Car Throttle Parting Shot: The Chrysler PT Cruiser

Welcome to the Car Throttle Parting Shot, where we take a look at a production vehicle that has been recently discontinued, and ask "Was it really that bad?" Introduced during the start of the decade, this car was originally conceived as a Plymouth model, but then elevated to a Chrysler when it became apparent that the Plymouth Brand was going to be euthanized. As one of the vehicles that ushered in Retro based styling, it caught on in a big way with the Fashionistas, The Hollywood Elite, and Car Customizers very early on, but it turned into a bad joke after a few years of production. Was it really as bad as almost everyone said it was? Let's take a Parting Shot at the Chrysler PT Cruiser.

The PT Cruiser went on sale during the Spring of 2000. The designer responsible for the retro themed wagon is Bryan Nesbitt, who reported to Chrysler's design chief Trevor Creed. The design is loosely based on historic Chrysler and Plymouth vehicles during the 30's and 40's, with "pontoon" fenders, upright grill, and it's basic silhouette. Built using the then new Neon componentry (including drive-train and floor-pan) it is a way of producing a new type of vehicle, without a great deal of investment. The PT Cruiser Team were charged to come up with a way of producing this car profitably with as little as 25,000 units produced.

While the chassis and running gear is all Neon, the engine chosen for the US was the tried and true 2.4 Liter 4 Cylinder unit used throughout the Chrysler lineup, producing 150HP, backed by a 5 Speed Manual, or 4 Speed Automatic. PT Cruisers available for outside of the US used the Neon's 2.0 Liter 140HP engine as standard equipment, with a 2.2 Liter Mercedes sourced Diesel as a desirable option. The chassis is nothing spectacular, employing independent struts up front, and a hybrid track-bar type suspension for the rear, with slightly larger brakes than the Neon's.

Demand was phenomenal for the first couple of years, as Chrysler's assembly plant in Telouca Mexico could not keep pace with demand. Dealers were swamped with orders, and there were waiting lists for certain models and colors. Dealer markup's were not uncommon. It was one of the most successful car launches in Chrysler's history. A second assembly plant was quickly set up for the European market, in Graz Austria.

Major changes to the venerable PT Cruiser were few and far between. A more powerful Turbocharged engine was introduced in 2003 with 215HP on tap (there were two Turbocharged engines available for a few years), and there were the venerable special editions, each one introduced before the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise for a particular year. In 2005, a Convertible version was introduced, and not as well received as the original wagon. The final refresh happened during the 2006 model year with a couple of minor cosmetic changes to the outside, and a revamp of the instrument cluster inside. Otherwise, during it's nearly decade long run, it remained practically the same.

According to Chrysler, they produced nearly 1.4 million PT Cruisers. Remember, this car was given the green light after the team of planners, engineers, and designers concluded that a profit can be made with a production of 25,000 per year. For the 2009 Model Year, Chrysler moved over 50,000 units, according to Autoblog. Even with the ever increasing rebates, these cars made money for the company, right up to the end.

So, how did these cars go from hot selling media darling to the butt of jokes within a period of a decade? For one, they were never really improved over their life span. They started with economy car furnishings, with a few unique features, and never changed. There was no room for a proper V-6, which would have alleviated the lack of power (at least in the base version). The demographics of the people who bought these cars were growing older, as the average age of a PT Cruiser Buyer started moving upward as the car itself aged. And, there was increased competition, in the form of the Honda Element, Scion xB, and even GM's answer to the PT Cruiser, the Chevrolet HHR (designed by none other than Bryan Nesbitt). To compound the deficiencies further, the PT Cruiser never did as well in fuel economy as the competitors, lacked important safety features (like side curtain airbags), and reliability ratings began to suffer.

The Chrysler PT Cruiser is many things. It's a different design paradigm at the beginning of this century that set the tone for Retro Styling. It's relatively inexpensive to purchase and maintain, along with being quite utilitarian because of it's wagon form. And it helped Chrysler produce more profitable trucks because this vehicle is classified as a truck for CAFE purposes, maintaining their fleet average high enough, so as to not incur any penalties. However, it's handling is appalling, it's turning radius is absurd, and the ergonomics within the cabin is nothing less than haphazard. The PT Cruiser was a good idea, that overstayed it's welcome. And that's my Parting Shot.