2006 Chrysler Sebring Gtc Convertible 2-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

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Car technology I'm thankful and unthankful for

The past few years have seen a surge of tech features in new vehicles — everything from cloud-based content to semi-autonomous driving. While some of it makes the driving experience better, not all tech is useful or well thought out. Automakers who are adept at drivetrains, ride quality and in-cabin comforts often fail at infotainment interfaces and connectivity. From testing dozens of vehicles each year and in the spirit of gratitude, here are three car tech features I'm thankful — and a trio I could live without. Thanks Connected search: This seems like a no-brainer since everyone already has it on their smartphones, but not all automakers include it in the dashboard and as part of their nav systems. The best ones, such as Toyota Entune, leverage a driver's connected device to search for a range of services and don't charge a subscription or require a separate data plan for the car. I also like how systems like Chrysler Uconnect use Yelp or other apps to find everything from coffee to gas stations and allow searching via voice recognition. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: It took two of the largest tech companies to get in-dash infotainment right. While they have their disadvantages (you're forced to use Apple Maps with CarPlay, for example), the two smartphone-integration platforms make it easier and safer to use their respective native apps for phoning, messaging, music and more behind the wheel by transferring a familiar UI to the dashboard — with no subscription required. Heated seats and steering wheels: I really appreciate these simple but pleasant features come wintertime. It's easy to get spoiled by bun-warmers on frosty mornings and using a heated steering wheel to warm the cold hands. I recently tested a 2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 Coupe that also had heated armrest that added to a cozy luxury experience. Bonus points for brands like Buick that allow setting seat heaters to turn on when the engine is remotely started. No thanks Automaker infotainment systems: Automakers have probably poured millions into creating their own infotainment systems, with the result largely being frustration on the part of most car owners. And Apple CarPlay and Android Auto coming along to make them obsolete. While some automaker systems, such as Toyota Entune and FCA's Uconnect, are easy and intuitive to use, it seems that high-end systems (I'm looking at you BMW iDrive and Mercedes-Benz COMAND) are the most difficult.

Weekly Recap: Chrysler forges ahead with new name, same mission

Chrysler is history. Sort of. The 89-year-old automaker was absorbed into the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles conglomerate that officially launched this fall, and now the local operations will no longer use the Chrysler Group name. Instead, it's FCA US LLC. Catchy, eh? Here's what it means: The sign outside Chrysler's Auburn Hills, MI, headquarters says FCA (which it already did) and obviously, all official documents use the new name, rather than Chrysler. That's about it. The executives, brands and location of the headquarters aren't changing. You'll still be able to buy a Chrysler 200. It's just made by FCA US LLC. This reinforces that FCA is one company going forward – the seventh largest automaker in the world – not a Fiat-Chrysler dual kingdom. While the move is symbolic, it is a conflicting moment for Detroiters, though nothing is really changing. Chrysler has been owned by someone else (Daimler, Cerberus) for the better part of two decades, but it still seemed like it was Chrysler in the traditional sense: A Big 3 automaker in Detroit. Now, it's clearly the US division of a multinational industrial empire; that's good thing for its future stability, but bittersweet nonetheless. Undoubtedly, it's an emotion that's also being felt at Fiat's Turin, Italy, headquarters as the company will no longer officially be called Fiat there. Digest that for a moment. What began in 1899 as the Societa Anonima Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino – or FIAT – is now FCA Italy SpA. In a statement, FCA said the move "is intended to emphasize the fact that all group companies worldwide are part of a single organization." The new names are the latest changes orchestrated by CEO Sergio Marchionne, who continues to makeover FCA as an international automaker that has ties to its heritage – but isn't tied down by it. Everything from the planned spinoff of Ferrari, a new FCA headquarters in London and the pending demise of the Dodge Grand Caravan in 2016 has shown that the company is willing to move quickly, even if it's controversial. While renaming the United States and Italian divisions were the moves most likely to spur controversy, FCA said other regions across the globe will undergo similar name changes this year. Despite the mixed emotions, it's worth noting: The name of the merged company that oversees all of these far-flung units is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Obviously the Chrysler corporate name isn't completely history.

Canada offloading hundreds of nearly new cars it bought for G7 Summit

Are you looking for a deal on a lightly used 2018 Chrysler 300C? Do you feel like purchasing several at a time? Do you feel like visiting Canada? If all of these apply, you might be able to catch a pretty decent bargain. The Canadian government is offloading Chryslers and hundreds of other cars it bought for the G7 Summit held in Quebec in the summer, and the cars can be had quite cheaply. Originally, over 600 brand new cars were bought to ferry summit guests around Quebec, some of them in motorcades, necessitating the choice of very official-looking black on black 300C models with tinted windows. The RCMP said it turned out to be more affordable to buy the vehicles than to rent or lease them, but it still didn't come cheap for Canada. The bulk purchase price of all the cars exceeded $23 million CAD, and just $6.3 million has been recouped so far through selling 167 vehicles, as narcity.com reports. And there are still a bunch of cars for sale, posted on the GCSurplus.ca website. Take a look at the aforementioned Chryslers that were put up for auction yesterday: There are multiple 300Cs on offer with the starting bid of $25,343 Canadian and barely over 1,000 miles on the clock; the purchase price of a new, Canadian-spec 300C without motorcade modifications is over $42,000. Chevrolet Suburbans are less cheap, as the minimum bid on them is $53,428, but they appear nicely loaded with similarly low mileage and 4WD. There are also bulk deals, like a five-car pack of police-specification Dodge Chargers for a combined $133,000 if you can get them for the minimum bid. Other, less interesting but unquestionably fully serviceable vehicles include Toyota Siennas (109 were originally bought), Ford Escapes, Mitsubishi Outlanders and Dodge Journeys. You can browse the cars here. Related Video: News Source: Narcity.comImage Credit: GCsurplus.ca Weird Car News Chrysler Dodge Car Buying SUV Sedan