Chrysler PT Cruiser: reviews, description, specifications

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

There is an opinion that all cars that are produced in our time are similar to each other. There may be some truth to this, but there is an exception to this rule. A car like no other is the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Its technical characteristics can be compared with some other car, but its appearance is original and even unique. This is a car that was created in the style of "Retro". Comfortable city car, which you either like or not, but there can be no indifference to it. Let's take a closer look at it.

General information

PT Cruiser is a good car from a well-known manufacturer from the USA. Produced since 2000, in 2005 the model was restyled. From the same year, the buyer is offered not only the classic model with four doors, but also a convertible version with two doors. Initially, the car was produced exclusively at a factory in the city of Toluca (Mexico). By March 2006the millionth PT Cruiser was assembled here (a good figure for six incomplete years of production). The plant assembled cars for the North American market. Since 2002, the model has also been assembled in the city of Graz (Austria). Cars from this assembly line went to the export market (Europe, Russia, etc.).

In 2001, a car magazine named the PT Cruiser one of the top ten cars. In the same year, the model received the title of "Car of the Year" in North America. And already in 2013, one famous British car program named the PT Cruiser (2005 model) one of the ten worst cars in the last twenty years. Very different assessments, but the car has a very controversial appearance, which either likes or causes negativity, as we said above, there can be no neutrality and indifference.

Chrysler PT Cruiser dimensions

Let's talk about dimensions. We have already mentioned that this is a city car. It is compact and economical. The length of the model is 4.25 meters, the width of the body is 1.704 meters, the height from the asph alt to the highest point of the body is 1.6 meters. Maneuverable front-wheel drive car for a comfortable ride. There is no 4WD version.

You can't call a car very small. But with its dimensions, it is very easy to manage it in the city. There are no problems with maneuvering in crowded conditions or in matters of parking in a confined space. There are no blind spots either. The only problem is a slight lack of visibility due to the massive front door pillars, but this is a problem for many.machines, you just need to get used to it.

Engine and transmission

For this machine, the manufacturer has a fairly wide range of motors. There is a gasoline power unit with a working volume of 1.6 liters. This is the most economical model. There is a more powerful petrol engine (working volume is exactly 2 liters) and there is a third petrol engine, its volume is an impressive 2.4 liters (GT version, we'll talk about it a little later).

In addition to gasoline engines, there is one diesel power plant. Its working volume is 2.2 liters. The most interesting of these options is the diesel Chrysler PT Cruiser, reviews confirm this. The diesel turbocharged engine is quite high-torque, frisky and economical, it was developed by Mercedes. But the price for a car with such an engine is the highest (we do not take into account the GT version with its engine).

There are two options for gearboxes. This Chrysler car can be equipped with a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual. The option with the "automatic" will cost more.

Chrysler PT Cruiser interior and exterior

If we talk about the salon, then everything is very sad here, like all the "Americans" of that time. The interior is poorly decorated, the materials leave much to be desired, although not of the lowest quality. Of course, there will be fans of American cars who are used to poor interior design and will defend this option. But, objectively, this is not the best salon. Here everything is in its place, everything is located quite conveniently. All necessary buttons and devices indriver's line of sight. But a certain cheapness in interior trim is visible to the naked eye.

If we talk about the body, it is made of thick quality metal. The paint also does not raise questions about the quality. Body parts fit well to each other, the gaps are even and neat. The design of the car is unique, we will not give it an assessment. There are no outright failures in terms of execution.

The cabin is designed for five people (driver and four passengers). The car is not the most spacious, so the three of us behind it are not very comfortable to ride. You can be patient if the conversation is about trips around the city, but if the path is country and long-distance, then the three of us will be very uncomfortable to ride behind.

Car optics

Headlights are designed to match the look of the car. The light is good and even. There are absolutely no complaints about optics. Everything is done neatly, works properly and correctly. No flaws, but no special features either. Everything is concise and modest, as befits a budget car.

Pendant

Note that the suspension is quite soft, but only to the extent that can be on short-wheelbase budget cars. Native suspension elements go for a very long time. Spare parts are presented in a wide variety (there is both the original and a sufficient number of analogues from any price category). There are no obvious problems with the suspension. Everything is made reliably and at the same time it is simple in terms of construction.

Safety

The car is made of good metal, but it cannot be called very durable and strong. In 2002, the model received only three stars out of five in the safety rating. The car had extremely low scores (six out of sixteen) in a head-on collision. In a side collision, everything was not so sad (the highest score). We managed to get a high score because of the seats, which are located high and because of the presence of side airbags. In a head-on collision, the legs and knees suffer the most (they are pinched). It is noteworthy that another company in 2009 gave a high score for protecting a passenger during a frontal collision. And for the side impact, this company gave low marks.

Don't be too upset about these tests, not everything is so sad in them, and the data is subjective if they differ so much. Moreover, let's not forget that we live in Russia and there are Russian (including Soviet) and Chinese cars on our roads, which will certainly be worse in terms of safety.

Reviews

It must be said right away that it is not too easy to find reviews about the Chrysler PT Cruiser. The thing is that in our country this car is not the most popular. Of course, because of their appearance, and not because of poor quality. In short, this is a good car. The reliability of the main nodes is confirmed by the owners. It is worth saying that there are no problematic engines in the wide range of power units offered by the manufacturer.

There is a feature that concerns the diesel Chrysler PT Cruiser, reviews say aboutthat this car loves good fuel. For this reason, you need to carefully choose the gas station. Although this is a feature not only of this car, but rather a feature of Russian fuel, and not of any particular foreign car.

Is the price high

Today, on the Russian secondary market, one can call the Chrysler PT Cruiser a fairly budget car, reviews characterize it as a reliable car, from which one should not expect a dirty trick. This is a great option for getting around the city for very modest money. Components are also relatively inexpensive, but they are not always available, you should pay attention to this and sometimes buy spare parts for maintenance a little in advance. You can live with it, you just need to get used to it.

The rarity of a car reduces its value in the secondary market. On the one hand, this is good, since you can buy an inexpensive worthy option. But there is also the other side of the coin. It will be difficult for you to sell your car at a high price because it is not very popular and in demand. But there is a truth that says that absolutely every car has its own buyer, it just happens sometimes faster and sometimes slower.

Who is this car for?

If we talk about our domestic market and analyze the situation, then this car is chosen as a city car in the case when you need to find a high-quality and inexpensive vehicle. If you try to make a general picture of the driver of this car, it turns out that the driver of this Chrysler is a younggirl with little driving experience. The car often becomes the first car, especially when looking for the option "not the same as everyone else." It is worth saying that the car fits this role better than all others.

PT Cruiser GT

Sometimes this version is called: GT Cruiser. This is a model with a 2.4 liter turbocharged engine. The GT was introduced to the public in 2003.

Characteristics of this version of the car:

• Motor power 215 "horses" (2003-2005).
• Motor power 230 "horses" (2006 and subsequent years of release).
• The vehicle's maximum speed is 201 km/h (set by the speed limiter).

Standard vehicle equipment:

• Four-wheel disc brakes.
• ABS and traction control.
• R17 (205/50) low profile tires.
• Chrome alloy wheels.
• Special body color front bumper.
• Special body-coloured rear bumper.
• Revised and improved suspension.
• Additional suspension lowering.
• Special exhaust system.
• Increased diameter exhaust pipe with chrome-plated nozzle.

Result

If you like the look of this car, then you are in luck, because you can buy this excellent front-wheel drive car from an American manufacturer for a small price and drive it for a very long time withoutrunning into some trouble.

If you do not like it, then nothing can be done about it, consider the competitors of this car, which will cost more or the same, but their condition will be much worse. This Chrysler was conceived with such an "appearance", it cannot be changed by tuning, it must be accepted and loved as such. There is simply no other way! This car will never fill our roads en masse, but it will never disappear from them either. There are connoisseurs of this car in our country and this is a fact!