Chrysler PT Cruiser

About 18 months ago when I was in New England I rented a Chrysler PT cruiser for two weeks & clocked up more than 1000 miles, it gave me a good opportunity to assess the vehicle for this review.

As you will see with the pictures of the actual vehicle it is a modern interpretation of a 1930s American hot rod & Chrysler have done rather a good job. The low front & high rear ends with slab sides mimics the old hot rods as does the pointed bonnet line & front wing styles. The retro look is carried over to the interior with body coloured painted metal dashboard along with little details as the fake ivory gear knob & old style chrome door handles.

The car was originally to be badged as a Plymouth PT Cruiser but when the parent company (Chrysler) decided to terminate the Plymouth brand the name was changed to simply Chrysler. The 'PT' stands for personal transportation, which I assume most cars are in comparison to a train or a bendy bus!
It was introduced to a very enthusiastic public in the year 2000 & it wasn't long before there were waiting lists for the car, it is no longer in production. This particular rental car had a 2.4litre four cylinder engine just for the North American market, but European versions which were made in Austria came with either a 2.0 litre petrol engine or a 2.4litre turbo diesel engine.

On this particular car the general finish inside & out was rather good with even panel gaps, good closing doors that closed with a reassuring 'clunk' & switches that felt as though they would last for quite a while.

The PT Cruiser is a five door, five seater hatchback which by American standards isn't that big which is probably why it became a sales success in the UK. It's a very practical car too; the boot is a decent size which can be enlarged if you fold down the rear seats. There was ample cubby holes inside to store odd & ends, to be exact. The front seats felt comfortable with folding arm rests in the centre which were perfectly located for a comfortable drive.

The car came with the features you expect these days such as radio/CD, air conditioning, electric windows, central locking, electric mirrors & air bags. This particular vehicle was an automatic, as the Americans prefer autos to manuals & have been making them for so long, as you would expect it was a very smooth gearbox. The 'up' changes were very smooth indeed although 'kick down' was a bit more severe than I expected but it may have been just a problem to this particular vehicle.

Driving the PT cruiser it soon became apparent it would be a smooth & refined car, driving in a foreign country on the opposite side of the road from the UK forces you to drive with a little more care & attention so this vehicle was never really 'pushed to the limits'. Suffice to say the engine became a little harsh when pushed towards the 'red line', it handled safely, had a smooth ride, the brakes were more than 'up to the job' & the steering was positive without feeling to light even with power assistance.

Fuel consumption I didn't record, with fuel prices around $1.90 a gallon who cares, filling it up one day cost me around $16.00 but I would have expected around 25-30 mpg. In the UK with different engines & higher fuel costs the fuel consumption would be a greater concern & I would advise finding out first before you decide to purchase one.
Having had a short spell working at a UK Chrysler dealer I remember their vehicles as being pretty reliable with only the electrics giving some minor troubles.

Would I buy one or recommend one? Although I think Chrysler have done a great job recreating the '1930s hot rod' look on this car, for me its now become a little dated looking but I was impressed overall with the car in the two weeks I had it & wouldn't want to put anyone off at least driving one so that you can form their own opinion.