1999 Chrysler Sebring Coupe Lxi Comfort with sports appeal. By Kevin Ransom, New Car Test Drive .com

If you're in the market for a mid-sized sporty coupe, there's a good chance that you're open to compromise. Sure, you want a car that will hustle in a pinch, give you a little rush when you're out on the twisties and make your heart go tweet-tweet when it's just lounging around in the driveway.

But you're not willing to accept a buckboard ride or skimp on backseat-legroom for your kin. So you're willing to give up a little in the road-burning department in return for comfort. And while you're not on a budget in the strict sense, you'd still like to get out the door for under $25,000.

That's where the Chrysler Sebring Coupe comes in. The Sebring coupe achieves a pleasing middle ground between the hot, cramped Mitsubishi Eclipse and the roomier, less nimble Chevy Monte Carlo.

The Sebring Coupe and its cousin, the Dodge Avenger, provide a smooth, quiet ride, ample legroom in front, a back seat that's big enough to keep folks from getting cranky on long hauls, and a suspension stiff enough to keep the tires planted in corners.

Chrysler introduced the Sebring as a 1995 model. For 1999, the company has added next-generation dual air bags, body-color mirrors and wheels for the LXi model, and two new colors, plum and shark blue.