Category: Compact MPV 
Price Range: £12,995 to £18,180
Retro style, spacious practical interior, decent specification, Mercedes diesel engine
Raucous, thirsty engines, unsettled and noisy ride, sluggish auto 'box, boot not that large, petrol's high fuel consumption, feels very dated now
A style statement that's also reasonably practical; a long way off the class-leaders in terms of performance, handling, comfort and versatility, but a unique and likeable proposition nonetheless
Those Neon underpinnings have been around for a long time and are well-proven, so mechanical reliability shouldn't be an issue. Few problems have been reported: leaks from power steering, air conditioning and fuel pumps systems, plus a minor electrical fault with the headlamps - it's a tough, relatively low-tech vehicle.
But however good it looks on the outside, the American interior styling and materials simply cannot match those offered by European and, increasingly, Japanese rivals. Although the cabin plastics are superficially nice to look at and touch, they are poorly finished with rough edges and unevenly fitted; hinges such as those for the glovebox opening are flimsy and brittle.
The switchgear, stereo and dash-mounted controls all look and feel dated - despite the recent redesign - rather than retro-cool, despite fun touches like the body-coloured fascia panel and instrument pods.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Chrysler PT Cruiser
wrote on 11 09 2007