REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

In a Class of its Own

Your gut reaction tells you all you need to know: the new PT Cruiser makes you feel as happy as a kid in a candy store. It ’ s a strange looking blend of old and new, with rounded lines and a plunging liftgate. It turns heads wherever it goes, never failing to put a big childlike smile on people ’ s faces. Nostalgia, here we come!Volkswagen may have its New Beetle, but Chrysler has its PT (as in Personal Transportation) Cruiser. Styled after cars of the 1940s, it has curvy flanks, chrome handles, a sloped roof, and giant wheels. It ’ s hard to resist the aesthetic appeal of this young American car.

DaimlerChrysler even offers it in a large palette of colours that rival Smarties in their contemporary edge. And the enchantment isn ’ t dispelled when you open the doors. The interior is imaginative, bright, and colourful, nothing like Chrysler ’ s typical plastified dйcor.

Perched on small promontories, the bucket seats come with several adjustable features (even vertical) to help you find an ideal seating position. The steering column tilts, too. My happiness would have been complete if it weren ’ t for a seat cushion that is too short, a near-complete absence of lateral support, and a seat that, despite the available adjustments, is a little too high for optimal driving comfort.

The oval instrument panel behind the steering wheel is colour-coordinated with the exterior, and sports three sleek round gauges with white backgrounds (speedometer, gas gauge, tachometer, etc), along with a series of eye- catching luminous dials. In the centre panel, there are controls for the electronic mirror, ventilation and radio. Below that, there are the beloved beverage holders, bizarrely positioned so that your eyes have to leave the road to pick up your cup. While that might be awkward, there ’ s no need to harp on it. Far more serious is the lack of sound insulation in the panels.

As soon as you bear down on the accelerator, the decibels start to mount. Thanks to this vehicle, however, DaimlerChrysler greatly improves their reputation for ugly trimmings and flimsy accessories.

Is the PT Cruiser roomy? Absolutely. In front, there ’ s so much headroom that you practically have to tilt your head upside-down to read the roof-mounted compass. As for the two rear passengers, they ’ ll have no fear of ruining their hairstyles against the roof. The rear seats have 26 possible configurations, can be completely or partially retracted, and they can also be removed from the vehicle (carefully, as each one weighs about 30 Kg), leaving an almost completely flat area that adds to the trunk ’ s already large 538 Litres. The most original feature is certainly the back shelf, which hides the contents of the trunk and can be installed vertically to divide the trunk in half, or horizontally to serve as a makeshift picnic table.The PT Cruiser may seem like one of those hot-rods that people like to show off on Main Street in the summertime. But it lacks the V8 engine, the truncated shocks, and the rear-wheel drive. In fact, this Chrysler has a rather timid drivetrain, similar to the brand ’ s other sedans. It has front-wheel drive and a proven four-cylinder 2,4 litre engine with 150 hp.

When you compare the weight of the car with its horsepower, that ’ s when you ’ ll realise the true failing of the PT Cruiser. It is not a light car, and each pony must carry more than its fair share. The extra weight may be added to make the car safer, or perhaps just to satisfy consumers ’ lust for accessories. If you listen to the rumours, DaimlerChrysler may soon be adding a V6 to their roster, or more realistically, complementing the current engine with a turbocompressor, as they did with the GT Cruiser (200 hp) show car. But getting back to the PT Cruiser, it ’ s important to note that its weight will have a negative effect on performance. Of course, there are other factors at play here as well. The wide gear spacing of the manual transmission also hurts its performance. It takes over 9 seconds to go from 0 to 100 km/hr, or almost 11 seconds with the automatic transmission.

Well heeled in enormous, 16-inch wheels (the standard is 15 inches), the PT Cruiser turns and drives predictably (i.e., it ’ s quite ordinary.) While its compact steering wheel may suggest a certain agility of handling, the PT Cruiser has an overly large turning circle, which means you ’ ll have to try several times to fit into a tight parking spot. Luckily, this Chrysler can count on steering that is correctly adjusted and very precise.

Once again, do not be judge a book by its cover. While it may look like a toy, the PT Cruiser resents being treated as such, it responds to changing directions by becoming quite sluggish. The suspension is firm enough, but not to the point of being uncomfortable. Still, the rear end shakes quite a bit on broken pavement. As for the brakes, the Limited Edition comes with two pairs of discs (the standard issue includes rear drums), with a bonus of antilock and antiskid devices. The braking distance of the test model were remarkably short.

So what do we make of this car? It ’ s a refreshing, joyful vehicle which is both practical and multifaceted. While it ’ s ideal for cruising the main drag on a Saturday night, it ’ s a little timid to play the race car in the fast lane.

PROS
Multipurpose
Spacious interior
Appearance

CONS
Weak engine
Large turning circle
Disappointing mileage

CRASH TEST (five stars indicate the best protection)
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