It looks like its time to find a replacement for my wife's car. I've had my eye on the PT Cruiser and was wondering what everyone's thoughts are on it. Any pro's or con's about the car?
Posted by Dana Bowers (Member # 780) on :
If we could have afforded it, I would probably be driving around in one now.
Got the Mustang instead. Fun car! Gonna have to remember how to drive rear-wheel in winter again, tho. You don't even wanna know what rims & snow tires are gonna cost!! But it was less than half the cost of what the Cruiser would've been.
Check out this site if you are looking at cars. Gives you quite a few personal opinions for reference points on stuff to check in to. http://www.epinions.com/
Better post a pic when you get one... WITH FLAMES on it... hehehehe
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
I've had my eye on a PT Cruiser for some time. I even rented one when I was back East for the Cornwall Walldog meet. It was fun to drive!
WHen the time came to trade in my on-ton Ford flatbed I seriously considered buying one. The trouble is that I still have 4 trailers for my tools and such. And no other vehicle to tow with. THe PT doesn't cut it in this regard.
So I ordered a new Dodge Dakota (which I just got this week)
I also decided that I will buy a new PT Cruiser.... only I'm waiting for the two-door version. I keep hearing rumors that one is coming soon!
I'd buy one in a flash if Janis' van needed replacing. Trouble is its only a couple years old .
-dan
Posted by Robert Thomas (Member # 1356) on :
Hey Glenn, I rented a PT for a coulpe of days. My thoughts are they are fun to drive, though a little under powered. Maybe the manual would be better. They have alot of room for a small car. The seats fold down to carry stuff. They start at like $16,000, go to $20,000 or so. They look so cool. Take one for an extended test drive, see if you like it.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
its a NEON...under that body....
Posted by Dana Bowers (Member # 780) on :
I don't understand why people make such a big deal about the Neon part. One of the guys at work has a Neon and he really likes it. I rode it in and it was fine. We actually looked at the Neons in the lots as possibilities.
But, hey... the 'stang, ya know?
We want the panel, too. There is a place that sells kits or will convert it for you:
They also show using just that see-thru vinyl stuff to make an illusion of a panel:
Check it out - and check out the 'gallery', too, some cool stuff in there! http://www.pteazer.com/
When you go to the site, hit 'classified' and check out this one - chameleon paint job, hi-performance turbo... and ONLY $49,995!!! I'm asking for it from Santa... hey, I've been a pretty good girl this year!
[ December 16, 2001: Message edited by: Dana Bowers ]
Posted by Steve Robinson (Member # 2215) on :
I know alot of people really like the Cruiser,but I'm not one of them.They look cool,but my experience with Dodge isn't good.I had a 4wheel drive Cummins diesel.The truck was fine up to 100,000 miles,then it cost me 7,000 dollars in repairs to drive it the next six months.
In Texas the Cruiser isn't a good seller,they just sit on the lots.I stripe a few of them,it seems they move pretty well when I put baby flames on them.
Posted by Brian Cornwell (Member # 2509) on :
To me the Cruser is like those VWs from the 70s when they used to slap those nose conversions to 'em. Now, if that PT had any power under the hood well . . . then you'd have sumpthin'
Posted by Joey Madden (Member # 1192) on :
Ya know this might be the only time I agree with Steve. Mopar of today just ain't worth anything in longevity. Spending your hard earned cash for something that won't last past 100,000 miles is one thing but when things go array within a couple years, thats another story. PT cruisers are as Joe says is just a triple priced Neon, I mean its not worth anything in anything other then looks. I have a 1964 Plymouth Valiant that has outlasted many Mopars that proceded it.
There are so many vehicles that will make your day coming out of other manufacturers these days and though not all Retro, that will make a better addition to todays lifestyle and logevity. If you are stuck on the PT's looks, remember that Retros are nice but a real street rod sedan delivery could the ticket in both longevity and monotary value and their looks are truly one of a kind. Some say street rods are not practical but I think some streets aren't practical for anything other then a four wheel drive to begin with. Financial assistance is available for any vehicle so now theres no excuse for what you would rather drive.
Posted by John Martin Robson (Member # 1686) on :
Glenn
I rented one last summer. Thought it would be cool. It was fun, handled well, but after driving my Pathfinder for so many years I found the visibility comparatively very poor.
Posted by Arvil Shep' Shepherd (Member # 2030) on :
Glen, I recently considered buying one....drove several..really liked the ride, and room........ and Looks....Did not like the lack of power....and the poor mileage....and the Overpricing..Ended up buying a Chrysler Concorde, like it much better,,,,More Power,..Better Gas mileage,,..Better Ride,,..and about $5 grand less money. ( In fact we bought it Sept 11 )
Just MHO.
Shep'
Posted by Tom Hartel (Member # 1790) on :
Glen I happen to own one and LOVE IT. I don't really use it for a work truck, more of a pleasure ride. For work I have a 1 ton Dodge diesel. Wife drives a Durango. Only the PT isn't a 4x4. Funny thing is that the wife has taken to driving the PT more than her Durango. Oh Well. Has 46000 very trouble free miles on it. As for the Neon part, thats not entirely true. Its mostly Caravan underneath the body. It has a 2.4 litre engine. I have the 5-speed so performance is better. I don't mind rowing the gears. Fuel mileage has been in the mid 20's. Its a limited edition and I got all the toys on it that I could get. Cost was $21000 on the street. I have found it to be the most bang for the buck car I have had. Fit and finish inside is excellent, paint job was perfect ( dark blue), ride is firm but not harsh, no squeeks or rattles from day one, and other than normal maintenance, only one trip to the dealer for a warranty repair.
Posted by Ryan E Young (Member # 2325) on :
Wait for the retro chevy truck coming out thi year tis a real truck with 50s styling.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
This is the ONLY PT Cruiser I would even consider purchasing:
Nicknamed the PT Bruiser, it features an 8.2L V8, over 1100 horsepower, and 0-60 in just over 1 second.
Posted by Steve Shortreed (Member # 436) on :
We've been tooling around in a PT since October. So far, we've only managed to put on 5,000 km., but Barb and I are both very pleased with it.
I agree with almost everything the others above say regarding ride, mileage, space, etc. The really cool thing about the PT is it's looks. Like the Volkswagon, this is a vehicle that gets attention wherever it goes. Some hate it and some love it, but everyone notices it.
We plan on turning our PT into a Letterville/Letterhead/PinHead theme car, whatever that means. First job is to come up with a rendering that will get everyone excited.
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
Thanks for the input everyone! We are just starting to look around and see what's available and for how much. Her car is 11 years old and starting to act up. For the past several months, the engine will just cut off for no apparent reason - at least none of the mechanics can find. She wants to keep it for another year, but I just don't trust it. I'm waiting for it to cut off on her on a busy highway or intersection and get her into an accident.
I've got two tasks ahead of me.....1)convince her to go ahead and get one; and, 2)let me hire Mike Lavallee to do one of his world famous realistic flame jobs on it!
Posted by Tim Whitcher (Member # 685) on :
My problem with the PT Cruiser is SPACE. Unless there are only two passengers or the ones sitting in the back seat are under 5 feet tall, I wouldn't consider them spacious. The Neon thing is a point to consider. Neon's were notorious for having automatic transmission problems, but that may all be taken care of by now. As far as Mopar is concerned, I've owned 6 in a row (1974 Plymouth Satellite, 1979 Dodge Aspen, '84 Dodge Daytona, '88 Dodge Lancer, '95 Dodge Caravan, and just purchased an '02 Dodge Grand Caravan) and have had good luck with all of them. Never did much more than the typical brake job, fan belt repairs. I don't buy Mopars by choice, though. My father in law works for Chrysler, so I can't beat the discount.
[ December 16, 2001: Message edited by: Tim Whitcher ]
Posted by Nukedlines (Member # 2263) on :
My experience with Mopar is they will only love you as much as you love them. We have had three Dodge trucks since 96 and they all ran great. The last one had over 150,000 hard driving, high performance miles on it. My neighbor kid drives it now and it still purrs like a kitten. I agree the PT is seriously underpowered and a little over priced but you can't condemn a whole car line for providing a car people obviously want. My three Dodge trucks and 1 Prowler together in 5 years didn't spend as much time in the shop as my last Chevy and I only had it for 10 months!
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
the referance to the NEON....is the basic platform of the PT CRUISER. not that its a bad thing, i like the neon, think it will be as well sold as the old vw bug. when i said its a neon underneath...it is and all tha added weight makes for a sluggish driving vehicle. now if it has a v-6 in it might run a lot better and they will eventually make a model equiped so.....ill wait...
Posted by Tyler (Member # 2093) on :
Screw the PT cruiser, I want one of those new tbirds... a convertible one at that
Posted by Mikes Mischeif (Member # 1744) on :
Glenn, My friend owns one in his fleet. It's 30 ft. long, seats 8 plus driver/passenger, full bar, twin tv's the works.
It's worth the extra 200 grand if you need additional seating.
[ December 17, 2001: Message edited by: Mikes Mischeif ]
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
Hi Glenn, Yes we do have a PT Cruiser, we leased it July of 2000, And like you, it's my wifes car, it has the shop logo on the side with a tasteful stipe. I drive the company van so we can do large deliveries. The Car is great, handles really well, is easy and fun to drive, it has great visibility out the front windows because you're sitting high in the seats. Even the back seats has "Theatre" style seating their elevated a little higher than the front seats. it has great options lots of storage space. it's a great little car. Old Paint what you said about it being a neon under the body is false, sort of, the motor is a little underpowered but I tell you on the highway she has no trouble cruising along at 120k. The motor is actually from the dodge Cirrus, 2.4 lt. so it's a proven motor. There's actually very few neon parts in the car.. now mind you the neon is great little car as well, so even if there were it would'nt bother me. Our car is infeno red and she does turn heads and it's great advertising. Good luck in you decision. Neil
Posted by Santo (Member # 411) on :
I don't see 100000 miles are a significant milestone. Think about it, in today's reality, a 100k is not that much. The engines are better and the miles we drive daily are a hell of a lot more that 25 years ago. This 100000 miles thing is fine for someone looking to by a low milage vehicle to compare against and drawing a ceiling, but when I think of high milage vehicles 150k-175k(highway) should still be running.
As for the PT, no thanks. All the Chrysler products, I've driven recently have a noticeable, performance decline with age. I had a rental Durango for 3 months. It had 1400 mile when I picked it up. Ran well but I sensed the decline in power as time passed. It guzzled gas, too.
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
Santo, you noticed a decline in power after a couple of thousand kms?. Wow! My last 3 new vehicles were chrysler products and I tell you they never lost no power. I had 3 brand new dakotas, a 94 v6, and a 97 v8, yes they were pigs on gas... but lost power? no way! The cruiser I have has 42thousand klicks on her and runs perfect. Now I know Chryslers are'nt for everyone..especially chevy guys. but the chrysler products are beautiful. as a matter of fact that's why a lot of other manufacturers are following chryslers design principles.. ie thunderbird, chevs new retro pick-up, which is beautiful, and fords new pickup as well, it has that big truck look to it. Neil
Posted by Santo (Member # 411) on :
Neil, I was talking about miles. Klicks are just slighly more than halfway there.
That's a lot of new vechiles in a few years. What's up wit dat?
[ December 17, 2001: Message edited by: Santo ]
Posted by John Cordova (Member # 220) on :
Hi Glenn,
I've never driven a PT but my son works for an after market auto accessories shop (the kind where you can buy custom parts, grilles, lights, nerf bars, security systems, etc.)and he has driven just about every car out there. They do a lot of business with the car dealerships here. Out of all the cars that he drives (except of course the high end corvettes, porches, etc.)he says he love the way the PT handles and like I said, he drives all of makes and models all day. Just my two cents, good luck.
Posted by Bill Preston (Member # 1314) on :
Hi, Glenn,
This oughta start a brand war, but here goes anyway.
A couple of years ago, I got my wife a 99 Cougar. That's the newer smaller version built on a Contour platform. Front drive, V6, 5 speed stick, reasonably economical to run, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg to insure. Not good in snow with the OE tires, they were low profile, way too wide, so we put narrower, taller, studded snows on replacement steel wheels all the way around. Works well in the slipperies now. A little hard to see out the back, but, all in all, a fun car to have.
We call it Ford's best-kept secret.
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
All the retro styled vehicles are cool. Me, I'm patiently waiting for Ford to start producing the one based on the 49 sedan, now THAT is SWEET!!!!!!
[ December 17, 2001: Message edited by: George Perkins ]
Posted by Joey Madden (Member # 1192) on :
Yes George, when I was at Lead East back some years there was a SC Thunderbird with the 49-50 front and rear. It was real smooth!
Posted by Arvil Shep' Shepherd (Member # 2030) on :
Joey, I saw a car like you speak of in Gatlinburg several; years ago,,,,,,,,Sure was way cool,,my type of car..... Glenn, Go ahead and bite the" bullit ".....and buy what you want. Shep'
Posted by Brian Snyder (Member # 41) on :
Neil - "but the chrysler products are beautiful. as a matter of fact that's why a lot of other manufacturers are following chryslers design principles.. ie thunderbird, chevs new retro pick-up, which is beautiful, and fords new pickup as well, it has that big truck look to it."
Everyone seems to forget about Volkswagen. The "New Beetle" started the whole "retro" thing, not the PT CaraNeon. Chrysler seems to always claim they are the first with many things. Like the minivan. Again, VW was the first to make a minivan as we know it today. "Cab forward" design? "Placing the wheels close to the corners for better handling." I can remember the commercials. Anyone remember the Mini? They were placing the wheels at the corners 40 years ago.
I could go on and on about how much I dislike the current (and previous 10 year) Dodge lineup of cars. What really bothers me is how Chryslers influence seems to be slowly ruining Mercedes Benz.
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
Actually Shep, this is what I want!
1936 Packard S8 Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton
Ssssssiiiiiigggggggghhhhhhhhhh...............
[ December 17, 2001: Message edited by: Glenn Taylor ]
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
geo of all the cars that they are doin as retros....i sure would luv to see a 49-50 merc retro....they would sell millions.... my 1st car was a 49 food 4 door.....and chrysler is bringing back the hemi in a rear wheel drive 2 seater....now that should crank up the bar....and when they do make the new hemi..i know someone will figer out how to stuff one in a PT CRUISER.....now there would be a car....as for the new t-bird....it also need more get up and went...you see that hokkie t-bird commercial?
[ December 18, 2001: Message edited by: old paint ]
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
Brian.. I also had 4 VW'S The real ones... a 69&71van, 72&74 super beetles, I loved all of them. The new beetle is relly nice also and of course it's way ahead of the old ones, but not very practical, if you need to carry anything... you can carry zilch in it. Like I said Not everyone likes Chryslers, not everyone likes chevs, I on the otherhand like anything new.... Sure I'll even admit I once owned a....."Skoda" ha! That was even fun to drive. Merry Christmas Neil
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
OK.....WHATS A SKODA???????
Posted by Arvil Shep' Shepherd (Member # 2030) on :
I'd hate to think what the insurance costs would be.
Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
Hiya Glenn, For what it's worth, rent one for a long weekend and let the wife have her way with it. We just bought a mini-SUV and after test driving a few this way, we decided the Ford Escape was good for us. Good luck with your search. Havin' fun, Checkers
Posted by Rob Clark (Member # 787) on :
I just repainted the artwork on the drivers side of a PT Cruiser that was very severely T-Boned.
The panel shop showed me the impact absorbing structure inside the PT, it probably saved "Cruisin Christy's" life. She broke the side window with her head, she was hit so hard, but only sustained concussion.
No damage transfered to the other side of the vehicle, any lesser car would have been a complete write off.
As it is, a mere $23,000+ aus' (including 2500 to redo the signage) and she's as good as new.
hmmmmmmmmm
RobC
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
That's a co-inidence..Spelling? My cruiser is in the shop having the passenger side door replaced, and of course I'd like to re-ro the entire graphics... maybe those realistic airbrushed flames would look nice. A Skoda is a cheap Chekoslavakian car, with the Engine in the rear, but it's water cooled. Very junky car. Neil
