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 is a spacious and practical vehicle, and it looks as if it should be a comfortable proposition. However, the front seats lack support, both under-thigh and laterally, and the rear seats are also rather flat and soft. That's not the biggest hindrance to comfort though: the PT Cruiser is a noisy car, with road, engine and wind noise particularly intrusive at higher speeds. The ride is poor on rougher roads - especially with the GT's stiffer suspension and larger wheels - and the PT pitches and rolls under hard cornering, which won't help passengers prone to car-sickness. Cabriolet models are prone to scuttle shake and shudder, though the multi-layer hood is quite well-insulating, shutting out the worst exterior noise. It's a rather laborious process to get the roof up and down, too, with a multi-stage procedure involving twisting a handle, pressing a button, releasing the roof then turning the handle back in again to stop it sticking out.
The long bonnet and upright windscreen don't give as much an impression of interior roominess as in some rivals, but that's no bad thing - this is a retro style statement, after all - and there's plenty of room up front. The rear legroom isn't over-generous, but adequate. The boot, however, is surprisingly small, with obtrusive suspension turrets eating into the space, and the painted rear bumper could get scratched easily. There are most of the usual MPV features: cupholders, removable seats, a cargo net in the boot and a parcel shelf that can be turned into a table, and the rear seats can be folded flat to make a useful load bay, but it's not as versatile as more modern rivals. Rear seats in the Cabriolet are pretty small, and boot space even more limited; the soft-top's dark cabin is also a rather gloomy place to be, with the low roof and tiny windows. Plus points for the high standard specification, though: even Classic models get a CD player, electric front and rear windows, air conditioning, electrically heated/retractable door mirrors and a tilt-adjustable steering column.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Chrysler PT Cruiser
wrote on 11 09 2007