Chrysler PT Cruiser – Road Test

When I took my wife and son on a summer holiday to Florida in 2008, and after checking in through immigration upon arrival at Orlando International Airport, I went to the Dollar Car Rental desk to collect the pre–booked hire car.

As I signed the agreement paperwork I was pleasantly surprised to be told that my classification of vehicle had been upgraded from the expected small compact sedan, but was not informed at that stage what that upgraded vehicle would be.

The courtesy of the upgrade in hire car was apparently due to having spent a previous holiday in Florida, 3–years before, and as before, I had again booked the whole accommodation, flight and car thing through Virgin Atlantic as one package. Okay, I thought, so now I am going to get something comparable to a Mondeo instead of a Focus.

Those who have collected a Dollar rental car
at Orlando Airport will know the drill

If anyone reading this page has been to Florida via Orlando International Airport, and if they have hired a car through Dollar Car Rental, they will know that having signed the paperwork at the desk, the next stage is to cross the street outside to get to what is in effect a multi–storey car park to collect the car. This is where all the hire cars are issued at the airport.

I had done this before and so I knew the drill. Just inside the multi–storey car park type building there is a kiosk where you have to present the paperwork issued at the desk within the airport building and be given your allocated hire car.

Having handed over the supplied documentation to one of two rather non–plussed female keepers of the keys, the one at the hatch took the papers, tapped something out on her computer keyboard, and without speaking, handed me some keys with a yellow card.

The Dollar Car Rental operative at the kiosk then told me, in a well rehearsed manner, to check the vehicle for damage, note anything I found by writing it on the card, sign it and bring it back to her. I was also told of which row and bay number I would find the vehicle.

The Dollar rental car I had been given was nice, but not suitable

With wife, son and suitcases all in tow, I set off in search, but upon reaching correct numerically marked parking bay I found that my car upgrade consisted of a Ford Mustang! Now, unlike his dad, my son is just completely numb where cars are concerned. He couldn’t give a monkey’s about them, but upon seeing the Ford Mustang, and to my complete surprise, he uttered the word, “Cool,” when he realised what it was.

I expect you all are thinking the same thing as you read this, but getting away from the fantasy of the moment, there comes into play the issue of practicality. How are we going to cope with a strapping 13–year old lad in a car that effectively has no rear seat legroom? Not going to happen, was it? Therefore, I went back to the non–plussed keeper of the keys to explain that whilst I am not ungrateful, actually the Ford Mustang is no good.

She definitely was a woman of few words this one, because without saying anything, she started tapping away at the computer, making all sorts of little noises that gave the impression I was obviously causing her a problem. However, I just stood there quietly and waited.

Almost apologetically I was offered a Chrysler PT Cruiser

After a while, she said, rather sheepishly, "We have a PT Cruiser?" with narrowed eyes and without removing her gaze from the screen that is hidden from my view. When I quite happily said I would take the car there was, for the first time since meeting this person, there was a change in her facial expression

My acceptance of the PT Cruiser was obviously something of a surprise, as upon hearing my response to the proposal, she raised her eyebrows and displayed a sort of sideways grimace with her mouth. “You sure?” she asks with that typical American twang.

As I confirm my approval, her next question is, “Do you know what a PT Cruiser is?” I found myself in the peculiar situation of having to almost promise that I knew what the car was and that I would take it without putting my solicitor onto her. I was then asked what colour I wanted (as if I cared) and handed the keys to the blue one.

I had no preconceptions of a PT Cruiser,
as I had never thought about the car before

Whilst I knew full well what a PT Cruiser was, and that it is built by Chrysler, I had never actually driven one. In fact, I have never been closer to one than when walking by an example in a car park or on the street. I had certainly never looked for one, nor in one, but now, through a quirk of fate, I was driving one. A 2.4–litre petrol version, and of course, with automatic transmission.

Having arrived at our allocated holiday home, and when all the usual fussing around getting things straight had been completed, I got to thinking about the manner in which the keeper of the car keys at the Dollar Car Rental kiosk had looked at me when I accepted the PT Cruiser. What’s wrong with a Chrysler PT Cruiser, I thought? It seemed to drive okay, from the airport to the Davenport Lakes area where we were staying.

As the holiday progressed, and I drove the PT Cruiser more and more, I actually found liked it. The suspension was reassuringly taught; it drove smoothly, quietly, responded well to requests to change direction and speed, and was really comfortable. It even handled that horrible slip road with the kink in it, right by the advertising hording as you drive from Highway 192 onto Highway 27 towards Haines City.

All–round visibility was better than in many cars I had driven, it was roomy, had good luggage carrying capacity – sorry, that should be trunk space, and although it wasn’t blessed with a high level of equipment, it was adequate for our needs. Yes, I could live with this car. I even quite liked the look of it too.

The Chrysler PT Cruiser Is Seen As a Joke

Sitting by the pool one day, the pool maintenance man called round to do the service. We got talking, as you do, and I asked him what the American people think of the Chrysler PT Cruiser. At this he just sort of started chuckling. When I probed him for more information, he explained the car was seen by the American people as a joke.

The pool maintenance man said that no one took the Chrysler PT Cruiser, or anyone who drove one, seriously and that it was not the kind of car you wanted to be seen by your mates when driving. No wonder the lady with the keys at the hire car company had been looking at me strangely when I accepted the car, but what a silly prejudice to have.

The car American’s wanted to own was the Chrysler 300

When I asked what the car of the moment was in the American people’s eyes he announced it was the Chrysler 300, especially the Magnum version. Now I have to agree this is one mean looking machine, and if I lived in the states, a Chrysler 300 would be a consideration. However, I would go for a diesel version of course.

Strange isn’t, it how the people of different countries have different views of what their cars should look like and be like. Americans don’t like hatchbacks, for instance, as the Ford Focus out there is a completely different car to that of the European version. Americans prefer biggish 4–door saloons, or should I say Sedans?

The original style Ford Focus, the Mk1 that we’re used to seeing over here, did seem to make its way to the States, as we saw plenty of them, but over there they are nearly all the 4–door saloon option, which by contrast, where not popular over here. Americans don’t like diesels either, which is strange given the amount of miles you can potentially cover on that huge continent, and the diesel engine has greater longevity too.

The American people don’t seem to have caught on to Diesels yet

A recent survey discovered that diesel powered cars, taking into account pick–up utility vehicles and SUV’s (4x4’s to us), only make up less than 2% of US new car sales. Whilst petrol is cheaper there than in Europe, you would think that any opportunity to save money on fuel, no matter what the pump price, was saving money all the same.

Yes, when it comes to cars, the American people are really quite fickle. However, what I did notice was the vast amount of alternative fuel cars driving about, or Hybrid’s, to refer to them by the correct term. I don’t just mean the Toyota Prius either, as there were many different models being driven about. We British tend to stereo–type the US people as all driving gas–guzzling V8’s, but attitude is changing over there, it seems.

So, if you are like me and have never given the Chrysler PT Cruiser a second look, then I would suggest you could actually be missing something. Again like me, your missing could be for no good reason other than it had never crossed your mind to take the car seriously. It is actually a very capable vehicle.

In the UK they seem to come in 2–litre and 2.4–litre petrol versions, as well as a 2.2–litre diesel. Also, on the used car market, they are incredibly cheap to buy. I was quite surprised, when I began looking around the websites here in the UK, just what good value they are as a motor. However, do remember that if you consider a car that has such a low resale value, when it comes to the day you want to sell it on, you can’t expect to get much cash for it in return.

Is the Chrysler PT Cruiser a Good Second Hand Buy?

If you want to buy a nearly new car, and run it until is owes you nothing, the Chrysler PT Cruiser could make good economic sense. For the quality of ride, the driveability and overall solid all–round performance, you could do far worse. Of course you are better off with the diesel version and with manual transmission (those would be my preferred options anyway), as the petrol variants are a little thirsty. To see just what you get for your money, have a look at the used car prices, to see what I mean.

Would I buy one as my own car here in the UK? That’s a good question, and one that I would have to begin answering by saying my choice of a Chrysler PT Cruiser would be down to circumstances. If I needed a car, and didn’t have a great deal of money to spend, and I wanted a car of medium size that offered good value for money, but from the cheaper end of the price range, I do know wouldn’t buy a Citroen or Renault.

Being short for money I wouldn’t buy a Ford or a Vauxhall either, but that would only be because unlike the French examples I have just given, they hold their price too well and therefore, either would likely be too expensive.

If my situation was that I didn’t have a lot to spend then yes, now that I have experienced one, I would look at a Chrysler PT Cruiser. I do think it is a very underestimated car and deserves more respect.

What will become of the Chrysler PT Cruiser in the future?

I can see the PT Cruiser, some time after Chrysler have stopped making them, as becoming something of a cult car. This is a 1950’s Ford Popular in modern form, and come the day when you can get one for only a few hundred pounds, the creative youngsters are going to put their own personality into them.

I can see it now, all over the covers of the custom car magazines, pictures of PT Cruisers in various art forms and being proclaimed as The Car to be seen in on a Saturday night. I think this rather retro, somewhat quirky looking vehicle, has a lot more to show us yet and has bags of potential to surprise.

First Published September 2008

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Chrysler PT Cruiser – Road Test