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Chrysler Sebring, America’s favorite convertible, comes to us for 2001 with a beautifully restyled body and a backseat that regulation-size humans can actually inhabit.

With its bumperless, Ferrari-esque grille and nicely rounded haunches, the new Sebring has become a major looker, sparking many unsolicited accolades and approving nods. This is a major upgrade from the former generation, looking much sportier and more in line with Chrysler’s corporate styling.

And that backseat thing is nothing to sneeze at. Sebring is the only midsize convertible that has proper rear accommodations, rather than some cruelly cramped compromise. It’s a major reason why the Sebring ragtop remains the top-selling convertible year after year.

But despite the sporty new look, Sebring does not have what you’d call a sporty ride or above-average handling. It’s a definite boulevard cruiser, softly sprung and tuned for comfort, the kind of car that provokes more twilight drives than back-road romps.

In some ways, the Sebring reminds me of some of the convertibles we used to drive in the ’70s, including my fine ’63 Dodge Dart GT that I drove in college. That’s mostly a good thing, but it also points out a real problem with the Sebring.

Just like those old convertibles, the Sebring shudders, shimmies and vibrates whenever the road gets the least bit rough. On bad surfaces, it shakes like a wet dog. If I drove it around on a pool table all day, it would not be a problem. But in the real world of rough pavement and undulating road surfaces, the Sebring continuously reminds you that it is missing the structural element of a hard roof.

But since Chrysler sells so many of these things, I guess most drivers don’t mind if the steering wheel shakes in their hands, or that the dashboard wiggles back and forth. Though compared with such top-down competition as Ford Mustang, Volvo C70, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Toyota Celica or even such a downstream number as Chevrolet Cavalier, the Sebring may have a better backseat, but it has a greater litany of shakiness.

I’d say Chrysler engineers need to beef up the underpinnings of this critter. Every new or redesigned vehicle coming out these days includes the boast that the chassis has been stiffened by so-much percentage over the previous model. Sebring needs to go up a bunch of percentage points to rid itself of the wobblies.

Too bad, too, because the Sebring is an otherwise nice driver. The steering is direct and responsive, and the interior is roomy and comfortable. The small V-6 is strong and not too noisy, even under hard acceleration.

The transmission, though, has a nasty habit of stumbling fitfully as the car gradually slows down, seeming unwilling to downshift into a lower gear. A couple of times, I felt as if the engine was nearly stalling. This is most noticeable in stop-and-go traffic, when you least want to be bothered by such an annoya nce.

The automatic top goes down easily, and the tonneau is fairly simple to install over the stowed top, unlike other tonneaus that I have struggled with in the past. This is a tonneau that I actually used, rather than giving up and leaving it in the trunk.

The cab-forward styling is strongly evident in profile, and once again, this translates into more interior space. The rear seat really is accommodating, even for my long-legged, teenage boys. The doors are wide, and the seats shove forward, leaving plenty of room for graceful entries and exits. Those big doors are heavy, though, and real a pain in tight parking lots.

The nicely equipped test car came with all the goodies, including leather seating and custom wheels. The wheels were a bit too sparkly and kind of tacky-looking. Stick with chrome or aluminum.

But with the top down on a warm Arizona evening, none of this matters. The Sebring presents a lovely escape craft for a pleasant driv on a desert road. Through town, it’s fun for sightseeing and fun to be seen in. The elegant styling and smooth sailing combine for a nice feeling of well-being as you glide down the highway.

Though, hopefully, it’s a smooth one.