Another ragtop from Chrysler comes to market as the 2005 PT Cruiser Convertible. It looks like the lid of a conventional Cruiser was pried off and a shapely roll bar added to arch across the 2+2 cockpit like the curvy handle of a basket. This open-sky edition gets a power convertible soft top with the rear glass window wired with an electric defroster. The entry model pulls from a 2.4-liter four-in-line plant rated at 150 hp with a manual five-speed transmission. The Touring model offers a turbo-charger with an automatic transaxle and the output fixed at 180 hp. The top trim GT goes further with high output turbo tipped to 220 hp. The GT PT also gets seats clad in leather, with more goods for safety aboard such as side air bags and four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock controls.

Read our Review: Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible

Chrysler's new flagship looks like an exclusive luxury coach of bold dimensions with an audacious face, upright structure and chiseled-block body. Titled under a numeric label as the 300 series, the sports sedan for the large-car class is cast on a new platform with the wheelbase stretched and engine mounted up front but power channeled to the rear wheels like elite European touring sedans. The platform was developed through Chrysler's parent DaimlerChrysler and shares some components with a sedan by Mercedes-Benz plus the new Magnum model from Dodge.

The 300's cabin was constructed around a cab-rearward concept to forge a space of comfort and practicality. Layout poses two large bucket seats up front with a bench in back broad enough for three. Three engines are available to power the car through four trims tagged as base 300, 300 Touring, luxurious 300 Limited and flagship 300C.

The cushy top model 300C-with soft leathers on seats and simulated tortoise shell trim on dash and steering wheel- totes a high-tech rendition of Chrysler's fabled Hemi engine with hemispheric combustion chambers. The 5.7-liter V8 makes 340 hp through an electronic automatic five-speed transmission teamed with Chrysler's AutoStick. The Hemi comes with a multi-displacement system (MDS) that can switch seamlessly and transparently to fuel-saving four-cylinder mode when all of that power is not needed. Chrysler adds another option to the 300 line with an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system available for the top two powertrains.

Read our Review: Chrysler 300C

The convertible treatment for Sebring rates as the most popular drop-top in America. It has four trims for 2005 - the entry-issue Sebring, the GTC, the Touring and the luxurious Limited. Sebring as a convertible supports either an economical 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine or Chrysler's lively 2.7-liter V6 worth 200 hp. The GTC comes with two-tone ultrahide bucket seats and new paint colors like Inferno Red Tinted Pearl Coat. The Sebring Touring's trim has leather seats with suede inserts and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, while the Limited applies premium leather to seats and offers the Autostick shifter. (CONTINUED...)