Chrysler puts a bullet in the PT Cruiser

[the Teuton]

My mom kinda wants a PT Cruiser.

[dazzleman]

My mom kinda wants a PT Cruiser.

Your parents have sterling taste in cars......

She's about 7 years late...

[the Teuton]

Your parents have sterling taste in cars......

She's about 7 years late...

It's practical and reliable.

...and my brother would hit me every time he'd see it.

So, realistically, we're probably looking for a Civic or Subaru in a month or two.

[280Z Turbo]

Speaking of passe retro cars...did anybody know that they still make the New Beetle? That's been around for a long time.

[dazzleman]

Speaking of passe retro cars...did anybody know that they still make the New Beetle? That's been around for a long time.

I think they still make it, and it still has a tampon dispenser standard.....

[280Z Turbo]

I think they still make it, and it still has a tampon dispenser standard.....

No, but it does have a flower vase. (that's almost as bad)

[dazzleman]

No, but it does have a flower vase.

I know.  When I took my nephew to the auto show, I was giving him shit, telling him he should get a Beetle.  He said he'd have to give up his balls if he wanted to drive one.  I guess that pretty much sums it up.  He also came up with the crack about the tampon dispenser that I used before.

[the Teuton]

The Beetle RSi was pretty cool if you could get past the styling.

[dazzleman]

The Beetle RSi was pretty cool if you could get past the styling.

That actually looks like 'The Jetsons' car in that color.

[Laconian]

My mom kinda wants a PT Cruiser.

Of all the dorky cars that women lust for, that's probably one of the most sensible choices out there. There's a lot of car for the money if you don't have a problem with the exterior styling or the interior quality.

[280Z Turbo]

It used to come with the 1.8T. I wouldn't mind that one.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I think they still make it, and it still has a tampon dispenser standard.....

[ChrisV]

For the size? It was neon based, and for it's size the PT was quite roomy. Have you ridden in/driven one or just "peeked in"? Besides, it wasn't underpowered, but heavy.

The PT shared 8 bolts with the Neon. No Neon, other than the SRT4, used the 2.4 liter engine. That was sourced from the stratus. The front suspension was from the 4 cyl minivan, and the rear suspension was unique to the PT, to get a low load floor. No internal or trim parts were Neon, either.

As for roomy, yes, it was. I carried 14 full size replacement windows for the house in the back with the hatch closed. I carried 1200lbs of bagged crushed rock and it didn't settle on the suspension one bit. I carried all the lumber for our deck project, as well as the 60 gallon stand up air compressor. I carried myself, my wife, 3 kids and all our camping gear with no problem. I had no issues with interior sizing, with more than enough shoulder room and legroom at all seating positions.

[the Teuton]

So the car is better than it gets credit for?

I've never thought the PT was a bad car; just a little weirdly styled.

[ChrisV]

They're an interesting looking car, but they're chick cars and don't drive that well. 

That's about fucking stupid. I'm so tired of wannabe macho fuckers labelling things that they don't like as "chick cars." if you need your CAR to make your testosterone for you because you're not fucking manly enough to do it yourself, get that blinged out H2 and be done with it.

As for as driveability, no, they  aren't a BMW M5, but they drive pretty good, especially with the Touring edition suspension package or the GT version. My 5 speed Touring edition drove great. Comfortable for long trips (I drove from Baltimore to Orlando and back, Baltimore to Maine and back, and numerous trips to the Hartford area of CT and back (6 hours one way)). On top of that, while I knew it to be fairly nimble, I was pleasantly surprised that even with stock tires on it, it was very competitive against Minis and the like on the autocross track.



I lived with this little car for 5 years and 70k miles, and never once had a failure. No mechanical, electrical, or trim problems. Overall, it was probably the best car I've owned.

[dazzleman]

That's about fucking stupid. I'm so tired of wannabe macho fuckers labelling things that they don't like as "chick cars." if you need your CAR to make your testosterone for you because you're not fucking manly enough to do it yourself, get that blinged out H2 and be done with it.

I see I hit a nerve there.  I'm glad your experience withe car was a good one.  You can't ask for more than that.

[ChrisV]

No, but it does have a flower vase. (that's almost as bad)

The bud vase is a nod to an original Beetle accessory that is still highly sought after by VW Beetle restorers.



 

[dazzleman]

The bud vase is a nod to an original Beetle accessory that is still highly sought after by VW Beetle restorers.

The original Beetle was big during the "flower power" era.  VW, particularly the VW bus, became known somewhat as a counterculture car.  Maybe that's where the vase idea originally came from.  Car marketing was more general back then, in any case, and there wasn't such a tendency to characterize cars by the demographics of the buyers.  In any case, the vase back then probably had a very different connotation than it does in this overblown era.

My favorite VW from that era was the Karmann Ghia.

[ChrisV]

I see I hit a nerve there.  I'm glad your experience withe car was a good one.  You can't ask for more than that.

I hate the phrase as it relates to ALL cars. It's mostly used for convertibles, like Miatas, which is also patently offensive. It usually shows the speaker to be an ignorant POS who's opinion of cars is rendered irrelevant. I generally like reading your postings, which is why it pisses me off no end to see a respected person make such a glaringly stupid statement.

[ChrisV]

The original Beetle was big during the "flower power" era.  VW, particularly the VW bus, became known somewhat as a counterculture car.  Maybe that's where the vase idea originally came from.

My favorite VW from that era was the Karmann Ghia.

The vases were more popular in the '50s and early '60s (up to about '62-63) in those cars, and most of the cars you'll see with them are well before the late '60s "flower power" era.

[dazzleman]

I hate the phrase as it relates to ALL cars. It's mostly used for convertibles, like Miatas, which is also patently offensive. It usually shows the speaker to be an ignorant POS who's opinion of cars is rendered irrelevant. I generally like reading your postings, which is why it pisses me off no end to see a respected person make such a glaringly stupid statement.

Now I know what button to push if I want to piss you off......

No doubt it was a stupid statment; I make plenty of them.  That's what's great about here, as compared to my dealings at work -- I don't have to be as careful.

I was actually being a bit of a hypocrite making that statement, since I actually dislike the tendency to label every car by the demographics of its borrowers.  And here I am, contributing to the problem.  I guess you're right, but it was sort of a joke anyway, so try not to get too upset over it.

[dazzleman]

The vases were more popular in the '50s and early '60s (up to about '62-63) in those cars, and most of the cars you'll see with them are well before the late '60s "flower power" era.

Hah, I'm batting 1.000 today.....

[Tave]

Even our resident Miata owners don't seem to mind the chick stereotype and have fun joking around with it. See Hemi's signature for proof.

[the Teuton]

Miatas look like fun, reliable cars, but it must be so hard to break that stigma of it being a chick car to anyone who isn't an autocrosser.

I guess it's a lot like a station wagon like that.  Neither of the two get enough respect.

[SVT666]

I'm not sure that the PT is really a good car anymore.

The way I see it, Chrysler only has 3 decent products:

1.) Minivans
2.) The Ram
3.) The Viper

4.) Challenger

[Tave]

Miatas look like fun, reliable cars, but it must be so hard to break that stigma of it being a chick car to anyone who isn't an autocrosser.

I guess it's a lot like a station wagon like that.  Neither of the two get enough respect.

Who cares? Up to a point, it's just not worth being bothered over what other people think. Especially over something so mundane as your choice of vehicle.

[SVT666]

Now I know what button to push if I want to piss you off......

All you have to say is, "I don't like *insert car here*", and you feel the wrath of Chris.

[SVT666]

Who cares? Up to a point, it's just not worth being bothered over what other people think. Especially over something so mundane as your choice of vehicle.

If you're worried about what others think of your car, then you're buying it for the wrong reasons.

[ChrisV]

Even our resident Miata owners don't seem to mind the chick stereotype and have fun joking around with it. See Hemi's signature for proof.

No, they've just got tired of fighting the ignorance for so long that they just joke about it. but I can guarantee you that people that say it to their faces don't get treated with any sort of respect afterward.

I built and drove cars like this for years:



it gets tiring, even if all you want to do is ignore the idiots. But when someone you respect says it?

You can't change the minds of non-car people. But car guys on car boards? That shit needs to stop.

[Byteme]

The bud vase is a nod to an original Beetle accessory that is still highly sought after by VW Beetle restorers.

So the original VWs were chick cars too?