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Say goodbye to the PT Cruiser...

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Old 01-19-09, 04:51 AM
  #16  
CBG
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Good riddence to the PT Cruiser. That thing was right up there in looks with the AMC Pacer(remember that thing)LOL.
And the PT Cruiser was the biggest piece of junk mechanicly speaking also. My uncle bought one of them brand new in 06 and his Cruiser was at the dealer shop 8 or 9 times in the first year he owned it for many different breakdowns. After the first year he traded it for a Kia. He said it was the worst vehicle by far he has ever owned.
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Old 01-19-09, 05:06 AM
  #17  
mmarshall
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Originally Posted by CBG
Good riddence to the PT Cruiser. That thing was right up there in looks with the AMC Pacer(remember that thing)LOL.
Well, it wasn't supposed to look like a modern car, despite the fact that it has modern headlights, bumpers, etc....

The whole idea of the PT Cruiser, like the Chevrolet HHR, Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger, is to do a somewhat retro design....in this case, like the gangster era of the late 1930's.



And the PT Cruiser was the biggest piece of junk mechanicly speaking also. My uncle bought one of them brand new in 06 and his Cruiser was at the dealer shop 8 or 9 times in the first year he owned it for many different breakdowns. After the first year he traded it for a Kia. He said it was the worst vehicle by far he has ever owned.
The reason it is unreliable is, like I pointed out in a previous post, the fact that it is done on the Dodge Neon platform...which was also an unreliable car.

Interestingly enugh, though, the PT Cruiser, for reasons unknown, was better-than-average in reliability for its first few years (while the Neon has always been unreliable), then declined afterward to a reliability level more consistant with the Neon.

Last edited by mmarshall; 01-19-09 at 05:48 AM.
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Old 01-19-09, 05:43 AM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by mmarshall
Well, it wasn't supposed to look like a modern car, despite the fact that it has modern headlights, bumpers, etc....

The whole idea of the PT Cruiser, like the Chevrolet HHR, Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger, is to do a somewhat retro design....in this case, like the gangster era of the late 1930's.





The reason it is uneliable is, like I pointed out in a previous post, the fact that it is done on the Dodge Neon platform...which was also an unrelicabe car.

Interestingly enugh, though, the PT Cruiser, for reasons unknown, was better-than-average in reliability for its first few years (while the Neon has always been unreliable), then declined afterward to a reliability level more consistant with the Neon.
I had one as a company car the 1st year they came out (2000 or so), and never had a problem in 2+ years. Mine was made in Mexico. At first it was kind of fun and diffferent and could haul a lot when needed. As mentioned, it was heavy, didn't handle very well, underpowered and the gas mileage wasn't good. They appealed to an older crowd becasue of the retro look. Not a great car by any means, but it did well for Chrysler for a while
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Old 01-19-09, 07:34 AM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by mmarshall
That's because it was based, mechanically, on the Dodge Neon, which was unreliable and rather poorly-built.
Yes, nothing like a crude/coarse/underpowered 4 cylinder engine to make a miserable driving experience.
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Old 01-19-09, 09:27 AM
  #20  
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It's too bad that Chrysler didn't come up with a second gen model of this vehicle. Not that I'm a fan of the PT Cruiser, but if a second gen model could have sold as strong as when the first gen came out, I think it could of helped out Chrysler immensely. Poor decisions like this, in addition to poor product design (like the current model Sebring) are what are contributing to the demise of one of the big three.
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Old 01-19-09, 12:32 PM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by IS-SV
Yes, nothing like a crude/coarse/underpowered 4 cylinder engine to make a miserable driving experience.
It did have a turbo 4 option, like some Neon pocket-rockets, but with (as you note) the typical crudeness/lack of refinement that mark a lot of Chrysler-designed engines.
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Old 01-19-09, 12:59 PM
  #22  
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Good riddance... I threw up in my mouth the first time I've seen it and I've been confused why people like them....
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Old 01-19-09, 01:13 PM
  #23  
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I never understood why they didnt event attempt to refresh the styling and perhaps sell more. Duh.
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Old 01-19-09, 04:07 PM
  #24  
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Love them or hate them, but a PT crusier turbo is a great sleeper, having the same 2.4l turbo engine as the neon srt-4, and can be upgradded the same way. In stock form not the pretiest car, but when modded right, think 1930s hotrod, with custom paint etc.. they can look good. Also PT's are really popular with audio competations, you can fit all kinds of equiment, including big subwoofers very eaisily. It wil be remembered as a unique car.
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Old 01-19-09, 04:25 PM
  #25  
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turbo or not...the car was just ugly
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Old 01-19-09, 05:30 PM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by G2low
turbo or not...the car was just ugly
"Ugliness", of course, is a relative and subjective term. For example, I don't think its late-1930's styling is as ugly as some of the vehicles in production (or other recent vehicles) today. The first-generation Scion xB, Pontiac Aztek, first-generation Subaru Tribeca, Mitsubishi Endeavor, and second-generation Lexus SC430 (sorry, Andrew....that was not a stab at you personally ), and the new Audi and Acura grilles are what I would consider unattractive.
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Old 06-29-10, 12:29 PM
  #27  
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Default PT cruiser production ends. Move over PT ....hello Fiat 500

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/29/r...bly-line-on-j/


Chrysler's long-lived PT Cruiser will finally roll off into the sunset next month after a decade in production. According to the Detroit Free Press, when the 2010 model year winds down at Chrysler's Toluca, Mexico plant on July 9, the final Cruisers will be produced. The retro-styled five door hatchback was a sensation when it debuted and inspired customers to pay a premium over the sticker price to get one. Over the years, the styling was tweaked only slightly its competitiveness declined significantly as DaimlerChrysler steadfastly refused to invest in it.

The Cruiser was originally earmarked for discontinuation a year ago, but when Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy, it needed product, so the automaker kept it alive for another 12 months. The Toluca factory will now be re-tooled for production of another retro-design small car, the Fiat 500 which joins the Chrysler lineup later this year.
Attached Thumbnails Say goodbye to the PT Cruiser...-ptcruiser-03_opt.jpg  
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Old 06-29-10, 12:30 PM
  #28  
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oh thank goodness this thing's going to stop being made.
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Old 06-29-10, 12:50 PM
  #29  
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The sooner the better with the PT.
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Old 06-29-10, 01:08 PM
  #30  
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PT was always meh.


Fiat should give the replacement some interest.
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