2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Review

Specifications

Not To Be Taken Lightly

Can you think of the last time something was so good that it truly surprised you? It happens occasionally in the car biz, but often enough the end product doesnt quite live up to the marketing spin.

Not so with the new PT Cruiser Convertible. When I first caught site of it in concept guise I thought it would eventually be a nice little pretender, nothing to be taken seriously but rather something merely to toss the coif while attracting a few envious eyeballs.

After a days drive through the winding roadways that surround Scottsdale, Arizona I stand corrected. This is a real enthusiasts car, with wonderful road manners and loads of power, especially in top-line GT trim.

During the walk-around, where various Chrysler execs from design, product planning, engineering, public relations and marketing demonstrated the cars attributes, I nabbed the keys to the fully-loaded 5-speed GT on display. It featured a gorgeous coat of almond metallic paint, with an interior color scheme featuring body colored dash inserts and console, plus two-tone beige and taupe leather seats.

Before even getting out on the road, I took the opportunity to check out the drop-tops rear seats. Chrysler had talked about its best in class rear legroom so I had to see for myself. Theyre not joking, I had room to spare even with the front seat pulled to its rearmost position, plus the seatback was comfortable, with ample lumbar support and plenty of shoulder and hip room.

But it was the drivers seat that most intrigued me. The GT features manual fore, aft and recline adjustment as well as power seat height. My tester included the 2-way heated front seats as well, a great option if youre in a colder clime. And dont think for a minute the bun warmers werent needed just because we were traveling through Arizona. The cushion heaters were set to high while the heat was on full blast, and even then the nip in the air forced me to put on a brave face. Fortunately the wind tunnel honed PT convertible does a good job of deflecting wind overtop the sport bar so my discomfort was kept to a minimum. The lack of wind made it easy to converse even at “slightly” higher than posted speeds too.

Like I mentioned previously, the GT will put a grin on your face under full acceleration. Under the hood is a 2.4-L turbocharged 4-cylinder delivering 220-hp and 245 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. Youd think that torque-steer would be a problem, but Chrysler has done a great job of exorcising this annoyance out of the equation even under full steam mid-corner. Drop the clutch and hammer the throttle and youll feel a little tug on the wheel, which cant be avoided, but overall its extremely controllable.

The same must be said in the handling department. The GTs standard 17-inch chrome alloy wheels wrapped with P205/50 HR17 Goodyear Eagle performance rubber join a performance-tuned suspension to make short work on tight curves, understeering when pushed to the limit, and I mean really pushed, but overall carving up twists and turns like a sports car.

But I cant comment as positively on the cars turning circle. Despite its fairly short wheelbase, the PT needs a wide berth to execute a U-turn, a problem it shares with the Neon it sources its underpinnings from. The rack and pinion power-assisted steering is easy enough to rotate mind you, and its 2.72 turns lock to lock not requiring too much effort, but youll have to get used to the back and forth jig when negotiating tight parking stalls.

Normally getting a convertible into dips, dives and hard corners immediately brings out chassis flex, the direct result of chopping a cars structural support system in half. Again Chrysler has done a wonderful job raising torsional rigidity to extreme levels, 4,693 lb-ft per degree of twist and 42,800 pounds per inch of bend to be exact, making the PT Cruiser Convertible one of the tightest ragtops Ive driven in a long time. My co-driver and I even missed our turn and continued down a graded dirt road, not the ideal road surface for 17-inch rims. We quickly turned around and made our way back up the “washboard” rutted gravel roadway and once again could hardly feel any cowl shake - impressive job Chrysler.

Structural rigidity is also important when it comes to safety, being that a stronger framework stands up to collision better than something that will immediately fold and crumble upon impact. Dual front and front-side airbags are also part of the GT package, while Chrysler does its best to enhance stopping power with the addition of 4-wheel disc brakes and ABS.

Base and Touring models dont get ABS or rear discs, but the Touring version I tested with optional ABS didnt seem to have a problem braking just the same. The base 150-hp naturally aspirated 2.4-L is also lively, as long as you dont drive the turbo first. Chrysler offers a 180-hp light-pressure turbo upgrade to the Touring model if the base engine doesnt get you going, which should be ideal for all but the most avid performance enthusiasts. The mid-level touring also gets 16-inch alloys with P205/55 R16 all-seasons for decent levels of performance.

The 5-speed Getrag manual gearbox is really smooth up and down the cogs, with reverse a simple flick of the wrist to the left and rearward. Chrysler adds one of a variety of cue-ball shift knobs on top. In automatic trim the Touring version gets a 4-speed without AutoStick manual mode, with the shift-it-yourself transmission only available in GT trim, along with traction control.

The GT also features a chrome trim package for the grille, which transforms the car from cute and fun to really flashy. All cars get power windows, mirrors, and door locks with remote access, plus air conditioning is standard. The Touring gets a standard AM/FM/CD player too, while the GT includes a multi-disc CD changer as well as a cassette. The base car mind you, only gets an AM/FM/cassette. Can you even buy cassettes anymore?

Just below the stereo is a little button for dropping the top. Before pressing it, a quick and easy pull and turn of the center mounted handle unlatches the front locks, with the top dropping in an amazing 10 seconds after that. It bundles behind the rear seats on top of the trunk area, allowing for what Chrysler states is the most commodious luggage compartment in its class at 7.4 cubic feet. Chrysler has also integrated 50/50 flat-folding rear seatbacks, ideal for toting long, awkward items.

Once the rain comes, a weather pattern I didnt expect to experience in Arizona, the top once again pops into place in 10 seconds, completed with a twist and tug on the center handle. Upon opening the door to get inside, its side windows pop down 0.4 inches to break the “seal,” just like as in premium coupes and convertibles such as BMWs 3-Series and Chryslers own Crossfire.

Such attention to detail is probably why driving with the top up, the way many Americans will experience the PT convertible for the majority of the year, is also a more serene experience than I initially expected. Its a triple-layer high-quality fabric hood, nicely finished inside and out and extremely quiet at speed.

I like the way it looks when up too. The designers raked the back window (glass by the way) aggressively, which gives the car an entirely different appearance than the 5-door PT its based on. Its lower in height too, looking longer and leaner, and resultantly sportier.

So what comes standard? The base model is an entry-level Touring without the alloy wheels (15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers on the base), fog lamps, front and rear floor mats, a security alarm system, speed (cruise) control, a convertible top boot cover, as well as a CD player (it gets a standard cassette instead).

Whats it cost? Thats the best part. Despite its list of standard features the PT Cruiser Convertible now slots in below Mazdas Miata as Americas lowest priced ragtop, an impressive value at $19,995. The brands confidence inspiring warranty is also part of the package, covering three years or 36,000 miles bumper to bumper, as well as seven years or 70,000 miles for the powertrain. Thats one of the nations longest powertrain warranties.

Just like its warranty the PT Cruiser Convertible is one practical drop-top, a word not usually associated with the genre. I was thoroughly impressed with the cars driving dynamics, in all trim levels, and appreciative of the attention to detail the automaker put into interior quality. I predict another sure winner is in the cards for Chrysler, with what is sure to become the nations most popular convertible.