Looking no further than the iconic Chrysler PT Cruiser!The Chrysler company manufactured this SUV in the Dodge Neon chassis from 2001 to 2010. Here are the engines, trim levels, redesigns and no unusual issues you should be aware of before buying a used Chrysler PT Cruiser.
All PT Cruisers sold in the United States had a 2. 4-liter 4-cylinder engine shared with the Dodge Neon. The naturally aspirated edition developed 150 horsepower, which translated into poor acceleration. This in-line four-cylinder was fixed transversely on the front axle. . Every PT Cruiser FWD.
Most PT Cruisers had a 4-speed automatic transmission. But some PT Cruisers come with a 5-speed manual gearbox. This crossover didn’t offer the most productive fuel consumption in the world: 17 MPG city/23 MPG highway (20 combined), to be exact. Searching for a manual can take this to 18 cities/24 MPG on the highway.
Chrysler brought a GT edition with a turbocharged engine for the 2003 style year. It also began offering a non-GT turbocharged car in 2004, marked with a “2. 4L Turbo” badge on the rear of the vehicle. The GT edition badge has been replaced by “2. 4L Turbo High Output”. The GT’s engine produced more than 215 horsepower.
Car and Driver tested the 2006 PT Cruiser GT’s 0-60 mph time in 6. 8 seconds. He found that the 2005 convertible edition can do only 7. 0 seconds.
For 2005, Chrysler brought a two-door convertible variant. Then, in 2006, all PT Cruisers gained a facelift aimed at a more “modern” look. Chrysler discontinued the high-efficiency convertible and turbo before the 2008 style year.
The PT Cruiser is not particularly fast or fuel efficient. But it is as reliable as most cars of its time. PT Cruisers aren’t much value either, so they can be a reasonable way to get decent transportation.
You might be surprised to learn that the humble PT Cruiser was Motor Trend’s 2001 Car of the Year. It also won the North American Car of the Year award. But in 2001, crossings weren’t as unusual as they are today. A tall, short-wheelbase SUV on a Neon platform was unknown: Chrysler’s “segment destroyer” did just that. Other automakers may have advanced this formula since then, but none have exactly the same unconventional, old-fashioned style.
Overall, the PT Cruiser is not a very unreliable or very reliable car. According to RepairPal, the most common challenge with the PT Cruiser is the failure of turn signals. The timing and third are mechanical: a faulty engine sensor that impedes the car from the start and a force guide hose challenge that required a recall.
RepairPal’s online page rated a PT Cruiser’s reliability as “above average,” giving it 3. 5 out of five stars. 158 owners reported that Chrysler recalled its PT Cruiser to redirect a force guide tube, at no charge to the owner. These figures correspond to just over one million PT Cruisers sold in the United States.
It’s vital to note that many PT Cruiser chassis are from the 1995 Chrysler Neon. This means that portions are plentiful, as are the mechanics experienced with this powertrain. The problem with this replaced generation is the poor functionality and power of the PT Cruiser. . But the merit is its low maintenance cost.
In February 2023, the online page TrueCar reports that prices for the PT Cruiser range from $2900 to $14,900. Many reliable examples are at the lower end of this spectrum. It turns out that most PT Cruiser enthusiasts have bought a new one, and the collector network hasn’t targeted them yet.
Below, find out why the Chrysler Aspen is an SUV ahead of its time or watch Doug DeMuro’s review of a used PT Cruiser GT in the video below:
Learn even more anecdotes about the PT Cruiser in this video from Donut Media: