenger room, effectively making them both four seaters, unless the fifth occupant is a third-grader.