Anybody got a PT Cruiser ?

[HotRod]

 Do you like it? Thing about buying a used one for the wife and was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on them or have owned one.

[F-106]

Hi Rod, a good friend owns one. He has the 180hp turbo version. Runs on regular fuel and rides good. I have rode in it alot and always came way with a favorable feeling about the car. I now the new ones still have the lifetime warrenty so that might be worth it alone. They do have plans not to make them after 2010. If i were to buy one i would go new.

[Strider]

It actually won the slow ride ball pick up thing at Inzane V but Carolyn and I were disqualified for having 4 wheels or something.  They never told us that before the competition.

Of course, my experience on the PT Cruiser is slightly skeewed, since it meant that I had totalled my bike an hour from Inzane and had to rent a PT Cruiser to ride into Inzane with.  You know, the first one in Colorado my brother and I went and had lunch and walked out and there was a PT Cruiser with a Red/Black IS in a trailer.  I looked over at my bro and said, "You know, that just ain't funny!" 

[valkyriemc]

I have a 2001, non turbo. After I bought it used I started looking into doing maintenance on it. Didn't like what I've read. I would not buy another one. Further I've read an engineers thoughts on his part of the design, and he didnt like the engine they put into it. Its a cram job. If I was looking at another car, a used low miliage, late model ford focus seems to be a reasonable purchase. My daughter drives the car now and the car suffers from it-college. No big blow outs with car, but wierd issues with the air bag warning light has been a hassel. Timing belt is due for a change. I usually do all my own wrenching but I may pay to get this done. Do some serious reading prior to a purchase. G/L     

[Oss]

Rod   I couldnt stand the one we rented when we were in vegas about 3 yrs ago  It was a convertible and the roof line was totally blocking my views

I had to open the roof and put my butt on the back of the seat and look over the top of the windshield while we were cruising the area

All the chryslers I have driven in the past few years have the low windshield height.   Get her a Mustang. She will love you for it

I love my old 300m which is an 01 like my Valk That was a good year.

[Davemn]

I rented one for a work trip. I hated it. All my coworkers hate them too. I called it my "Clown Car". The thing was very noisey and had no power.

[ArmyValker]

My step-father has had 4 of them. Three totalled in serious accidents. He's never been injured, so he keeps buying them. My impressions as that the car is noisy and underpowered, but tends to be alot more comfy for those of us who are extra tall. I like it because there's alot of room and good visibility (like my truck).

I'm an amateur wrencher too and I'd have second thoughts about buying anything that Chrysler has made lately, just my opinion.

[mhallock]

Yeah, here is Striders!!!!

[HotRod]

Thank you my friends,I will take all that into serious consideration.

[kruzn]

We bought a 2001 new....has 65,000 trouble-free miles and we love it. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.... 

[Jack]

Don't own one but rode in one and hated it.  Neat looking ride but built like an old VW.

[Grumpy]

Bought my wife a new one in 08, 4 cyl with the turbo, 30,000 miles on it now. Has been trouble free. Very peppy, but is a little noisy. She loves it,
but is like a go cart to me after driving a 3/4 ton dodge quad cab with a full bed.

[stude31]

Lady at work had one and she let me drive it.  Hers had the turbo and as "cool" as it could be it wasn't much fun!  I looked under the hood and seen where the battery was positioned and for the life of me couldn't figure out if the body was dropped on top of the car after everything was in it... I have no clue how one could work on such a tight engine compartment....  No thank you..

I have a 1995 Honda civic 2dr coupe and it isn't the newest of cars but I have 175k on it and my sister had bought it new in 95.  Get's 40+ mpg and routine maintenance is all I have done....  You can find these cars all over... very well built and dependable... Oh and a bonus... YOU CAN WORK ON THEM!!!!! 

Best of luck in your decision!

Stude31

[Brad]

They are a bitch to work on.  Look on a labor guide for simple tasks (under the hood) and check out the time they give to do the job.  At the shop I work at most of the guys will only work on them if they have nothing else to do.

[RUDE DOG - Steelers]

I had a 2003 Dream Cruiser special edition a few years back.  I loved it.  Check out the Dream Cruiser versions, they are nice.  Great all around car.  I have owned a lot of different cars and that was one of my favorites. 

[valkyriemc]

They are a bitch to work on.  Look on a labor guide for simple tasks (under the hood) and check out the time they give to do the job.  At the shop I work at most of the guys will only work on them if they have nothing else to do.

Yeah, thats zackly what I'm talking about. Use Google for PT Cruiser problems and you will get an eyefull. Easy to back the hell over something or somebody too. Also not good miliage for a small four valve engine. 

[Mikey]

I would recomend not getting any car that dealerships have run "buy one get one" specials on. The Chrysler dealer by my folks were giving away PT Cruisers with the purchase of ANY other vehicle, new used etc. And I've never liked the seating position in them.

[NITRO]

A friend of mine had a 2001 he bought with low mileage. It broke down three times and had to be towed in the first year he had it. There was also a problem with alignment of a rear wheel which caused the tire to wear unevenly.

That said, the space inside the cruiser was incredibly useful as you can fold/remove the rear seats. You can haul all sorts of stuff in them!

I personally would never buy one after seeing the issues he had with reliability and the issues Chryslers have in general.

[NiteRiderF6]

Hello Rod,

I have done a few comparisons on the PT Cruiser versus other cars as my wife drives a lot for her job as an RN in Home Health locally. She had a Tahoe and when gasoline was expensive, she wanted something smaller, so we began looking around for something. She had identified a couple of cars that she liked, one being the Honda CRV and the other being the Toyota Rav4, both of which I thought were junk and cheaply built. We looked at both and I was disatisfied with the options and the build of both vehicles.

I had a friend who worked at the Chevrolet dealership a ways down the road; he was the same guy that sold me the Tahoe, so I went over to see what Chevy had to offer. I'm a Chevy guy anyway, so I looked at all of the smaller offerings that he had on the lot and really liked the little HHR that he had, which was optioned out pretty well. It's an '08 model and my wife already has 26,000 miles on it and just loves the car. It has almost everything on it that the Tahoe had and it's not a bad car to drive. It's one to compare anyway. Good Luck!

P.S. I am now enjoying the Tahoe and the note on it, so all is good here.