I had a PT Cruiser for almost 20 years! It was my daily driver for my family and I was able to haul just about everything in that thing from sofas to everything else I needed to move from my small apartment to my house. I had a manual which I really enjoyed. I had planned do a "resto mod" on it but after it kept breaking down it was time to let it go especially since it was my only car. 20 years is a long time to daily drive a Chrysler but I did love that car. Even though it became a money pit, in the end, I was a little sad to see it go when it was hauled off. I commend Chrysler for having the courage to do something different.
@@konstantinakatsiaba2004 You are wrong,it was based on a 1940s Chrysler Airflow.You are talking about the Chevrolet HHR which was Chevys version of a PT Cruiser.Theirs was based on the 1940s Suburban.Both the PT and the HHR designed by same designer.
I currently own 3 PTs, 2002 Dream Cruiser, 2004 Dream Cruiser Turbo, and a 2009 Touring. I love them all. I've had 6 all told and they are great little cars. The cargo room is fantastic. And the turbo is super fun to drive.
Just had one given to me, dead for 5 years in a garage i am bringing back to life. Looks like the silver one in your video, same wheels ,california car zero rust. Motor mounts, battery,A/C orifice tube low pressure switch recharge sysyem sparkplugs, filters, oil antifreeze.lower control arms just ordered front wheel bearings rotors pads. Abs warning lights, wiper blades, rr turn signal housing ,rear window switch and more
My daughter owned two and I got very envious and bought my first PT Cruiser last November, a black 2008 convertible. I know its not exactly an engineering masterpiece, but its so cool looking, fun to drive, and economical, that I love it. Since I'll never own a hot rod '40 Ford, this is the next best thing for this old retired soldier.
i beg to differ on the crash worthiness: my ma slid off a hwy in the winter, down an embankment and hit the edge of a field that was angled up at the edge. as the ground was frozen, it was as if the car hit a 2' high concrete barrier at 40 mph! this was a few months after she bought it new. the car was straightened out on a frame rack, repainted, new fascia & a front wheel and was fine for another decade. till she slid off once more, this time bc of a road hog driver. when a guy gave her a ride home, we called a wrecker. in the mean time, an old lady slid off and hit the PT above the bumper and pushed it back 50' through the deep, heavy snow in the ditch. crumpled only the hood and one fender! Broke one head light lens, lil door ding. ..and ppl say this car is under built. keep reading... on top of that, i have talked to nurses that stated the PT was unsafe. "Oh? how so?", I ask? "They take a lot of extra time for the jaws of life to hack through", was the reply. Lol..some "Under built car" there. ..hb how they are becoming a frequent Demo Derby champion? ..maybe these car testing ppl skewed results? Ran the car faster than the test reported? Not an unprecedented deal, different outfits lying about cars..ie Volvo reinforcing their cars for rollover tests? Idk..but real world info and repeated and in diff scenarios by different ppl over rules some lab test by a mile. I'd rather be in a PT in a crash over many, many other cars. Lastly..when folks started dropping V8's (YES!:) in them, they found out the torsional rigidity of their chassis was better than many classic muscle cars. Boom.
If you're wondering about the 1 sale in 2018, sometimes there can be leftover inventory that someone buys years later at a big discounted price, counting as a 'new' sales. These are known as Zombie cars, since they obviously lived on way past the death of the car. So someone bought a brand new, 'discounted' PT in 2018
That’s what Lexus dealers did with the Lfa they marked them up so that they would get more foot traffic into their dealership and would be able to sell their other vehicles I believe that’s what happened
How did the sales numbers you listed add up to a million cars sold in the U.S.? When can we expect video about special editions? I own a "Sunset Boulevard"?
Mine's been great and I've had it since 2004. Always liked the styling and practicality, and its hella fun to drive with the turbo especially. Also found it to be mechanically. The only thing I really had go wrong out of the ordinary was rough idling, but that was due to Chrysler's incorrect spark plug gap recommendation that was erattad years ago to not be as large. The only real negative in my mind is being front wheel drive, but with this car it allows the interior volume/design to be what it is, so it can be forgiven.
I bought one as my first car. It's a crystal red pearl 2006 base model auto. The only problem I had with it was the radiator, it has 2 fan speeds and one died which made the car overheat when stopping. Replaced it for like 50$. All the parts are reasonably priced actually. Other that that no issues, here in Poland people really like it because it's something different, everyone compliments the interior room and overall design. It has 75k miles from new(previous owner bought it new in the US, imported it, then a couple years later he bought a new 2011 Chrysler 300 and loved the PT so much he didn't want to let it go so he gave it to his daughter who was a translator so it wasn't driven much). I really do like it, it's value for money is unbelievable, doesn't look 14 years old at all. Best thing about it is how spacious it is, I got a dishwasher in it once lol
Planning to buy a second one when I'll have some free garage space, this time a GT or some sort of special edition(would absolutely love to get the woody)
That’s what I love about it, the space. It’s like almost having a minivan but with all the features of an economy car. I have the 17” wheels and snow tires and this thing drives through snow like butter. Don’t forget it was classified as a truck because of the chassis and suspension.
I still drive my 2002 Pt Cruiser. I love it. Had zero issues. Took out the rear seats (as only I'm ever in it) and I can haul pretty much anything. I managed to get a full interior door into the car AND close the hatch. Gonna keep this car till it turns to dust.
@@kimberlycary2722You poor lady, same here, my mom passed 2/23 and I had to pay 3k just because I have a problem on my truck and need back-up wheels until I resolve issue on my truck. If I wasn't lazy and had a quick fix for my truck, I would have bought something so much different!
I bought a 2006 Convertible Touring model two years ago with 110,000 miles on it. I had the timing chain redone and the brakes as well. That’s been it. It’s a wonderful car with plenty of power and it gets lots of look sees. I love it’s appearance and the way it drives as well! I plan on keeping mine for years to come because it’s such a great car🚘❣️👌🏼
Firstly I love them, I own several and my channel is largely dedicated to them. I enjoyed the video overall but do feel the need to point out a few small flaws: There is some debate on what the project was originally referred to as, I have heard your “Platform Tall” theory from others but the more accepted version is that PT stood for “Plymouth Truck” & they later revised that to “Personal Transport” when they dropped Plymouth, that is the theory I believe. Also spoilers were not included in the GT package, it was still an option, I’ve seen many GT’s without spoilers. The standard leather package did not have the swede inserts, that only came on the Limited package. The convertible seats are not the same as GT seats since they tilt ahead to allow rear seat access. The platform was very different from the Neon platform, it had drastically more structure and despite what the crash test suggest they hold up very well in real world crashes. Sales dipped because they made it perfect to start with, the ‘06 redesign killed it, should’ve left it alone like the Volkswagen Bug... They should’ve also ditched the base engine and made the turbo lite the base engine, these cars perform really well with the turbo and handle great but they got a reputation of being slow because of the 150hp base engine. Oh and the oil consumption... that is a normal thing for the 2.4’s, they all burn a bit, but it never gets any worse and they will run forever if maintained, a lot of people who bought them new didn’t know this and freaked out that it would drop a liter between changes. I’ve never really had electrical issues with any, they are pretty reliable cars overall.
Dennis Castle Continental belt kits are best imo, do everything, belt, water pump, tensioner, idler, cam & crank oil seals, don’t skip the oil seals or it’ll bite you I promise. I normally change the thermostat and radiator cap as well.
Boomers loved them. My father had one, as did my FIL. They were comfortable driving cars, albeit with a an upright minivan driving position. Weird thing for me was how owners waved to one another. And my FIL had rules about it. “If they bought the later model with the changed bumper, they’re posers and you don’t wave to them!”. He wasn’t kidding
That's hilarious, but as an owner of a "first gen" for almost 10 years, and having driven a "second gen" cruiser, I have to say I STRONGLY prefer everything about the "first gen" cruisers.
A lot of people made fun of it...but I absolutely loved my 2005 PT Limited. It cost me no money outside of standard PMs from the time I bought it until it was well over 160K. It was comfortable, drove well, got decent mileage...not as good as you'd expect, but still satisfactory. I had to move back from Florida to Michigan and once I flipped the seats all the way forward, and put a car top carrier on it...it was only the furniture that stayed behind in storage. Great car.
@@MarspeedCars Most PTs are ugly because they have bright colors that do not fit the design + unpainted plastic bumpers + those cheap large headlights with shiny plastic. If you get GT or other one with painted bumpers, for example in dark patriot blue, AND you change stock headlights to ones with black housing, it looks much better. This one is not in the best color, but it has painted bumpers and black housing of headlight (big improvement): www.ptcruiserlinks.com/gallery/data/500/MFS_Change_Out21.jpg Here is patriot blue, unmodded one without black housing headlights, but still better than typical pt: images.gtcarlot.com/pictures/36401190.jpg Here is the worst one, red with unpainted bumpers and everything burnt by sun (what most people think when they hear pt cruiser): i.ytimg.com/vi/4fYsdDbia0g/maxresdefault.jpg
Tomasz Kolowca I work for a small Dealership here in Southwest Missouri and we just had a Red Limited PT Cruiser that had its front and rear bumpers painted, and that was a really clean looking car. The people that bought it had a Pt Cruiser last week that they totaled. People love these cars and the way they look. The ones left on the road just happen to be very ugly and not well taken care of. Here in Missouri it’s seen as a “crackhead” car and it’s honestly kinda sad because there really wasn’t anything quite like them on the market. It takes a certain person to find them attractive, but working on them is a different story and mainly why I understand they were discontinued. Some engine maintenance was a nightmare.
I always loved these. They were so weird and off the norm. I applaud Chrysler for doing it. I wish however they had put the Pronto cruiser into production. Because that would have sold like crazy. Even now it still looks so futuristic!
I love it. Ordered the 2001 classic. Still have it with only 107000 miles. It has been kept in garage when my wife wasn't driving it to the post office or store. Looks like new. I also have a 2005 gt turbo convertible with 117000 miles. Its had a few problems but still a fun car to drive.
Owned two of these for over 10 years each concurrently: 2001 Ltd 5-speed and a 2004 GT 5-speed. I still daily the 2001 but the 2004 was sold in September last year due to leaking exhaust valves - not inclined to get it fixed. I miss the GT; it was fast as hell and Doug Demuro even posted a review of the GT 5-speed.
I still enjoy my 2004 PT Cruiser GT 5 speed. As a matter of fact, Doug Reviewed mine! I emailed him if he wanted to review my 2006 Magnum SRT8, he was into it, but when i sent him a photo of my Magnum, he said he doesn't review modded cars (I have Dodge Viper Rims on the Magnum). So i jokingly replied to his email saying that I daily drive a PT Cruiser GT and he actually wanted to review it! lol.
@@timothywebb6689 Nice! Sorry, I should have clarified. I have Viper Style rims, not directly from a Viper, so i'm not sure if they share the same bolt pattern.
@@timothywebb6689 the pt gt has 5 by 100 with a high positive offset you're not gonna find many times of of anything that bolt up with out spacers or something
I had one a 2002 Woodie and loved it it was the most practical car I have ever owned how sad they killed it if I could I would buy another.. Thank you for the video
If you're serious....keep looking around. One will pop up out of nowhere. We found a one owner PT fully loaded on Craigslist about an hour away from us. It had only 17,000 miles on it and the lady that owned it told us that she got it as a gift from her late husband and rarely drove it (keeping it in a separate garage and using her other vehicle instead). She said it had been out in the rain maybe 3 times in it's life and only because it started raining on her way home from somewhere! We jumped all over that car and it's only got 86,000 on it to date. It's a keeper for sure.....
Wow.well I just bought one .of course its the first car I ever owned as a starter car. So far it ain't gave me any problems yet . haha it's the yellow one ppl call it the mini magic School bus it 2007
My mother had a 2007 model. She loved it very much and had it almost 10 years. It still ran perfectly when she traded it in with no rust or mechanical issues. She still misses it to this day. She still reminisces about her favorite part of the car oh, well actually two parts. The window controls in the center and the swivel air vents that you could point in any direction with ease.
It always impressed me as the most practical of the various retro-style cars that were popular at the time it was launched. I would still be interested in owning one just for the interior in which the seats could be configured in a number of different ways or removed completely to accommodate large awkward objects as long as they weren't to heavy. It was frustrating to witness Chrysler's inability to market its practicality after its initial appeals a retro model faded.
The Daimler deal..ruin the best car company around for their own gain. well, that and loot the $10-12 billion in surplus cash Chrysler had & use it to intro a new car for Mercedes.
We have one it’s been an extremely reliable vehicle and the cost of ownership has been amazing. It’s not fast not the most comfortable car we’ve owned but I would say if your on a budget and need a reliable vehicle then i Would recommend check this car
I loved my PT. Was deep black with spacers, 2 inches lower and chrome wheels. The car was all black. Since it was in Europe, it came with a 2.2l turbo diesel from Mercedes and had very fun 320nm with 1800rpm. With easy tuning (like most turbo diesel) I had it later with 450nm...with 7.5l on 100km
I purchased my PT in June of 2000 drove it off the showroom floor. The first year I owned the car a lot of people approached me and we had some great conversations...it was one of the first PTs on the road. I owned that vehicle for 16 years and It never broke down, never left us stranded, never did any of the things people accused this vehicle of. My daughter parked in a parking lot and someone ran in to it and because of the age it eas totalled. My family actually mourned when the vehicle was towed away ( 1st time and last time on a tow truck). I lowered the car 3 inches added a Borla exhaust and a cold intake the first year. We used to call it Pete affectionately.
I had the original 1st year Limited with every option including rear spoiler. Overall it was an excellent vehicle. The problem with the mid term facelift is they went cheap and never really added anything to make one want to buy another, unlike the Dodge Challenger, a retro car that continues to sell because every year they offer something different
That was such a clever project planning - make unsellable packaging into a massive hit by allying it into Americans' cultural passion and mind. If it was released as Plymouth like its original plan, that could keep Plymouth meaningful for some more years.
Great point, it was definitely a smashing success if you look back on it. Still has that cult following today. Too bad Daimler wanted to pull the plug on Plymouth
@Rick James5678 s my ma slid off in the winter, down an embankment and hit the edge of a field that was angled up at the edge. as the ground was frozen, it was as if the car hit a 2' high concrete barrier at 40 mph! this was a few months after she bought it new. the car was straightened out on a frame rack, repainted, new fascia & a front wheel and was fine for another decade. till she slid off bc of a road hog driver. when a guy gave her a ride home, we called a wrecker. in the mean time, an old lady slid off and hit the PT above the bumper and pushed it back 50' through the deep, heavy snow in the ditch. crumpled only the hood and one fender! Broke one head light lens, lil door ding. ..and ppl say this car is under built. on top of that, i have talked to nurses that stated the PT was unsafe. "Oh? how so?", I ask? "They take a lot of extra time for the jaws of life to hack through", was the reply. Lol..some "Under built car" there. ..hb how they are becoming a frequent Demo Derby champion? ..maybe these car testing ppl skewed results? Ran the car faster than the test reported? Idk..but real world info and repeated and in diff scenarios by different ppl over rules some lab test by a mile. I'd rather be in a PT in a crash over many, many other cars. Lastly..when folks started dropping V8's (YES!:) in them, they found out the torsional rigidity of their chassis was better than many classic muscle cars. Boom.
We bought our Limited Turbo hatchback in 2006. Still have it. Rides nice and its quiet, (when we owned Buick Lesabres and a Volvo T5 station wagon we actually preferred to take trips in the PT), a reasonably peppy, pretty reliable, practical hauler. Turning circle is too wide and gas mileage is not as high as one would expect.. I can't fathom why it is so hated.
I've owned 3 of them over the past 15 years and loved them all. We currently still have 2 of them. Thanks for the unbiased review......quite a bit different than the "hater" vids I've watched by people who've probably never even owned one!!
I have been patiently waiting for Marspeed to post a video on the PT. Nice Easter gift amongst all this COVID -19 misery. Thank you so much. Very appreciated!
Walked into my living room in 2001, and my husband said, I found the car he want. When I saw my Car and Driver on the cocktail table, I wondered what was up. Sure enough, It was the P.T. Cruiser. Wound up with a 2002 Touring, with the only option being a sunroof. After 120,000 miles, and fearing a failure from a bad timing belt, I got him into a used 2008 Touring. A used rental, It has performed relatively well. Today, I put in the 2nd battery since we owned it, a PCV, and did a throttle body cleaning, and at 130,ooo miles, it is long overdue for a timing belt. I am surprised how well these cars have held up. I grew up in a MOPAR household, and had several myself, A 72 Challenger, An 87 LeBaron turbo coupe, and a 96 Dakota extended cab pickup, V-6, 5 spd., with rear wheel drive. I had it 15 years and put 150,000 miles on it. I will have to get him to do the timing belt for 2 reasons, I) he can't afford to replace it right now, and he LOVES it. It's like me and my 2002 Mustang GT, 4.6l, 5 spd convertible! I LOVE it! Don't ask why! Lol!
Great video!! I thought the PT was truly ugly when they came out. Many many years later after my divorce I needed a versatile used car that I could afford to buy (under $10K) and my research brought me to the PT. I have owned two of the 2.4L non-turbo models since, a 2008 which a tree fell on and destroyed and a 2009 with 135K miles which I still own and LOVE. The thing is the Swiss army knife of cars... I tow a boat with it, I carry my canoe and kayaks with it, I have moved countless friends by taking the rear seats out. I have mounted a removable cargo box on an aftermarket roof rack. My only complaints are the gas mileage (20MPG IF rolling downhill with the wind to my back and the AC off) and that I get small water leaks after mounting an aftermarket roof rack. As it ages, I start to consider what to replace it with - but the only answer is nothing could. The PT Cruiser is one of a kind, it a piece of automotive history - and yes, it is also called the "PT Loser" and worse by some - but not me :-)
@@male42nfree Not a problem...bummer now is not wanting to have timing belt changed...only 113kmi on '04 base model... Will be looking at options after Holidays. I do love this rig, though. Best snow car, ever...like a Volkswagen, kind of...
@@kimberlycary2722 Mine is a 2009 PT Crusier, non turbo, with 150,000 miles on it. I have taken good care of the car mechanically, but a few months ago it started throwing a "check engine" light error (O2 sensor). I changed both O2 sensors, but still have the error. Likely a wiring or ground issue- but it runs okay. I had planned to đeal with O2 error in the spring. However tonight I lived through a hit & run which has likely totaled my 2017 Subaru Outback, my primary car, so I will be breaking out my multimeter earlier than I had planned.
We still have a 2002 PT Cruiser. My daughter grew up in the back seat. She told me never to sell it because she wanted it as her first car. So I kept it alive. It still runs great with only 113,000 miles. She says she’ll never sell it because of all the fond memories. It is very fun to drive.
I have 2004 base model,love it,bought it with 75k miles,had it since november..no complaints..easy to work on..have changed motor and trans.mounts.i take care of it as much as i can..just love this car!!!!
I own a 2008 non turbo as my first car. After doing some routine maintenance to bring it up to par, the car has been quite reliable. It does not burn oil and has always gotten me to school even in -40 Celsius. It's slow but very practical, if you keep up on maintenance (like any car) it will last you a long time.
I drive a 2007 PT Cruiser in marine blue pearl. I love the car! The only thing I truly dislike is the slow 4-speed automatic transmission. The 2.4l 4cylinder has plenty of HP, but the transmission makes it feel slower than it really is. For the rest It is reliable for me. I love the design and it's very versatile and spacious. In the Netherlands, some people tend to think it is quite an expensive car. Probably because they have become a novelty over the years. In the end, it was quite cheap for me to pick one up and to live with. I hope to drive my PT until it totals. I think I can easily drive for another 5-7 years with it. Thanks for the video, Marspeed!
i think she will make it! they like non-ethanol fuel (ethanol eats everything from fuel filler necks to fuel pumps & fuel injectors) and Mobil 1 oil of 10w-40 or 15w-50 if summer..ignore the 5w-20..miniscule mpg gain, less engine protection. diesel spec Mobil 1 (Lucas Oil & Amzoil are fine, too..just cost more than is needed, unless you're into racing) have more Zinc in them, protecting the valve train esp. tire quality affects drive feel/handling a lot..buy the best tire you can afford. make sure to use ONLY ATF+4 synthetic transmission fluid..very critical to trans life..no chance it'll go far without it..probably why some ppl talk of trans failures..wrong fluids/abuse will do it, every time. ATF+4. some shops will say that's what they'll put in..then don't! make sure.
Hey I've got an '07 in Marine Blue as well, very interesting color! Mine's a limited, with the optional detuned version of the GT's turbo engine (180hp). Although I recently installed a Mopar Stage 1 PCM so now it's more like 240hp lol...
We liked are PT cruiser! The only thing I hated on it was the stupid placed water pump. $700 to have a mechanic do a part that cost $25 . I had to do the job twice in 10 years my self.
My parents got me one back in high school. It was a 2002 limited edition and I got picked at for having one but became cool after putting a loud sound system in it competing in bass competitions.
I just bought a elderly owned PT with 63,000 miles. It's a laughable car, especially coming from big V6 engine cars. But man! The sound system hits lmao.
I still have my 2001 (build in Aug 2000) PT Cruiser Limited fully loaded with grey leather interior and Satin-Silver exterior from a Chrysler owned dealership so I paid only the MSRP at $21,604 out the door. A lot of private dealers were jacking the price for one in the first two years because of the ultra high demand for the model. My car is all original, the only repair work besides normal maintenance intervals as covered in the owners manual was for a blown head gasket at 116,000 mile. I simply had the head and block decked, new hi-pro gaskets set and new valves, springs seats and guides in stalled. it still gets well over 25 per gallon and is still cruising down the road at over 200.000 miles. The paint is all original and looks factory fresh because I hand wash it regularly and apply Nu-Finish car polish every spring and fall without fail at a minimum. I'll never sell it, only maintain it in as new condition.
I own one and LOVE it! However the interior has some really crappy plastics. The GT engine is fun, however my car has the automatic transmission which really bogs it down
We had two PT Criusers. A 2003 woodie and a 2005 convertible GT. Loved them both. Traded the woodie in 2015 for a Town and Country. The GT was fast and surprized many a tuner driver! Traded it just recently for a Challenger RT 6 speed. I hope the Challenger will be as fun as the convertible GT was!
I have a 2003 Limited, bought new that currently has over 210k miles. It runs great, although it does have the persistent rough idle that showed up after I replaced the engine/transmission mounts-but I've heard that the aftermarket mounts are much stiffer than the factory ones were. The interior has held up remarkably well and shows very little wear. If taken care of-and that means change the timing belt every 100k-there is no reason that they won't last. I've just replaced the shocks, struts and watts linkage and it rides like new again. No reason not to keep it around as it always starts. I wonder how many 200k-plus PTs there are running around out there?
I have an 06 PT and I love it . My wife has an 03 it needs some body work but I am going to take it over and this will be my project car. It's a turbo. Say what you want but I always wanted one of these . PT lover
I bought my PT 2006 in that same year. Paid off 2012 and still have it in 2021. Runs well and only time I broke down is if the battery died, or had to get battery jumped in cold weather and that wasn’t often. Stickler about maintaining and giving it only mid grade or best gas and only problem I have with it is that the brakes freeze easily. It’s great in snow.
I've always admired the PT Cruiser much in the same way as the VW New Beetle. I really like its design. I think I drove a 2007 or 08 model that my mom rented while our car was getting worked on.
I have one of the special edition dream cruiser series 1 that I've modified but i haven't really had any big problems with mine probably of the extremely low miles and I also love my pt
I've had my 05 PT Cruiser for 4 years now and I Love IT. I love the design, it's fun to drive and it stands out among the best‼️ Who cares if you hate it. I LOVE IT..... Open up your mind & embrace the concept
Say what you will about the styling, but from what I remember of the ones my friends had, it was so easy to get in and out of, surprisingly comfortable, hauled a ton of crap for the size, got decent fuel economy (for the time), and was fairly easy to fix, which was a good thing because they needed to be fixed a lot. For those that didn't want an SUV and wanted to avoid the stigma of driving a station wagon or minivan, it was the best alternative. While not for me, I still understood it's place. Kind of reminded me of London Taxis.
I agree, but as a European I think it's very airy compared to other cars I seen (I have a 1.6) I don't miss the place the fenders take, especially because its fwd. I hope I never have to dig that deep into the engine bay, I have only serviced mine it has been driven ~ 21600 km ;)
@@rasmusgundersen2575 that's not bad, I'm kinda spoiled most of my cars have had an airy engine bay My saturn sl1 was tight but not unbearable and now I have a pontiac bonneville that has about half a foot clearance at the front and a good 4 inches on every other side.
The PT Cruiser and the Pacifica where both well ahead if there time. Today with some modern work done to them for weight and efficiency they would sell like hot cakes.
Mine is a 2005 LE Vanilla automatic that is close to 100,000 miles. We bought it new and I had wanted one since I'd seen the concept car by Chrysler. When we saw it at the dealer's I loved that I could easily get our old huge Golden in the back easily, my mother-in-law and her wheelchair in without a lot of trouble, put groceries in the back without lots of lifting, fit a Christmas tree in it, load plants and garden soil inside, it was a great car for hauling all the stuff I needed to now that I was a real adult with responsibilities but it didn't look like a "family car". I love cars from the 30's and 40's so this was perfect. It's comfortable to drive, has never left me stranded, and we haven't had the many repair problems others have talked about. My sister has an '07 bought used and she has had to do a lot of repairs but it's hard to tell if that's from the prior use or the model she has. Her's has a nicer interior - I do like her heated seats and the extra cup holders and trim details inside, but I'd rather have mine. This will be my last car, I love that I get to drive it and that it doesn't have all the tracking stuff on it that new cars do. Thanks for the history you shared.
These were HUGE money makers. Dollar wise not just percentage of margin. There was two GTs. A base, first year old, painted vs chrome wheels, and cloth vs leather.
I was happy to see Chrysler garner any positive attention, and this was a pretty successful car through the first few model years. Unfortunately it is yet another example of Daimler's mismanagement of the Chrysler brand.
I had a 2002. The only issue was the transmission gave out at 100,000 miles. Probably didn’t help that when it was brand new I didn’t break in gently, but was driving it pedal to the metal on the Autobahn in Germany. I love the car and had fond memories driving all over Europe and the US in it. People who hate it judge it back today’s standard, forgetting this car came out in 2001. Today the survivors are in rough shapes because many of the current owners don’t care about their car and often don’t do proper maintenance. When these cars were new, the owners took care of them and gave them plenty of love. It certainly compared very well to other compact cars of early 2000. The flexibility of the interior design was something not common in 2001, well before the era of the cross over SUV.
...almost like i wrote this note! lol, but truly well stated. some ppl neglect & beat cars and it's annoying. there is then less nice ones around and eventually there is a rarity..ppl think they're cool again and the price goes way up, lol. yes, they don't look at things like original price point and the Daimler screw over era and ..well..they don't care, you're right..they never did. glad you do! thnx for the cool note.
I currently own two PTs: a 2001 and a 2003. I love them. They look like classic hot rods and are fun to drive. They require a bit of upkeep, but for 20+ year old cars, they're running quite well.
The 2004 PT Cruiser GT was the first brand new car I've ever owned. I'm not going to lie it was plagued with several issues including transmission (5-speed Getrag manual), clutch, struts, and several electrical Gremlins. However... That being said I absolutely LOVED that car and would still buy another one today. They are definitely a love it or hate it vehicle but it was so practical, fun to drive, genuinely quick, and it never seemed to look old since they never updated the design really. I still miss and love that car!
I thoroughly enjoyed this video!! (You DIDN'T TRASH the vehicle like many others; you just gave us factual reporting) I have had 2 PTs in my lifetime, a 2004 cranberry plum (i.e., purple, lol) PT Turbo Touring edition, and, currently a 2004 Patriot blue PT Turbo. I'm one of those weird old dudes that actually LOVE the car for what you stated in the video: that it was designed (at least the front end) from old '30's and '40's model cars (hence the flared fenderwells). I'm not wealthy, and so I'm not expecting to own any of the refurbished cars, trucks or wagons from that era, even if they were "kit cars", since they're WAAAAY too expensive for me, to not only buy, but to maintain, lol. Model A's, Model T's and the like are a piece of our history, of American history, and they just have a classic look about them. That's what got me hooked on the original PT cruiser, which was actually MUCH COOLER in concept form as a "Panel Cruiser". I saw one advertised, somewhere, back in 2000 (or maybe even 1999), then just had to go to the L. A. Auto show to see it up close!! If I had any negatives about the "buggy", it's that they didn't build the concept as a straight-up car. That had only 2 doors, like the convertible they built and had a smaller base. It was COOL!! So that's the only thing that bummed me out, but I still love my buggy, and now am trying to find a low-mileage GT convertible to go along with my current 2004 blue Limited edition PT Turbo. Oh, and my odometer shows 120mph on my 2004, so that part might be wrong in the video, it's not 110mph. I don't have the purple one anymore, so I can't check that one. Finally, anyone thinking about buying one, please only buy one in the years 2001-2005. When Chrysler was the only brand involved, they built these cars with quality in mind. 2001-2002 should be avoided, since they were essentially beta-test cars (in fact, you should NEVER buy a car in its first or 2nd year; they need to be on the road to be "truly" tested. No amount of lab testing can duplicate what WE put our cars and trucks through). You can tell the 2001's and 2002's by their "ugly" black plastic bumpers. From 2003-2005 Chrysler got wise and started painting the bumpers, as well, to give the car a more uniformed appearance, and the fact that aftermarket kits started popping up everywhere to customize that area, so I'm sure Chrysler wanted to take a bite out of that. So, as an informed consumer, and one who has studied and followed these vehicles, I can truly say that 2003-2005 are the three best years to buy if you can find one in good condition. The workmanship, craftsmanship, and materials used are right up there with high-end models. Chrysler actually CARED about this car upon inception, and through its earlier years. It wasn't until Daimler/Mercedes-Benz merged with Chrysler when things fell apart. If you get into a 2006 or newer model PT you can tell just from the interior!! While it's been updated (as the video we just watched states), the quality and materials used is just terrible! It's all "plasticky" (for lack of a better word), even the "brushed chrome" (I use that term, loosely) center dash area is pathetic. You can tell, straight-away, that it's plastic. But, like the video above talks about, Daimler, with the declining sales didn't want to put any more design effort, or effort in general, to the PT. So the years from 2006-2010 just turned out horrible. And don't even get me started on whatever idiot designer thought it would be smart (at least on the American PTs; I've not been overseas) to place a safety "grab handle" just above the glove compartment or glove box on the passenger's side of the car?!?! A normal-size person sitting there usually has their knees uncomfortably close to that item, and, in the event of a need to stop abruptly, their knees are going to take the brunt of that stoppage, even to the point of either breaking that handle, or worse, damaging the knees!! These are the stupid little things I've noticed Daimler do to my beloved PT. Oh, and lastly, one thing I forgot to mention is that the Cruiser fan base refers to 2001-2005 as *_first-gen_* while, obviously, 2006-2010 would be known as *_2nd-gen_* PTs, so, if you hear those terms, you'll know which generation of vehicle is being discussed. If you're buying one, only buy a first-gen PT.
My 2006 PT Limited Edition just went over 140,000 miles and the only thing I've replaced so far: one fuel pump, and one battery. That's it. Driven 2,000+ mile trips it, slept in it, hauled furniture in it, it's been a great car! Comfortable (but not plush), higher sitting position than your typical car, TONS of room inside, lots of storage places, bins, and cup holders, removable rear seats, a passenger seat that folds flat (great for dining inside the car) TONS of legroom (important to this 5'11" tall girl!), roomy and reliable. Love my silver 2006 with factory chrome wheels and sunroof! I even drive this instead of fixing my 2000 Jaguar XK8 convertible! Oh, my PT Crusier has NEVER overheated, btw.
My partner and I have owned two Cruisers, 2002 manual puple & a 2004 Silver auto, silver still going strong with 95k miles so far! We love them very few cars have a smiley face but the PTC does! They did a special Yellow model, would love one but they are very rare here!
i have 3 of the yellow ones ones been wreaked but the other two is still going on strong and one has 53k mile btw its the dream cruiser series 1 and the color is called inca gold
drridge1 funny i got a 2010 grand caravan and a 2001 limited PT as well! Over here in germany it is not really hard to get spares for the pt at a descent price. There was even a company called startech who offered straight dealer installed tuning and body styling kits for the pt. On the other hand my grand caravan I had to import most of the stuff I want for it
I first saw the PT at the main Chrysler complex in Detroit when they were making the full sized clay model, it was shty then and it’s still just as shty.
I've had 2 a 2005 gt turbo lost during recession job loss repo and 2002 base lost in an accident where hit ice spun into 2 different guardrails 2nd head on totaling the car only got out with scratches and bumps but scary as neither airbag deployed
The PT Cruiser looked like a modern day 1930s hot rod and pie wagon. I am a big fan of its eye-catching retro design and simple interior layout. I could just imagine a 400hp sleeper. The PT Cruiser and its closest competitor, the Chevy HHR, were those types of successful vehicles that were built during a time when there was a short-lived taste for their style before things changed. The same thing has happened with numerous other things around the world. I still see a lot of PT Cruisers around.
the 2.4 is amazing. strong/over engineered. ppl build SRT4's to 700hp and more. I know a guy...ahaha, but i do! has a 700 hp SRT4, hits 160+ mph in the 1/2 mile. embarrasses 'vette's etc. i think a bit less in a PT is in order bc of less cooling ability. PT is the best kind of car to make fast..no one expects it. insurance is cheap. Slaying Trolls is LIFE!! heheheh.
@@drewpeanutz13_82 I know! Crazy, but awesome! PLus, idk if it still holds the record wheelstand, but yup a rear mounted 440 in a PT Cruiser is the machine!
We've owned two PT's, a 2004 base model 5sp bought new, and a 2003 GT model bought used in 2015. They're wonderful cars, love the way you sit upright with great visibility, and the GT was super fast, but had been modified a little with bolt on's. Didn't like the safety numbers which I was aware of at the time, but love the car anyway. Chrysler could have gone on to sell a million more of these had they recognised they already had a winning refreshed model in the Project One car. Had they released that in 2012 they would have another fortune. Heck, they could release the Project Model One now, and it would sell like hotcakes!
i still want a 300M. had a chance at one awhile ago, but it was just too beat, lol. still flew and drove fab, tough..despite 150k hard miles from prev. owners.
I had a 02 Inrepid, like the 300m's sister car. The 2.7 could barely move itself, and the transmission was gone by 75,000 miles. My mom bought it with 27,000 miles in 2004. Passed it on to me around 2011. It was gone a year later. I was young then (18 years old) and didn't know maintenance on these cars. If I changed the transmission fluid it may still be here this day, if the 2.7 didn't nuke itself. I now own a 2001 Sebring 2.7, and a 2006 PT as of a few days ago.. I think Chrysler's may be slightly addicting.
We still have our PT cruiser touring edition 20 year old with 173000 miles. It has had its share of issues and it is getting to the point where we are starting to have issues finding replacement parts. But My wife still loves it and it will be a sad day when it has to be retired
I love them, turn them into Retro toys where I eliminate the headlights and taillights and put old school 1930s headlights from Chrysler's and 1940 Ford tail lights. All my cars have the exhaust removed except for the catalytics and I put Lake pipes on them. I buy the Smoothie wheels and then throw on a set of white wall tires and I have a retro car that's the best of both worlds looks a lot more like a 30s car now and has that vroom vroom sound. Every single one of these however, at some point blows a head gasket. I've been through several head gaskets over the years. Cooling issues are usually the culprit when either the high or low fan doesn't kick on
I've mostly purchased or leased only new vehicles off the lot. After my 2008 Toyota Sienna got sideswiped at an intersection, it was deemed totaled, and I received $4,770 to try and find a replacement vehicle from my insurance. I found a small wholesale used car lot with very good prices and was surprised and pleased to find a 2006 PT Cruiser Touring Convertible Turbo model with low miles and what I thought was in extremely good physical shape. A quick test drive (well, a 30-minute test drive on/off-highway, back roads, had my phone ringing asking if I was coming back from the test drive or not) and I recalled my words from nearly 14 years earlier when I moved into my current home "Now that I finally own a home with a garage, I can finally get that convertible that I've always wanted." I didn't have any specific convertible model in mind, but I thought I might end up with my convertible during my retirement years, and spending a lot of money on it. After returning from my test drive, and learning of the cash price of just $2600 to own this gem, and I couldn't get my debit card out fast enough! I just bought it TODAY, and thus is why I was searching around for more information on the big split of LIKE/DISLIKE for this particular car, and found this one. Thank you for the very meaningful and detailed information in this video. I feel even better about my purchase - somehow it appears that I got pretty much the best model and price for a PT Cruizer - the 2006 nice redesign, convertible option, the turbo feature which was an important fix why so many people disliked this model - because it had very poor pickup. Today was my lucky day! Thank you for presenting this information!
