Now That "PT Mania" Has Ended, The Cruiser Faces Stiff Competition From Newer Hatchbacks
Written: Dec 22 '04 (Updated Jan 10 '05)
Product Rating:
Pros: Still looks great, unique view out, versatile seating, accurate shifter and clutch.
Cons: Leisurely acceleration, nautical roll angles accentuated by squashy seats, tight rear quarters, disappointing fuel economy.
The Bottom Line: If the styling still sways you, you'll find the PT an agreeable little car. Others will find its unimpressive interior packaging and driving experience bettered by the Mazda3 and Spectra5.
A few weeks ago, I reviewed the MINI Cooper S--the automotive equivalent of blonde highlights and low-rise jeans--and found myself underwhelmed by the machine behind the hype. "Once the trend wanes," I thought, "this car will need some serious damage control to stay competitive." After writing that review, I started wondering about other fashion-craze cars--the PT Cruiser chief among them--whose fifteen minutes of fame have since passed. What happens when cars like this go out of style? Is it simply the end of the road, or can the car carve out its own niche in a mainstream segment?
To find out whether the PT has lost its mojo or not, I headed to the local Chrysler dealer to check out a manual-transmission base model Cruiser. This car lists for about $14,000, placing it in the same arena where the Scion xB, Toyota Matrix, Kia Spectra5, Suzuki Reno, and Ford Focus ZX5 wrestle for hatchback shoppers' consideration. I've driven all of those alternatives recently, and was interested to see how the PT would measure up without the advantage of a trendy image. My test drive lasted about forty-five minutes and covered city streets, winding secondary roads, and the freeway.
Performance
The base PT Cruiser I drove--like most Cruisers on the road--was equipped with the standard 150-horsepower, 2.4-liter Four. I've sampled this engine once before, and I remember being impressed with its eager and peppy demeanor. Could it deliver the same spark in this application, in spite of the PT's 3,200lb curb weight?
In a word, no. It seems all that extra heft blunts the PT's performance significantly. Acceleration felt unhurried in around-town driving, with throttle response that could best be described as "turgid." Revving the engine hard on freeway on-ramps resulted in smooth, linear progress, but no additional zest. This powerplant gives off a distinctly "econocar" vibe--it's adequate for daily driving needs, but there's definitely not enough oomph to satisfy leadfoots.
Refinement levels are squarely in economy-car territory, too, although the PT's engine is smoother than most in the budget class. Vibrations are nicely quelled, which makes for a surprisingly buzz-free cabin, and noise levels are hushed. Unfortunately, the sounds you do hear aren't expensive ones--the engine's gruff, muted grumble is far from inspiring.
It all adds up to a C-average underhood showing, with one notable exception: fuel economy. The 5-speed Cruiser I drove was rated at 21/29 MPG, with automatic versions returning an even less-thrifty 21/26 MPG. These numbers are remarkably poor for a small car, perhaps owing to the PT's portly curb weight and high-roof aerodynamics. Virtually any rival does better.
Transmission/Clutch
Given the PT's Neon roots, I feared I would encounter the same numb, rubbery shift action I experienced in the little Dodge sedan. Thankfully, the PT's shifter feels entirely different. It's rather notchy and clunky going through the gears, but its firm weighting and well-defined pattern ensure that you always know what gear you're getting.
Sporty? Not really, but the PT's manual transmission is nevertheless one of the most enjoyable aspects of the driving experience. The long chrome lever is ideally placed, and the ball-shaped shift knob feels grippy in the driver's palm. Clutch action is easy and natural-feeling, too. Specify the optional automatic, and you'll strip away one of the PT's most enjoyable features.
Steering/Handling
In base form, the PT wasn't as agile or athletic as I thought it would be. I wasn't expecting Mazda3-like sportiness, of course, but professional reviews had led me to expect a playful attitude that the base PT simply couldn't muster. In fact, the base Cruiser just feels like a tall, heavy economy car--its handling is solid and pleasant, but not especially well-coordinated.
The PT's steering was the first minor disappointment. It felt fine around town, turning with a well-weighted smoothness and directing the car with pleasant accuracy. However, twisty roads revealed a distinct lack of sporting reflexes. The ratio felt slow, and responses felt syrupy and uncertain just off-center. Some road feel made its way up through the wheel rim, but the PT's helm generally lacked the firmness and precision of the Mazda 3's, Suzuki Reno's, and Kia Spectra5's.
The PT's chassis was also a bit of a let-down. Its moves felt easygoing and natural around town, aside from the massive turning circle--again, perfectly adequate for everyday use--but the car became soft and uncoordinated when I pushed it. Roll angles were dramatic in hard corners, accentuated by the high driver's perch and near-total lack of lateral support. I found myself rolling off the edge of my seat, and the resulting feeling of inertia encouraged me to back off early in turns.
I briefly tried pressing on in spite of the twisty-road discomfort, and found the PT plenty competent at its limits. Tire grip is surprisingly decent, and understeer is predictable if persistent. However, the limit is not a place you're likely to take the PT on a regular basis. The car clearly prefers a gentler pace of driving, as suggested by its "Cruiser" nomenclature.
Ride
The PT's ride also fell a bit below my expectations. Things got a little clunky and abrupt over potholes and expansion joints, yet the car bounded over wavy pavement--both of which suggest suspension tuning is not ideal. The Suzuki Reno is softer, the Mazda 3 is sportier, and the Kia Spectra5 and Toyota Matrix offer both superior absorption and control.
The PT's body structure seemed commendably solid, but it wasn't quite granitic. It stayed tight and rattle-free over impacts, yet somehow lacked the all-of-a-piece cohesion of the rivals mentioned above. Still, the PT's bodyshell feels significantly stiffer than a Volkswagen Golf's or Suzuki Aerio's.
Noise levels are generally well-muted in the PT. The engine note is a bit agricultural but not at all intrusive, and tire roar is kept to a dull hum. The only real offender is wind noise, which starts getting pronounced at freeway speeds.
Interior
Beyond the exterior styling, the PT's interior is what gives the car most of its character. The Cruiser feels unlike any other car in its class from the driver's seat, and for many buyers, that's a good thing. However, the PT's interior packaging is starting to look dated next to newer, more-accommodating rivals.
The first thing that struck me about the PT's interior is its impressive materials quality. Knowing that the PT is based on the Dodge Neon, I expected its interior to exhibit similarly coarse, shiny plastics and clunky controls. Instead, I found lots of padded, soft-touch surfaces and smoothly-grained materials on the dashboard and door panels. Even the body-colored dash appliques feel smooth and substantial. The residual cheapness is there, if you look for it--hard plastics dominate less-obvious areas, and the radio and climate controls come nowhere near Toyota slickness. But for an American econocar--especially one from Chrysler--the tactile quality is a high point.
What the PT's cabin does best, though, is create a sense of occasion. The windshield is small and upright, and it's only an arm's length away because of the abbreviated dash top. The driving position is tall and upright, encouraging a dinner-table posture behind the wheel. You step down "onto" the pedals more than "into" them. All of this contributes to a unique retro feel, as if you're driving an old 1940's sedan. Of course, if you prefer a sportier, laid-back position at the wheel, forget it.
So the Cruiser's interior looks good, and--for the most part--feels good. How does it work? Again, surprisingly well. Despite the obvious design flair, the PT's control layout is simple, and its interfaces easy to use. The positioning of the power-window switches on the center stack is a bit odd, but it's more characterful than inconvenient. The same goes for the close-set dashboard and pedals, which strengthen the "retro" feel of the car. However, I wasn't happy with the base PT's front seats. They seemed reasonably well-shaped, but their padding was too foamy and spongy for my tastes, with a near-total lack of lateral support. I also disliked the fold-down armrests, which blocked my elbow every time I reached down to shift.
My other issue with the PT's interior was back-seat space. Most of the small hatchbacks I've driven recently have impressed me with their surprisingly commodious rear seating. However, the PT did nothing of the sort. When I moved the driver's seat back where I like it, and then got in the rear seat, my knees pressed firmly into the front seatbacks. Shoulder room felt tight, creating a sense of narrowness, and the seatback was uncomfortably vertical. I appreciate how high-set the rear bench is, and there's certainly no shortage of headroom. But if you've got six-foot passengers to haul, the PT isn't the car for the job. The Suzuki Reno and Kia Spectra5 are way ahead in this department.
Practicality
Depending on your individual cargo needs, the PT either pulls ahead of those aforementioned rivals, or falls further behind. With the rear seats upright, the PT's cargo area doesn't extend very far forward. There's room for a row or two of grocery bags, but that's about it. While the rear seatbacks fold down independently, the only way to create a flat load floor is to remove the seats entirely. So if your back seat is usually occupied, most of the PT's rivals make better errand runners.
However, if you haul bulky loads more often than you need the rear seats, the PT scores points for its remarkable versatility. Removing the rear seats gives you a micro-minivan cargo bay, with a low floor for easy loading. The front passenger's seatback folds forward, too, allowing the transportation of surfboards and such.
Forward cabin storage is adequate, but no more. The door map pockets are usefully large, but the glovebox is the tiny, and there's no center-armrest cubby to hide valuables in. A couple oddly-shaped slots in the console provide space for change and other small items.
Reliability
In the 1990s,Chrysler developed a reputation for creating stylish cars that didn't hold up well over time. But the PT Cruiser appears to be a rare--and dramatic--exception. It earned Consumer Reports' second-highest rating of Better Than Average in their annual reliability survey. Impressive stuff. The PT is covered by Chrysler's new 7-year, 70,000-mile powertrain warranty, which is better than what most manufacturers offer, but Suzuki, Kia, and Hyundai extend coverage even farther. Also, be aware that Chrysler slaps on a $100 deductible each time warranty powertrain work is performed.
Overall
The PT Cruiser impressed me on a few fronts, but the overall impression this car left me with was a vaguely positive "blah." The simple fact is that, if you separate this car from its associated hype, it just isn't particularly unique anymore. It may have been a segment-busting vehicle a few years ago, but other automakers now offer more creative solutions to the small-hatchback formula.
The PT's biggest strength continues to be its styling. It still looks great from the outside, and even the interior is pleasing to the eye. Four years on since its initial release, this car has aged incredibly well. The PT also offers a unique feel from the driver's seat--its classic-car view out and high-chair posture are still distinctly "different."
When it comes to the car's mechanical character and driving experience, however, there's much less to get excited about. Styling aside, the PT's personality is essentially that of a good American econocar. It's fairly smooth and refined, but lacking in slickness--and even more lacking in soul. This is an appliance with retro styling. Its dynamics, while competent, are certainly nothing to get the blood boiling.
If it were my money, I'd choose the newly-released Kia Spectra5 over the base PT Cruiser. Its performance and handling are more confident, and it has a willing personality that makes the PT feel bland by comparison. Plus, if you've got stuff to haul, the Spectra5 offers far superior back-seat and trunk space. Or, if you're more focused on fun-to-drive quotient than utility, check out the Mazda 3s. It doesn't improve much on the PT's cargo-carrying abilities, but it drives better than some sports sedans costing thousands more.
The final factor working against the PT is that while Chrysler's list prices are quite reasonable, dealerships are still trying to squeeze every last dollar out of "PT Mania." The base model I test-drove stickered at a little over $14,000, but had a full $4,000 of mark-up on top of that--bringing the total asking price to over 18 grand. For that kind of money, you could get the Spectra5 plus a couple thousand in change, or a Mazda 3 with your choice of option packages. The PT is graying at the temples a bit, and dealer price gouging makes it an even poorer value proposition. All of this makes the Cruiser a tougher sell when taken as a real car, not just a styling statement.
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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