Powered by the same 2.7-litre 200-horsepower V6 that feels sluggish in the Intrepid, in this car feels quite snappy. They both weigh about the same, so it must be in the gearing. Its four-speed automatic is yet another variation on the shift-it-yourself theme, a feature that has become extremely popular over the last few years. Some work well, many don't. Chrysler calls theirs AutoStick, incidentally the first domestic of its kind available. It works differently than most, which ask you to move the shifter forward, towards the dash to shift up a gear and backwards to shift down. With AutoStick you move the shifter left, towards your leg, to shift down a gear and right, towards your passenger's leg to shift up a gear. Were the designers trying to give us an excuse for getting closer to our co-driver if we miss an upshift? George Costansa's dad, on Seinfeld, could have used this one instead of his stopping short shtick. Nevertheless, after getting used to it, it worked very well. 
The overall ride and handling were a surprise. I expected a typical boulevard smooth ride, which it supplied very nicely. What I didn't expect was how well it handled the twisties. The chassis designers have really put together a fine balance of smooth, quiet, silky ride characteristics along with a strong dose of corner hugging prowess. The power top is an impressive piece as well. It's finished in a rain and stain resistant cloth fabric. Although luckily most of my days were perfectly sunny and warm, with the top down of course, I did get caught in a fairly nasty downpour. Not a drop entered the passenger area. When up, the fit and finish of the fully insulated top gave me the feeling of being in a fixed roof vehicle, which is what a well-designed convertible top is supposed to feel like - a definite must for four season driving in this country.