The Bottom Line: If you like the styling the rest of the package is very good, at least in the GT. Rebates and discounts make the price much more reasonable than last year.
Somehow I never got around to driving a PT Cruiser while the car was still the in thing. For 2003 Chrysler made a turbo engine available in an attempt to rectify the most common criticism of the basic car and to maintain public interest. As I’m mostly into cars for how they drive rather than how they look, it certainly got my interest. So I finally took the awkwardly named PT Cruiser GT Turbo for a test drive.
I would have liked to drive a manual, but at the time I drove the car only automatics were available. Since then I’ve tried a couple of times to drive a manual transmission PT Cruiser turbo, but each time none was available. A few months ago I attended a Chrysler sales event for suppliers where the full line was available for test drives. (My wife’s company is a supplier to both GM and Chrysler.) Alas, the only PT Cruisers there were automatics. I drove one again, and found that my impressions from a year earlier still held true. Since I had nothing new to say, I dragged my feet getting this review posted. Alas, I still managed to sink a few hours into it adding various additional details and comparisons to the car I bought in the interim, a Mazda Protege5. Though both compact five doors, these are very different cars.
Update: I have finally driven a PT with the base engine. My wife will need a new car within a year, and this is one she's always liked the look of. Wondering whether we'd have to ante up for one of the turbos, I twice test drove a Limited with the normally aspirated 2.4 to judge just how inadequate it is. Impressions below.
Update March 2005: We ended up buying a 2002 last summer. Though we wouldn't normally buy a two-year-old car, the car in quest was a Dream Cruiser Series I, and my wife really liked the deep gold paint offered only on that special edition. I have added some additional material to this review based on nearly a year of ownership. At some point I'll add a review of the 2002 that focuses on this experience.
Chrysler PT Cruiser Reliability
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Styling
At this point everyone not only knows what the PT Cruiser looks like but has an opinion about its styling. Though the pre-war look doesn’t do much for me, my wife would still love to have one. The way I see it, this car meets a set of needs that continues to go unmet by any other vehicle. It has a “cute and friendly” look, like the New Beetle or original Neon. To many people, especially women, this suggests that the car and the person driving it has a lighter side and basically knows how to have fun. They’re not just some serious, no-nonsense adult totally weighed down by adult responsibilities. But because they really do have these responsibilities, the PT also offers a versatile interior capable of carrying four adults and/or quite a bit of stuff. Other vehicles with such a package are in appearance either boringly functional (many minivans), functional with a touch of elegance (luxury minivans), or macho tough (SUVs). Even the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix twins, similar in concept to the PT Cruiser, have a aggressive, techno streak running through their sheetmetal. While they’re likely to appeal mostly to women no matter what, the people in charge of marketing them want to maximize the chance of attracting a few men. Even for such niche vehicles those in charge lack the courage to go after just a piece of the market. So the PT Cruiser is out there alone among spacious vehicles with its smooth, totally not MTV curves.
The retro aspect might be harder to overcome than the curves in the long term. The curves will continue to suggest “cute and friendly,” but the retro will at some point, possibly soon, simply appear faddish and dated.
To this exterior the turbo model adds larger alloy wheels of a classic five-spoke design. They look nice, though no nicer than the stylish 16” alloys of past years. That said, the base model’s wheel covers and the alloys on the current Touring and Limited, especially when slathered in chrome, are overly plain. I guess they have a retro look to them that fits the car, but I prefer a more open wheel design.
Frankly, the styling of the PT Cruiser never has appealed to me. As much as I like the rest of the car, I’d probably never buy one for this reason. My wife, on the other hand, continues to like the PT’s looks a great deal.
When I first drove a PT Cruiser last year the interior was a revelation. I'd sat in a PT Cruiser before, but somehow the 2003 seemed richer. The door panels, with their textured inserts, are especially nice for an affordably priced car. The turbo model replaces the body color trim on the dash with faux carbon fiber trim, but I’d be equally happy either way. The faux fiber looks sporty, but the body-color plastic lends the interior much of its character.
The other change for 2003 had a larger effect. Previously two-tone taupe was the only interior color. For 2003 a solid slate interior became an option. Both the 2003 and 2004 I drove were so outfitted, in leather no less (it's standard on the 2004 GT). Dark colors always make an interior look more expensive.
The Limited had the two-tone taupe interior upholstered in a combination of leather and suede. It's somewhat drab in appearance and reveals the hard plastic surfaces for what they are. The tan leather available in the 2005 convertible has a much warmer, richer ambiance. Even in slate, though, the interior no longer looks as rich to me as it did two years ago. This is an area of rapid improvement thoughout the industry, and others have since passed it.
Accommodations
The seats in the Turbo have slightly more aggressive side bolsters. Though not quite suited for a sports car, they’re bolstered sufficiently for the slower turns you’ll be taking in this relatively tall vehicle. They are firmer and better shaped than the seats in the Vibe and Matrix, and contribute to the overall impression that the PT Cruiser is a more substantial, higher quality vehicle. That said, the bottom is a bit short for good thigh support even with my 30-inch inseam. Leather was an option in 2003, but is now standard.
Despite their smaller bolsters, in most driving the Limited's seats feel about the same. They provide decent lateral support just below the armpits, where it tends to be most useful. As with the GT seats I'd personally like a longer cushion.
Even with the power seat in its lowest position the driving position is still much higher than in my Protege5 and even a bit higher in the also tall Vibe and Matrix. This provides a good view of the road--you can barely see the hood from the driver's seat--but also too good a view of the windshield header. In my first test drive of the Limited this annoyed me terribly. During a second, more extended test drive I somewhat adapted and felt I could live with it, though I'd still rather not have to.
Because I'd actually prefer the seat an inch or two lower than its lowest position to get the header out of my direct view, I personally cannot imagine ever raising the seat. The height adjuster does not adjust the tilt of the seat, I suspect to keep the cost down (Chrysler charges only $100 for this feature as a separate option.) I don't remember this being a problem in the GT, but it certainly is in the regular PT where I would have like to create better thigh support by tipping the seat back. The view out is expansive in all directions, with thin pillars and plenty of glass.
The rear seat is very comfortable for two people. The PT’s high roof allows the seat cushion to be positioned well above the floor, so thigh support is very good for a compact. Legroom is nearly as plentiful in the rear seat as it is up front—more than forty inches. This is the sort of statistic usually only seen in a large car. Everything is not large-car-like back there, though. The PT is a narrow vehicle, so three people shoulder to shoulder would be a squeeze. The Vibe and Matrix also have roomy rear seats, and my Mazda does better than you’d expect in this department, but the PT is the clear rear seat legroom champ among compacts.
Even with the rear seat up cargo volume is plentiful, over nineteen cubic feet. To carry huge quantities of stuff the rear seat and even front passenger seat can fold forward. For maximum cargo volume, the rear seat can be removed. With the rear seat out, the PT offers ten cubic feet more capacity than the Vibe/Matrix, despite being a few inches smaller in both length and width.
To date I've used my wife's car to carry a boxed-up storm door, a twin mattress together with a five-foot-tall wine tower, and a seven-foot bookcase. All with the hatch closed. In each case the fit has been very tight, as if the car magically expands to enclose whatever is placed within it.
On the Road
Equipped with the standard 150-horsepower 2.4-liter engine the PT's acceleration is merely adequate. It's easy to keep up with traffic and merge onto the highway, but there are no thrills to be had with the go pedal. The transmission does its best to extract top performance out of this engine, shifting at or near the redline well short of full throttle. Aided by balance shafts the engine is fairly smooth and quiet for a four-cylinder, which is to say livable but no match for a middling six. The fix for those who want to merge effortlessly: one of the turbos.
Last year there was only one 215-horsepower turbo. But sales were low owing to the GT's high price, so Chrysler decided to bring out a second, 180-horsepower turbo as a standalone $1,265 option on the Touring and Limited. This engine is only available with an automatic. If you want a manual with your turbo, you must still pay the premium for the GT, which gained another five horses this year. Of even greater significance, the maximum torque of 245 foot-pounds is now produced 800 RPM lower, at a very accessible 2800 RPM.
The stats for the GT engine suggest a healthy dose of midrange power, and driving the car provides confirmation. Floor the accelerator, and speed builds quickly, with the transmission snapping off firm shifts near the redline. According to Car and Driver, sixty is reached in well under eight seconds. In my mind, this is as quick as this sort of vehicle needs to be.
Better than these full throttle stats, the turbo’s midrange power largely removes any need to floor the throttle and/or go anywhere near the redline. In most driving situations just a few inches of throttle will do. Though some turbo lag is perceptible from time to time, generally the car feels very responsive. (The lower-boost turbo supposedly suffers from less lag.) Since the PT remains much more a cruiser than a sports car even in GT form, this satisfying punch through the midrange at considerably less than full throttle fits its character well. (In contrast to the fit between the Vibe GT and its high strung engine, for example.)
The PT Turbo suffers from a surprisingly small amount of torque steer given the huge amount of torque for a vehicle of this size. If anything the non-turbo Limited suffers from more. I don’t know how Chrysler managed this (well, the turbo does get equal length half-shafts while the non-tubro does not) but many other automakers could learn something here. Especially Nissan. Often torque steer is more evident with a manual transmission, but I still have not had the chance to check this out.
I have, however, driven a Dodge Neon SRT-4 with this same engine and a five-speed, and torque steer in that car was also surprisingly minimal. The 2004 SRT-4 even has a limited-slip differential, which tends to further accentuate torque steer. Not in this case. The LSD did help put all that torque to the pavement in the Neon. I felt little need for such a device in the automatic PT GT, but with a manual it might be nice to have.
With the 2003 I noted slight surges and lulls as the engine gained speed at part throttle. Most people wouldn’t even notice these, but then I didn’t notice them in the 2004. Along with the power increase the engine’s fuel injection programming might have been refined. I generally don’t care for the noises made by four cylinder engines, and this one is no exception, but in this instance I’d rather have the torque of this engine than the smoothness of a less powerful six (such as Chrysler’s 2.7 liter unit).
The PT GT engine makes ten fewer horses than the same basic engine in the Neon SRT-4. Driving the latter made it evident that these horses disappear in the PT’s more restrictive exhaust. Lift off the throttle in the Neon and the engine note is obnoxiously coarse and LOUD. I would never buy one for this reason. The PT GT’s exhaust is much quieter. Can the relevant bits be retrofitted to the SRT-4?
The low-rent feel of the shifter in the SRT-4 provides little hope for that in the PT, which has an even longer lever. The automatic in both GTs I’ve driven shifts with acceptable if not imperceptible smoothness and downshifts readily, making the manual shift feature of limited use. At least I felt no need to use it; I suppose that on especially curvy and/or hilly roads it might be handy.
The fuel economy of our PT, with the base engine, has been disappointing: about 20 MPG. Blame the weight, tall stance, and less-than-thrifty engine.
Handling is good for such a tall vehicle, even in the Limited. The steering is quick, very nicely weighted, and provides good feedback. With each test drive I have been further impressed by this system’s tight, direct feel. (Well, except in the one we bought, which feels a touch loose on center at highway speeds. Probably a minor alignment issue.)
Lean in turns is definitely present, and more substantial in the Limited than in the GT, but not excessive. I am used to driving with my rear much closer to the road, so the PT felt a bit tippy in fast turns, especially the Limited. Though the PT Turbo is certainly no sports car—the height of the driving position alone precludes this—it is very enjoyable to drive around town. The Limited, on the other hand, is more suited for, well, cruising. The steering is a delight, but the amount of lean dissuades aggressive driving.
Scmrak in his review criticizes the worst aspect of the PT's handling: a very wide turning circle. I'm used to driving a Protege5. Compared to that car the PT feels downright unwieldy in parking lots.
Even with the turbo’s stiffened suspension ride quality remains good. The ride can be jittery at times, but is rarely rough. The suspension takes the edge off of impacts and tire thump remains minimal.
Update: I'm less happy with the ride quality in the car we bought. Especially on patchy road surfaces it's way to jittery. I suspect that the beam rear axle is to blame. After owning the car for nearly a year this is my least favorite aspect.
Road noise is present on most surfaces, but it rarely becomes intrusive. Wind noise is low. Compared to the Vibe/Matrix twins or my Protege5, the PT feels like a much more solid, more substantial vehicle. From the driver’s seat it is hard to believe that the Vibe/Matrix is actually a bit larger.
The PT Cruiser’s substantial feel does come at some cost. It weighs about four hundred pounds more than the similarly-sized Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix, and this takes its toll on fuel economy. Compared to the 180-horsepower Matrix, the PT turbo’s EPA ratings are four to five miles per gallon lower. In regular driving I suspect this equates to low twenties vs. high twenties. All of these cars require premium gas with their performance engines.
Quality
Many people will feel inclined to defend the Toyota based on Toyota's superior reputation for reliability. However, the PT's quality record has been very good so far, according to the #1 consumer magazine.
Pricing
For quick, up-to-date pricing, and especially user-specified price comparisons, check out the website I created: www.truedelta.com. Why yet another vehicle pricing website? Well, I personally lacked the patience to keep using the others. They were too slow and required too much effort, especially when trying to compare prices. So I taught myself some programming and created a site where there is no need to dig through option packages, prerequisites, and the like one by one -- the TrueDelta algorithm figures these out for you in one swift pass.
Last year the PT Cruiser GT Turbo’s price started at $22,955. That price scared off many buyers, so this year Chrysler raised it to $26,050. In the process, everything in last year’s $2,130 2-R package became standard, including leather, side airbags, sunroof, power seat height and lumbar adjusters, and chrome wheels. I’d have recommended all but the last anyway. Do the math, and the price has still gone up by a grand. Add the automatic, seat heaters, and CD changer on the car I drove and the sticker rises to $26,940. According to Edmunds, the typical dealer discount and a $2,500 rebate reduce this to about $22,100, a much more reasonable price.
If you want a PT turbo but cannot afford this tariff, a Touring with the low-pressure turbo starts at a much more affordable $21,960. This includes the automatic transmission, with mandatory manual shift feature in the GT this year, so the difference between the two is $4,500. Load the Touring up with ABS, side airbags, seat adjustments, CD changer, and sunroof, and the price rises to $24,270—or about $19,700 after the typical discount and rebate. A Limited with all this, heated suede/leather seats, and chrome wheels runs $25,460. So Chrysler is charging about $1,500 for the GT’s larger wheels, sport suspension tuning, and extra forty horsepower. Sounds reasonable.
I personally do not care for chrome wheels, and regret that you cannot buy a manual transmission or leather-upholstered PT turbo without them. They might be standard, but they’re not free—most of their $700 cost is baked into the Limited and GT base prices.
Also note that the automatic transmission adds $825 to the price of every PT but the GT, where it adds only $440--$150 of which is for the now mandatory manual shift feature. It seems Chrysler wants to dissuade people from ordering the GT with a manual transmission. It’s also possible that it costs more to upgrade the manual to handle the turbo’s torque output.
Even without considering the PT’s unique styling, there are no obvious competitors for this car. You cannot get leather or an automatic in the high-powered Vibe GT and Matrix XRS, so neither the Touring nor the GT is directly comparable. Also, even the Touring has far more midrange power and is likely quicker. With manual transmission and cloth the Matrix runs about $19,000 after typical discount and rebates, the Vibe $20,400. The base versions of the three are much more comparable. The 2.3-liter Ford Focus and Mazda3 five-doors have a bit more midrange punch than the Vibe/Matrix, but still nothing like that in the PT. At about $19,600 the Mazda costs about $100 less than the Touring with similar equipment. The Ford is over $3,000 less, so it is the budget buy here.
For a comparable power curve in a compact five-door, the VW Jetta 1.8T wagon and Subaru Forester XT are closer fits even though both have much tighter rear seats. The former with CD changer lists for $24,089. The typical discount reduces this to about $21,400, or about $1,700 more than the PT Touring. The Subaru’s performance is more comparable to the PT GT’s. With leather and sunroof the Forester lists for $28,195. The typical discount reduces this to about $26,300, or over $4,000 more than the PT GT. In the Subaru’s defense, its standard all-wheel-drive and automatic temperature control account for about half of this difference.
Overall, the PT’s typical out-the-door pricing seems very reasonable for what it offers, even in GT form.
Last Words
I was more impressed with the PT Cruiser GT Turbo than I expected to be. Though definitely better suited for cruising than hurtling along a curvy road, it’s quite fun to drive. Most unexpected were the excellent steering feel, high quality interior, and impression of substance. Add in a surprisingly roomy interior, and the PT Cruiser in turbo form comprises a very well-rounded product. Fuel economy a few miles per gallon lower than most alternatives is probably the vehicle’s weakest area. I’m still not sure the styling will age well, and it’s certainly not my thing, but the rest of the vehicle certainly has what it takes to go the distance.
The Limited is not nearly as much fun to drive as the GT, but is still a very solid package. If you're not an aggressive driver (e.g. my wife) it's all you'll need.
If you're considering a PT Cruiser, pay extra attention to the seats, driving position, ride, and handling. My father was along for the third test drive and couldn't wait to get out of the car.
Based on my ownership experience I'm on the verge of downgrading my rating from five to four stars. However, the PT's price has been cut about $2,000 for 2005 (and used PT's are cheap). When the low price is taken into account the car seems an excellent value for the price. So I'll let the rating stand.
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Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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