Thanks for speaking up in behalf of us PT cruiser owners! i bought a 2007 recently 131000 Miles on her, automatic, runs and drives great! love these cars, unsure why the hate to be honest. Great video man!
The right front seat, by the way, is also removable in the same manner as the rears. All seats except the driver's can be, allowing one to use the vehicle as a smaller panel van.
I am the opposite of wealthy, and I really want a second car, but not enough to save and buy one. I just need it so that me and the wife aren't always scheduling which if us needs the car that we already have, so it's more of a spare car that I need. Anyways, my mother got a new car and is giving me a 2002 PT Cruiser that she LOVES but has upgraded to something new. So, I am happy to see a positive video about these, as I await mines arrival (I am paying about $700 to have it trailered to me, so if I get this for that much money I am thrilled). Thanks for the nice video!
So this is my car, and I'm going to try and address the common complaints I hear about this car that are mostly way overblown -Cheap interior: The materials are cheap feeling, yes. But they are not much worse than other cars of the time. On par with other american brands at least. They hold up well, nothing is worn out, faded, not lining up. A lot of recession era american cars have worse interior quality in my opinion, just look at the climate controls or radio in an early 2010s GM car and the labels are worn off. The build quality/fit and finish is a massive improvement over 90s fords and chryslers though, nothing in this car really rattles or squeaks. You touch anything in my 97 LHS and it will creak and groan. I grew up in a 97 Explorer and it was just terrible. The PT is fine for what it is. -Slow: No it isn't (relatively). It's just as fast as any other 4 cylinder car from the era. It's a little bit faster than a Scion XB and a little bit slower than a ford focus. But I don't hear people crying about how slow those cars are. If you want a faster PT cruiser, buy a GT -Ugly: This is subjective of course. This car set out to have a certain design style, and it accomplished that. I personally think it pulls off this general shape much better than something like a 1st gen Chevy Trax or a Ford Eco sport. Those are forced to be jacked up crossovers, which really messes with the proportions. I think those cars are truly ugly, I don't get how people think the PT looks worse than those abominations. The PT is a low to the ground hatchback and has a more cohesive design. There is really nothing else like it. I think the retro design is unique and stands out, so I bought it. Just like Zack said in the other PT cruiser review, at least it makes you have an opinion. It's not bland. -Bad MPG: Yep, it's absolutely terrible for a 4 cylinder and I can't figure out why. About 17 city and 23 highway. Thats probably the entire reason this is famously classified as a light truck, so they could get a looser fuel economy requirement -Unreliable: It's not toyota level reliability, but it's not going to just blow up like a Nissan CVT. These automatics were improved over the 90s models. With regular fluid changes, they will be just fine. If I'm not mistaken, the 03 models added an auxiliary transmission cooler. The engines are good if you don't overheat them. From what I've seen online, they are better than the later 2.4 world engine that is a completely different design. Chrysler build quality isn't the best though. My radio will sometimes die if I hit a train track too hard, and the wipers sometimes just stop in the middle of the windshield for a second. I have heard people complain about some computers failing too -Other notes: The seating position is weird, even with the seat as low as it goes it feels like I'm looking at the sun visor. But the seats are comfortable enough for a car like this, I went on a 3 hour road trip without issue. Under the hood is really tight and working on it sucks. That's the price to pay for the unique style of the car. But look under the hood of a lot of modern cars and there isn't much room either. There really aren't any cars this size with this much interior space, that's a really unique part of this car nobody really talks about. The floor is super low and the seats come out. The engine is pretty raspy and loud inside So yeah there are probably better cars out there, but none of them look like the PT cruiser, and that reason is why I bought this one.
I get what you’re saying about the interior quality. I have an early Mk6 Jetta with the plastic interior, which felt miserable when it came out, especially agains the Mk5. But, 12 years later, it still looks new. The dash isn’t cracked, nothing is squeaking or misaligned, and it doesn’t even look tired. These PT interiors must be the same in that regard.
This is a good subjective review. What I like about the PTC is that, despite how it's viewed now, the first owner of each car did not buy it because it was "practical." They bought it because it was unique and had character.
@Just1American1966 Yeah, the pontiac vibe and scion Xb are better cars overall. But the PT was a new car that has the distinctive retro styling at a very affordable price. The plymouth prowler was really the only other retro car at the time. But that was a niche expensive roadster. The PT brought it within reach of anyone that could afford a new car. Thats why i bought the PT over the competition. It doesn't look like anything else
At the time Chrysler was owned by Mercedes - DamilerChrysler and to reduce costs, they were doing cost cutting. One of these cost cutting to put the window controls in the middle instead of on the doors
I've never been close enough to even touch a PT Cruiser but always liked the look of them. I program several car keys every week and never had a PT Cruiser come in the shop. I was kinda hoping that the back glass could open separately but still a nice car.
Table looks cool, but someone wasn’t thinking straight by having an outlet that only works when the engine is running, right next to it.. I feel like that’s why they put that legal disclaimer sticker on the hatch.
I'm guessing it will still work with just the accessories on instead. Probably set it up that way because forgetting that you have something plugged in back there would be a great way to kill your battery.
My grandma had this EXACT spec she bought new in 2000 ('01MY). By 2008 it had so many problems it woud've cost about $5,000 to fix, it was already only worth about $4,000 (with only 40k miles) so she traded it for a 2009 beetle lol. Not to mention she ALWAYS does recomended dealer service items She loved this car so much that she wanted a convertible but they stopped making them and my grandpa refused to let her get another chrysler product (before the PT she had a first gen neon coupe that ended up lemon lawed haha). With all that said, her beetle is only at 35,000 miles and has not had any major issues like her PT had I also have a wonderful memory of her cramming me, my sisters and 5 cousins in it lmao. 9 people total was a nightmare in there, I was put in the passenger footwell while my sisters sat ontop of eachother in the passanger seat. To this day she says she probably would get arressted trying something like that nowadays
I had a 2001 manual. Good car. Rusted to death. Motor burned oil even though I kept up with oil changes. Needed new plug wires every 50k miles. Sold it with 131k on the original clutch at 13 years old.
Zack, To my knowledge, the PT Cruiser was the first car with a fold-forward front passenger seat 5:32 which enabled maximum utilization of carrying capacity for longer objects like ladders or 2X4s. For some strange reason, that incredibly useful feature has nearly disappeared from the automotive landscape. 🤨
No real workmen would ever buy these, so I can imagine almost no one used that feature. Pointless feature for this car. These cars are junk, no one would ever use them on a jobsite.
I drove one of these as a Driver's ed car in high school. Another vehicle in their fleet was a second-gen Neon. I can't speak for much but I do remember it feeling and driving like a Neon if it was much lighter in back.
My wife bought a 2003 Limited in 2011 after totaling a Ford Escort she had been driving almost ten years. The PTC had 75K miles on it at the time. Four years ago, she upgraded to a used Audi Q5 and I took over the PTC, having just retired my old Grand Cherokee due to excessive rust (my primary driver is a Dodge Dakota pickup.) I actually like the "Humpback Hoopty" quite a bit. It goes through tie-rod ends every couple of years, and fan motors for the radiator fan every four. Otherwise, it's been a decent car, with 175K on it now. Were I to buy another, it would have to be the Limited package again, as it's the only one on which the "touring" suspension system is available (ironic that it didn't come with the "Touring" package.)
I never got the PT Cruiser hate either. PTDS (PT Derangement Syndrome??) That is exactly the car that Tina was driving when the drunk hit her head-on at 50-60 MPH in 2011. That car saved her life. Not one broken bone. The car ended up looking like a ball of used foil, but the passenger compartment was intact. Ours was white exterior with gray interior and all the options except the turbo. Absolutely LOVED that car on long trips! It felt like it drove itself. We bought it brand new for $28K, with eery option. Trivia- That radio in it was capable of receiving AM Stereo (it was a thing). Very few AM Stereo stations on the air even then (pretty sure none now), but it sounded amazing on AM. Anyway, thanks for the trip down memory lane! I sure miss that car!!
Is it the best car ever? It depends how good of a mechanic you are. I’ve had one for over 15 years now. I have over 160,000 miles on it. It’s been the most dependable car and cheapest to maintain, but you have to have a skills. You’re not a real mechanic until you’ve changed the timing belt on cruiser turbo. The reason you don’t see many around is because people had to pay mechanics a lot of money to do the work. parts are cheap but it’s not a easy car to work on so people badmouth them because it’s expensive to take it somewhere and have the work done.
Another car that had the shelf in the back is the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. I owned one of those for a really long time and it was such a versatile car. I could fold all but the driver's seat down and transport a 10' kayak inside with the hatch closed. I'd love for you to get your hands on a well kept example of one of those.
They are terrible!! One of the worst of the past 2 decades. Maybe THE worst! I assure you, they will never Develop a following. No one who has ever owned one likes them. My family had one for 6 years, it eventually went up in flames. Slow, bad gas milage, unreliable. It’s true garbage.
I think Chrysler should bring the PT Cruiser back to fill out the Chrysler product range! Given the car was such a hit, it seems crazy that Chrysler discontinued it without a replacement. @Jessecwebb A new PT Cruiser built on the latest Stellantis FIAT or Peugeot platforms wouldn't have those problems (it would have different problems, lol).
My 2004 PT Cruiser is the Base model, with 2.4 and 5 Speed. It runs like a top! It currently has 97,000 miles. I changed the Timing Belt, and Water Pump one time. The body on these cars is built as solid as a tank. Doors, Locks, Windows, everything is rock solid. The car runs strong and smooth. PTs as quiet as you would expect from a much larger car. BTW: Chrysler PTs weigh 3,000 pounds! And the Cargo Space is great: You have a real truck!
I had a 2001 PT cruiser Limited in 2016-2017. i got the car for $600 cash from a local lot. it had exactly 220,020 miles on the odometer when it officially died from the timing belt breaking. i will miss the sunroof and heated seats. very very nice features and a very cool car. if i get one ever again i want a dream cruiser.
Nice review of the greatest American car ever designed. However, I feel the need to point out some features of the rear shelf you missed. It also has a position on the floor which gets it out of the way. And if you put it there upside down, the black plastic surface under it makes it great for carrying messy things, like a plant from Home Depot. It keeps dirt and messy things from ruining the carpet. Plus, it can go vertically against the back seat, and that black plastic side has hooks for plastic grocery bags that keeps them from going all over the place. If you break out the hat cam, you gotta get the most from it!
One main thing about them some barely made it past 70 thousand miles and needed a complete front suspension rebuild and wiring was thin and susceptible to engine heat and caused the ECM to go haywire causing transmissions to shift violently and Head gasket issues, That's Why they have the reputation they have.
I had an 02 limited just like this but it was white. I called it the egg. Got it when I graduated high school in 2012. It only had 74k miles on it and I paid $3000 for it. I put 50k miles on it in 3 years before I sold it and got an 07’ Saab 9-3 sportcombi for 5500
It's unfortunate that these aren't more reliable. I absolutely adore this style of car, same with the Scion xB, Kia Soul and Honda Element. So much more practical than the ugly crossovers that followed them, which somehow managed to be larger in size but with smaller interiors 🤦
When I first rode in one of these in 2007, I thought Chrysler was being cheap for having plastic on the back of the passenger seat, like a Hyundai or Kia. I didn't realize the seat folded down.
I both love this car and, I feel I almost hate it as well, I can’t say I really hate it though. I rented this car twice. Once in the Boston metro area for an ikea run, and once in the Los Angeles area for a vacation. I was super impressed with it in Boston. The mirrors were not as good as I’d like them to be, but the car was small enough with such an ideal seat position, that you could still easily place yourself in traffic.. in Los Angeles however, where I didn’t need such utility, I was demoralized by a front torque wheel slip on a curving road just after a rain.. the car had no grip, no power, and of course, the mirrors were terrible
My friend bought a lower mileage example and it did not go well for him. Head gasket, AC went out, then the transmission. He ended up paying more to fix it than he paid for the car to begin with to get it working. That's a risk you take with any car, however
My mom had a PT cruiser, was slammed to the ground, big wheels, grumbly exhaust, and had a special factory original chameleon paint on the upper half (two tone with black). It was cool. Would I buy it, no. Would I drive it, yes.
This car set off the retro styling trend of the 2000s. You definitely would not have had the Chevrolet HHR (same designer) and probably wouldn’t have had the retro styling of the 2002 Ford Thunderbird or the 2005 Ford Mustang either influencing the Dodge Challenger and who knows how many other cars. Chrysler really fooled everyone into wanting to buy a Dodge Neon in a retro themed Halloween costume. I always liked the quirky design. The interior wasn’t half bad either with the interior matching color of the exterior paint. I think Stelantis should bring the PT Cruiser back. They could jack it up a little bit and call it a crossover, maybe base it on the Dodge Hornet platform. Come on Chrysler!
@@doug6191 The Chrysler PT Cruiser used the same platform and powertrains as the Dodge Neon. It looked a lot more attractive and was roomier. That was its big appeal 24 years ago. You’re right, the Volkswagen New Beetle came out in 1998, but the 2000 Chrysler PT Cruiser really set off the retro style trend of the decade.
@gedaman I know its Neon roots, but it is substantially different from the 4-door sedan. The two cars share zero body panels, they have distinct dashboards, they have completely different seating, their dimensions are different... The statement that a PT is essentially a Neon is pretty lazy. The 1998 New Beetle broke the ice on the retro design craze. It was a runaway success, which gave other brands (PT Cruiser, Mini, Fiat 500, etc.) confidence to try their hand at it. The '97 Prowler arguably contributed to that fad, too, though it sold in much lower volume. The PT Cruiser was certainly more successful than some of those other retro models, but it hardly established the fad.
While this isn't of course the best car ever made by any means, it isn't the worst either. I know a person who owns a 2003 PT (21 years old) and it hasn't received maintenance in years and the car still runs.
These cars are underrated. Yes, they're cheap and ugly and didn't age well but they're spacious and practical. Sort of like a worse Honda Fit. These were classified as light trucks for emissions reasons. It's nice to see one that's well-kept as most of these were treated as disposable cars. I love the purple Chrysler used in the late 90s/early 00s, probably because one of the first cars I remember in my family was a purple third-gen Plymouth Voyager.
The Loser Cruiser was my company's corporate fleet of field tech vehicles for years because the owner thought they were cool. In reality they were uncomfortable, bad at fitting equipment (telecom/IT), and as they racked up the miles they aged like milk.
I agree, the interior was not as bad as "journalists" like DeMuro set it out to be. No one will be sitting at a set if red lights, in groaning pleasure of how good their dashboard feels. They care about how a car functions. Cars from the 2000s were mostly as bland and as exciting as the fact poor old Terry having no luck with Viagra, convincing Doug DeMuro that Terry too, has quirks and features, only for Terry to find out that Terry stands for not Terrence, but Theresa. The people want versatility and the PT shines like a diamond, can you take the seats out in seconds, enjoy a multi-use rear shelf, and go out in style in your 2003 Cavalier? Better luck to you, pal, with your crank windows and people OR passengers folding rear seat or better, trade in that bowtie branded bullshit that claims to be An American Revolution and get yourself a legend. The Chrysler PT Cruiser is worth a look, even if the dash feels cheap, but like a Jeep, versatility and style do matter, even to a screaming sheep. You won't be able to transport sheep in your Cavalier without sheep shit getting on your Cavalier seats and who knows. If they sneeze, you will be sitting at the set of red lights, moaning about how bad your dashboard feels and now wishing you were so harsh on your sheep. Chrysler, bring back the PT Cruiser so we can PROVE TO Elon Musk, that we do want the future for our people in the latest style and innovation into a car that gets the job done without recalls and undeniable software updates for a car influenced by an app named stupidly after a clock's sound, a screen on your dashboard waiting for it to be stolen or snapped off, and for making people THINK that the future is here. The Chrysler PT Cruiser offers classic retro styling, interchangable radio so we can opt for a touchscreen if we want to and not be judged as a society for having reluctance because we think they impose a hazard. The Chrysler PT Cruiser. Like love, it has to be the best of both Terry and Doug DeMuro and not just one.
I saw the era of retro remake bodies as a terrible fad. The Thunderbird and New Beetle actually continued existing namesakes, but the Prowler, PT Cruiser, and HHR/panel van were 'retro-INSPIRED'. The New Beetle was terrible to work on, you had to remove the front fender to access the battery. A lot of these products flopped and were plagued with issues, but funnily enough you still some examples around that look like they've been lightly driven by the boomer audience the corporations designed these for.
We're in another retro era, this time more so with trucks and SUVs. The Ford Bronco and Toyota Land Cruiser are retro designs and in my opinion look pretty good.
When I moved 3 hrs away to a vocational school and this was one of the instructors cars? I lost my shit... and my faith... and eventually my education. It's not the cars fault but its pretty bad lol.
And like the minivan and Prius, it's surprisingly capable at what it's designed to do. I drove a third-gen Prius off and on for a few years. No joke, it's one of the best cars I've ever driven because it does what it was designed to do so well. It's not fast but it's not supposed to be. It's efficient, reliable, surprisingly spacious, comfortable, and handles and brakes surprisingly well.
