Chrysler PT Cruiser (2005 and earlier)

fndlyfmrflyr

What does it get for its birthday? Maybe a nice cruise? Mine will be about 18 months old soon.

Giving mine a nice cruise to the local auto show next Saturday. Should be about 40-50 PTs. Made quite a show last year when were lined up, parked, in front of the show.

charlesf1

Susanz,
There must be a club somewhere where you live in the USA>

fbrussee

Didn't mean to violate the rules by linking to my car for sale here. Anyway, only meant to add that the mods I made really helped the car....dual exhaust (Borla), lowering, five spoke Mopar wheels, shorty antenna, relocated license plate, etc. A lot cheaper than upgrading to the turbo GT, almost as fast, handles better and still looks better than any new one I've seen. But, after my third Cruiser, it's time to move on...again, sorry for the deleted post with the link, it was late for me and I didn't read the rules. BTW, I paid invoice for mine about a year ago, then put another $3k into it just 'playing'. Back to the little ones now, lots cheaper to buy and sell!

fndlyfmrflyr

Does anyone know of a better picture of the new 2005 PT front end than the one in the Feb issue of Popular Mechanics?

uga91

Where did everybody go?

Anyway, I am looking at a base 2004 PT. It has automatic transmission and the power convenience group and that's about it. The sticker is about $19,610. Edmunds says it's TMV after rebate should be $15,471. Well, my dealer is offering it for $13,998. It is a new car. It had 10 miles on it before I test drove it. Can anyone think of a reason why they would be selling it so low? It was not a "just one at this price" model, either. They advertised 10 at that price and I saw a couple of them. Thanks.

fndlyfmrflyr

Last year my dealer was advertising $4k off sticker. Add rebates to that and you can see your price. It has become common to see PT prices much lower than sticker. On top of the the big rebates, dealers sell near invoice at the same time.

Enjoy your PT. Fun, practical, and usually assembled very well.

uga91

My mother-in-law is on her 2nd one now. She had a 2001 Touring Edition and now she has a new GT. She loves them and so do my kids. That's a big reason why we are looking at it. Plus, it's at the dealership where we bought our last 2 vans and we like the dealership as well.

boaz47

Close to two years now and I am still pretty impressed. When we decided to sell the Mazda pickup, my wife never drove it anyway, we looked at getting a second one. I lowered mine, added a cold air, and cat back exhaust. I however manage to get 24 to 25 MPG average and that considering that I drive up and down a 5000 foot climb every day. Maybe it is the manual? However we looked at a Prius and a Honda Insight. My wife simply wouldn't be caught out in the Insight. She liked the idea but not the execution of the design. The Prius was worth looking at so I talked into taking a look. Her best friend got a Mazda P-5 and considering the twisting climb she makes every day it seems like a pretty good choice. Long story short, one test driving trying to keep up with the P-5 and the Prius was history. More money and hard tires just didn't cut it. She now has a ZTS and runs that mountain pretty hard. She still gets better than 30MPG so it was an improvement over the Mazda B series. So now we have my car for looks and hers for short trips in the mountains.

moondawg

Maybe it's just me.I've noticed huge resale losses on Cruisers.I love the look and how ppl are generally happy with their vehicles.I'm considering it also.
 So,what gives?Why are PTs tossed,seemingly,to the wind?
 Should I wait and see,or say,the heck with it,and go for it?

fndlyfmrflyr

PTs frequently have large rebates and it is not uncommon to see them sold close to invoice too. However, don't expect a PT to hold value like some other cars.

I usually keep cars long enough that the difference in resale between brands or models is not a purchase factor. If you only keep a car for a few years there are other cars that will retain a higher percentage of their value.

boaz47

value compared to what? That is the point. At one time, when the were harder to get, dealers we getting way above MSRP and at least MSRP for every one they sold. Once they had enough of them in the pipeline however they were discounted to a degree that made them more affordable than many regular sedans. You can get a PT for less than a Neon at many dealers. And the PT has more room and tends to be a bit more practical. That and the fact that Chrysler was selling about 150,000 pts a year in 2002 you are coming up on the traditional trade in time for many cars. Two to three years is a pretty good average for many people. I plan on keeping mine till the fenders wear off from washing but even I would be tempted with one of the new Convertibles and the right offer. It would just be hard to think of all the money I spent on bumper kits, lowering spring kits, pin striping, intake and exhaust, something I could keep I suppose. But with the massive discounts everyone is offering on new cars the used car market must be getting hit pretty hard. Imagine if you bought a Mitsubishi in late 2002 or early 2003. Zero down, zero interest and zero payments for 36 months, I believe that was the add campaign? What could the resale be on one of those cars?

norrmanndo

I just purchased a PT Cruiser (GT). I've been been impressed with the retro styling since I first saw one in a magazine in 2000? I'm just curious as to why most young drivers don't dig the retro style. My peers usually say, "I love PT cruisers. My mother has one and it has a lot of room." Or "the black ones look like little hearses." I'm 41 yrs old. and most of the drivers I see appear to be 40-60. Any comments about age? My co-worker's 16 year old son loves them. A lot of the kids who still wear the style of having their pants falling off don't seem to like them (guessing ages 18-25), but then again, I don't care for their tastes anyway.

fndlyfmrflyr

I think you hit it when you said retro style. Retro to when? When the 50-60 crowd was young. The style was what attracted us. The utility and fun to drive sold us. My 17 year old doesn't like what it looks like and doesn't want to use it, but likes the way it drives (except for the huge turning circle).

vinceburlapp

I just would like to know if there are any chances to see the 2005 PTs (Non convertible) before September.
The convertible is already a 2005, and the 2005 Pacifica is out.
I am asking because I like the new light grey interior color available in the Convertible(2005). Just want to know if this color will be availble in the regular Cruiser.
The Convertible is too expensive, and shakes way too much...
Thanks

fndlyfmrflyr

In prior years the new models arrived in July, so the dealers could already have 2005 information or probably will soon. The new body style for the Cruiser (2006 model?) has already appeared in a magazine so it may be a short 2005 model year. If so, DC may not want to change much unless it will also be used in the new body style.

norrmanndo

I know there was a PT boat (propeller and torpedo) in world war II (think JFK was on one).

crkeehn

was on, stood for Patrol Torpedo.

The car is Personal Transportation.

edh

Limited model.
No head room -seat all the way down I am 5 11 and the sunroof is about 1 inch from my head and the overhear door assist handle is about 1 1/2 inches from my left side of my skull. A side air bag will not help me in a side wreck.
dealer said would sell at invoice and take off $4000.
Computer is in the engine compartment right over the back of the engine where it will be well baked by heat i bet.

illini4

No reported problems of computer being baked by heat or otherwise failing. I'm 5'9" and have a Touring without sunroof, and there is lots of headroom (at least 6"). Never paid any attention to clearance on the side, but it isn't noticably different from my 300M. Doesn't sound like you really want a Cruiser, but I can tell you we like ours very much.

edh

I was comparing it to the Honda element which seems to have a lot more room.

Most sunroofs cut head clearance and that was the deal breaker for me.

norrmanndo

The PT seats are unusual. They sit higher off the floor than most and you generally sit more upright. I'm 6'1" and the seats are good for me, but I have a short body and long legs. My friend who is 6'5" always pulls the seat forward until it's almost uncomfortable and then reclines the seat back. This seams odd to me, but could work for you. It may just be too uncomfortable for you, but you can pick up some head room by reclining more. Good luck on your choice.

edh

I am 5 11 but have short legs so I wind us sitting higher and i do not like to recline the seat.
The hard objects in the overhead mainly the grab handle are too close to my small brain for me.

Putting engine electronics over the engine seems dumb to me when they should be inside. maybe I misunderstood the salesman but he showed me a big box right above the engine and on the firewall.

fndlyfmrflyr

Interesting that what sold was the high seating and lots of head room that helps make the Cruiser so easy to enter and exit. I'm long torso and usually find many cars lacking in head room. I can wear a hat in the Cruiser.

With so many sensors in hot areas car electronics have to be designed to withstand high temperatures. I agree that it seems putting electronics controls under the hood to be less than ideal, but I have not heard of problems caused by this on Cruisers or any other car.

vinceburlapp

Is just of e "test mule" for the next generation. NOT a new front end design.
What they did, is put a new front end on the current body for cooling tests.The next PT won't look like that at all. And they are not redesigning the front end of the current model.
Chrysler said the new one (based on the Mitsubishi Lancer platform) will be a 2007 or 2008 model year. That means it'll be for sale mid 2006 at the earliest...

norrmanndo

I don't doubt that you have a problem with head room, but I got in my car today and looked. I have a good 6" of room over my head and don't get anywhere near the handle above the door unless I have the seat sloping forward and I'm 6'1". The PT has great headroom compared to other vehicles.

edh

the car I drove was a sunroof model (they have less headroom room) , I also have a long torso, and : there wern't no room like 6 inches , maybe 1 or 1 1/2.
I also had the seat down (power seat in Limited)

markcincinnati

And will it also be mated with the turbo engine?

If yes, when?

Thanks.

fndlyfmrflyr

Rumor has it fwd will be available when the new body becomes available in a year or less. I'd guess fwd will be available with the more powerful engines. Fwd will probably hurt the already low turbo mpg.

markcincinnati

. . . that PT's were already front wheel drive (fwd), my question was will they be all wheel drive.
Sorry.

It would seem to me that a turbo version with AWD would pretty much round out the line. It seems to me the thing was designed to make AWD an engineering breeze!

fndlyfmrflyr

Sorry about the slip. AWD is supposed to be an option. I was thinking Four Wheel Drive.

I'd like to see a rear drive version and an extra gear in the transmission for greater freeway economy. Our GT easily over powers the front tires, making steering interesting at times.

cigarman

I have owned my 2003 Cruiser for 6 months. Yesterday I had the car exterior detailed revealing lots of chipping paint right down to the primer and also, most disturbing,small areas of paint bubbling up!

This is evident on the hood, headlight area, and roof. I believe, as well as the detailing shop who also does body/paint work, that the car's original paint job is defective. Has anyone else noticed premature paint chipping or flaws?? Is this a known issue with Chryslers?

fndlyfmrflyr

Have an 03 GT and I noticed the paint seems quite thin and chip prone. My Cruiser is black and I don't know if this is a common problem with other colors. I had more chips on the hood in the first 5000 miles than my other cars had in over 80,000 combined miles.

The white primer shows at every chip and the paint is so thin that it is very hard to get a good touch-up. The rest of the car is fine, including the bumper and the front of the front fenders. The windshield has taken a beating too.

For some reason the excessive chipping slowed considerably after 5000 miles.

cigarman

Yes, mine is black also and I could not believe in the 10,000 miles I have on it the amount of chips on the front hood, fenders,etc. Like I indicated, all the small bubbles I see, if I pick at them softly with my fingernail, it comes right off, right down to the primer! I am really dissapointed in the paint quality, it does seem absurdly thin. I too had cars with 100,000 miles that still looked like new. ie. my last two Saabs!!

I am going to the dealer today to begin the process, I don't want the car re-painted, never will be the same as factory paint, although this factory paint is awful, but maybe a new replacement would change my mind?

cigarman

Are their any other owners of PT's with colors other than black who have noticed VERY thin paint of premature chipping or bubbling-flaking?

fndlyfmrflyr

In the case of our PTs a repaint would most likely be better than the factory paint. I've seen and had repair jobs that have been outstanding with paint that held up exceptionally well and matched perfectly for as long as I owned the car.

I am planning on getting my PT's hood repainted later this year.

Have no bubbles, but did have a couple of 'dust' particles in the paint. The car has had four parking lot dents on the sides without paint damage. Two were two to three inches across and one was about three inches long vertically. The other one was a typical little ding. Paintless dent repair made the sides perfect again, so I suspect the paint on the sides is fine.

In my case it appears that it is just the hood that is thin and chip prone, though I notice the rest of the car is very easy to surface scratch.

crkeehn

Pt's have been prone to paint chipping, the 2001's seemed to have a problem, I'm not sure that the 2002s are as bad. Certainly my wifes and mine (Inferno Red and Steel Blue) don't have any more chipping than one would expect for the amount of use/age. I believe that the blacks were more prone, why I don't know. If you are having problems with bubbling, that goes beyond thin or brittle paint, you are talking about a defect. Talking to the dealer is the right solution.

cruznomore

I've had a very different experience with my 2001 Limited Edition. I bought the PT used. It had all of the bells and whistles, including custom leather seats. We loved driving the car. Took it all over the country. A little underpowered, but that's to be expected. Gas mileage was nothing to write home about. Had lots of room. Took my son to college and all of his "things" including his 10-speed bike. Now the bad. From day one we had problems with noisy brakes. We had a major brake job every year with little improvement. Just before we traded it in, we convinced the general manager of the dealer who sold us the car to do another brake job. Finally, the noise was gone. After we had the car for 6 months, the dealer told us that it needed a brake job and that the car needed new rotors on the front because the current rotors had been "turned down" too many times. We had not done any brake work before that. When we bought the car, we were assured that there were no brake problems. On the way back from my mother-in-laws funeral, the power steering went out. Fortunately, we were able to limp back home. When we took it to the dealer, it turns out that he replaced the power steering pump, the rack and pinion, and fixed cracked motor mounts! This is a car that had been clean with Carfax and had only 21,000 miles. Then the turn signal switch shorted and had to be replaced and the battery along with that. Then the electrical system gave us problems by quitting in the middle of a long drive. Turns out a wire was severed because of misplacement. Then there was the occasion when we were returning from Georgia, stopped to get gas and could not restart the car. It was a Friday night, so no service station was open. $500 later we had the problem diagnosed: bad battery. The battery was only 2 years old! When we went to trade it in, we found out that there is very high depreciation for that car. We bought the car used for $17K, got $8K in trade. Also, the insurance is a lot higher than for the compact SUV's like the Honda CR-V. Edmunds shows the PT to have high depreciation and high operation costs. Believe it! You'll never get the advertised gas mileage. To paraphrase: "Great car to drive, but wouldn't want to own one." My advice is go buy a Honda, Lexus, or Toyota.

fndlyfmrflyr

Most PTs are very reliable and most people have few, if any, problems with them. Every manufacturer produces cars that are problem prone (lemons), especially during the first model year of a car.

I've never had a car that met the EPA mpg numbers. These numbers are good to show how one car compares to another, but not for real world mpg. Certainly agree that Cruisers are not mpg champs, they are heavy for their size and don't get economy car mpg, but they they aren't worse compared to the EPA numbers than other brands.

Referring to post 809, I have a Toyota and a Honda along with my Cruiser. All three cars average about what the EPA 'city' mpg number is and all three usually get a couple of mpg less than the EPA highway mpg number when on extended freeway driving.

My Cruiser was assembled better than the Toyota (Avalon) and the Honda (Acura MDX) with no rattles and no reason to go back to the dealer for repairs. By comparison, both the Toyota and the Honda rattled and both needed a few visits to the dealer to fix assembly problems. The transmission on the Avalon needed repair at 30K miles and the brakes gave problems. Windows stick shut too. My Honda product, the MDX, still rattles, has had engine and transmission recalls, has rear brake problems, and a third row seat that won't stay flat when stowed. Honda is in the midst of a big transmission problem, with nearly 2 million cars involved during the last five model years. Toyota had problems a couple of years ago with oil gelling in some of their engines (so did Mercedes).

The point is that no manufacturer is immune to problem cars, and that a bad experience with one particular car doesn't mean all, or even a majority, of that make and model are bad.

I do agree with post 809 that both Honda and Toyota sell cars that give better mpg than a Cruiser. With today's high gasoline prices it is understandable that mpg receives a higher priority than it did a few years ago. A couple of years ago I didn't care much about mpg. Utility, comfort, performance, and fun to drive were more important. Our PT GT blew the doors off all of the Hondas and Toyotas we looked at. Today, mpg would be number one on my list and a Cruiser, unless the Euro Turbo Diesel becomes available here, would not be on the list.

norrmanndo

I'm not a die hard fan of any vehicle make and have driven Toyota (2), Honda (1), Subaru (1), Mazda (2), Pontiac/GMC (1), and Chrysler (2) in the last 20 years. Of the 90s or later models my Toyota Corolla probably needed the most repairs (the alignment went out every 6 months), but in general they weren't as expensive as the Mazda 626 repairs. My two 80s vehicles (Subaru and Chrysler) were terrible and I think they have both improved their reliability since then. I don't buy Toyotas anymore because I think they are over priced. My father-in-laws Avalon has a lot of interior stuff falling apart, but it's quiet and smooth. My old Corolla was always rattling. My 2003 PT GT still has low miles so it's not a good comparison yet (no problems so far).
I want to thank fndlyfmrflyr when he posted that the mileage will improve after the engine is broken in. The first time I looked at my mileage it was 15 mpg city. This includes a lot of idling in bumper to bumper traffic and a heavy foot. I was bothered, but the next time I got 19 mpg city which is close to the EPA estimate (21 city). Given the traffic patterns where I live, I don't expect to do any better. I always try to get manual transmission and know how to use it, so sometimes I have beaten EPA estimates (in my old Corolla). For example, I always coast towards a red light, and if I have the air conditioner on, I always shift down to slow down (make the alternator put out more power even if no extra fuel is going in). I also give myself a little more stopping distance than most drivers so I'm not always slamming on my brakes.

crkeehn

I have been pleasantly surprised, that my 2002 5 speed is the first car I have ever owned that not only will match, but has exceeded the EPA mileage estimates. In 2002, the car was rated 21 mpg city/29 mpg highway. On a trip last summer to NC, the car averaged 30 mpg, recently on a shorter trip which involved some urban driving along with the highway driving, I was averaging 28-29 mpg. For a heavy car with the frontal area of a brick I can't complain.

fndlyfmrflyr

At least it is a curved brick.

I wonder if the different gasoline formulas make much of difference in mpg. Around here we have oxygenated gasoline.

crkeehn

We have had Oxygenated gas in this area for a number of years. The Baltington (Baltimore/Washington) area has been cited for poor air quality forever. We just blame it on the tourists passing through :-D

jvk104

Has anybody replace wheels on their car

frenchcar

Have any of you figured out a way to improve the gas mileage on your Cruiser??

fndlyfmrflyr

Coast. Kidding aside, Cruisers are somewhat heavy for their size. This hurts stop and go mpg. The retro style results in a lot of air drag at speed, also hurting economy.

The Euro turbo diesel does a lot better in the economy end than the gasoline engine models we have here.

The EPA numbers aren't that much worse than a lot of other cars one thinks of as being fuel efficient. I can report, based on our GT, that mpg does increase over time - at least for the first 15,000 miles. Still not great, but close to the EPA numbers.

Notes: Some tires roll easier than others = better mpg. A dirty engine air filter hurts mpg. Low tire pressures hurt mpg. PTs don't come with platinum spark plugs so PTs require a plug change every 25K miles or so to maintain peak mpg. Driving with the windows open at freeway speeds uses more fuel than using the A/C (air drag). Don't carry extra stuff in the car. Added weight costs mpg. Use the correct gasoline. In cars that require or suggest premium (like my PT GT) using lower octane gasoline results in lower mpg - In my test on one of my cars the result using regular instead of premium was not only a loss in mpg, but a higher per mile fuel cost.

msu1

My 2001 blue PT has a lot of chipping on the front. The MPG is OK,24mpg overall. I had a ford T-bird that got 30 mpg on the highway. I did have
some of my sensor replaced under warranty. but the yellow engine still comes on when the fuel tank gets below a 1/3 tank.
MSU

boaz47

been getting 24 MPG average just about from the beginning but I have a manual. The Cold air intake and improved exhaust hasn't hurt or helped much in fuel mileage I don't think but just putting the cold air on my friends automatic has saved her 1 to 2 MPG over the last few months.

For the manual you have to stay under 3000 rpm when you shift to get good mileage. Shifting at 4000 just eats more gas even if it does make a cat back sound pretty good.

Paint chips are a fact of life for a car with a wide flat hood with a lip. I keep a bottle of touch up and some rubbing compound and have been able to fight them off for almost two years now. If all else fails try a good quality bra. I would take it off when going to club meets but for daily driving they work pretty well.

About the post on head room? I have never met anyone that said the PT was short of head room. I can't remember any other car in its class having much more. Maybe in inch or two but I am not sure. All I know is that I have had several people over six feet tall tell me it has plenty of room.

frenchcar

I didnt know the 05 models were out yet but here in Tucson one of the Chrysler dealers had a big ad this morning and said they had 6 of the 2005 Base models with 5 speed for sale at $12,380 with $6000 in discounts off the $18,380 List. WOW, this shocks me so early in the model year. They have many others at much higher prices and smaller discounts. I wonder if these 6 have miles on them as last year they had a bunch at cheap prices that had been used slightly at a big Golf Tournament. Any one else seen anything similar to this?

boaz47

Several dealerships in our area, Southern California, have adds very much like you have shared with us. The base model with steel wheels and hub caps has been running about 15k out the door for some time. The new PT Convertible is the draw right now but anyone interested in a New Base PT is in real luck. A large dealership should be able to get someone into a PT for about 14k for a base model to 26k For a loaded turbo Convertible and everything in between.

georgia00

I was looking at buying a PT Cruiser about one month ago. I also checked out the engine since I had heard a lot of people say the engine space was cramped. Can someone tell me why there is so much black tape holding the various wires/cables together? I have owned Toyotas and Mazdas but have never noticed anything like this on their engines. Is this a trademark of Chrysler -- using the black electrical tape on the engine wires?