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
The PT Cruiser is easy to drive. The controls are light, while visibility out front and to the side are good due to its MPV-style stance and high seating position. The view is not so good out of the rear though; that upright rear window attracts dirt, the rear wash-wipe is a near constant companion on wet days and the rear head restraints (which do not fold or flip down) are obtrusive. It's not helped by the tinted glass, either.
Minus a star for the Cabriolet, too: all-round visibility is hampered by the high waistline, small windows, tiny rear screen, miniscule rear-view door mirrors, low roof and thick A-pillars, and tall drivers will have to crick their neck to see under the front sunblinds. Despite the rollover bar, said to reinforce structural rigidity, the Cabriolet also suffers appalling scuttle shake.
The manual gearshift is rather long in throw, but is precise and light in its action. The optional four-speed auto, with its sequential-shift function, is not the most responsive of transmissions, and it tends to be jerky at low speeds and when accelerating from a standstill. And as its hot rod looks suggest, the PT Cruiser is best in a straight line: the aged Neon was never the greatest-handling car in its class, and the PT Cruiser is little better, with a tendency towards body roll under hard cornering (even with the GT's tauter suspension) and rather lifeless, remote steering.
The new 2.4-litre petrol engine is, at 143 bhp, hardly any more powerful than the unrefined, gutless 2.0 it replaces, but with 158 lb ft of torque it has a bit more mid-range pull and improved in-gear acceleration. It makes for a better drive on the motorway, where it more than holds its own, but the optional four-speed auto gearbox saps its power and accelerates fuel consumption. This engine is certainly smoother and less intrusive than its predecessor, but it's still prone to getting raucous and thrashy when pushed. The Mercedes-sourced 2.2-litre turbodiesel is a far more attractive proposition; it's still not the quietest unit out there, but with plenty of low-down urge and punch mid-range it's undoubtedly the pick of the two engines on offer. Shame we don't get the 2.4 Turbo here in the UK.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Chrysler PT Cruiser
wrote on 11 09 2007