Chrysler PT Cruiser Prices Paid and Buying Experience

pjreporter

Reporter for a major business daily seeks drivers of the PT Cruiser ASAP, to share your experiences with the car and possibly mention your name in the weekly auto feature that I write. Please email me at lori_f@eudoramail.com

music287

Here's a trick we accidently stumbled on. Maybe you can use it to get our deal: $86 over invoice plus sales tax, the unavoidable advertising fees and license fees minus the $2500 rebate. We've bought two other Chrysler products from a small, local dealer we like. They immediately told us: "$200 over invoice." We drove our 2002 T&C minivan to another Chrysler dealer and, when the salesman walked out to the lot to greet us, he must have seen where we bought the van. He, without any dickering offered $100 over invoice plus $14 off on the Inferno Red color option. When we went back to our preferred dealer he matched the price, happily I might add. Remember: the car salesman is NOT your friend. He is in business to sell cars at the highest price!
Let me know if this works for anyone else.

Jay
2003 PTCruiser LE due in two weeks!

music287

If you follow the links at Chrysler.com and state that you are buying a PT within 10 days, an additional $1000 rebate pops up...for a total of $3500!

Jay

dtc3

Jay--

I've been to 2 Chrysler dealers today and have been disappointed 2 times.
They have never heard of this extra rebate and I can't find it either. Do you have some magic trick for finding it? I'd appreciate some help.

Thanks--dtc3

music287

My dealer, bless his heart, found out about it and followed up for me. (He apparently felt bad that our ordered car took almost 8 weeks to get to him.) I then got a coupon in the mail and brought it to the dealer when we took delivery and paid for the car last week.
I wonder if it was local (NE Ohio) or if it expired...I'd be a little more aggressive for the extra bucks if I were you! Call your district supervisor!

Jay

vocus

I work for Chrysler, so I got a small discount. I ended up paying $22,045 for an 03 PT Limited with every option but the 6CD changer. I got the 100K warranty and GAP insurance, and walked out with 1.9% for 72 months and a total of $25,725 including sales tax.

charlesf1

I bought a inferno red 2004 Turbo GT at Ontario (CA) Jeep Chrysler 8/10 for 24,500. The optional equipment was inferno red -$200-, preferrede paackage 2CR -$150-, auto stick -$290-, (deatination charges were -$590-. I did all the dealings on the internet and phone and then just walked in and bought it.

charlesf1

I bought a inferno red 2004 Turbo GT at Ontario (CA) Jeep Chrysler 8/10 for 24,500. The optional equipment was inferno red -$200-, preferred package 2CR -$150-, auto stick -$290-, (destination charges were -$590-. I did all the dealings on the internet and phone and then just walked in and bought it.

charlesf1

I bought a inferno red 2004 Turbo GT at Ontario (CA) Jeep Chrysler 8/10 for 24,500. The optional equipment was inferno red -$200-, preferred package 2CR -$150-, auto stick -$290-, (destination charges were -$590-. I did all the dealings on the internet and phone with the fleet manager, and then just walked in and bought it.

uga91

Helped my mother-in-law trade her 2002 Touring Edition for an Inferno Red 2004 PT Cruiser GT this afternoon. With rebates, she paid about $2500 less than sticker and got the trade in value for her car that both edmunds.com and Terry from "Real world trade-in values" said it was worth--$12k.

fndlyfmrflyr

Wow, an 01 with only 3800 miles! Must be like new. Enjoy your PT. Revel has been easy to deal with and fast when ordering by mail.

daolette

Just got a 2001 LTD with 3,800 miles on Halloween.
Negotiated price down to $12,900 from sticker price of $15,900. LOVE this car. It is very nimble. I work with a guy who paid $22,000 for one of the first to arrive in Memphis. He is excited that I got such a deal, but concerned about his cars depreciation. He loves his too.
I saw mine on autotrader and was shocked that it was still on the lot when I got there. I am driving to Revel Enterprises in Paris TN Friday to get some goodies for the PT. Any info on cold air intakes is much appreciated

vocus

Congrats on your car purchase. Sounds like you got a great deal, especially with such low miles on the car.

Deprectiation is definitely a factor that I was thinking about as well. I checked out cars.com for used car prices there, and it seems the car does take a nice hit (as does any car) initially, but it more or less evens out as the car ages.

I usually trade cars every 2 years or less, but I got a really good deal so I think I'll hold on to this one for a little longer than that. I also really like the way it drives and it's been trouble-free so far for 10K miles (something I couldn't say about the VW that the PT replaced). Hopefully all will be well with it.

norrmanndo

We purchased it for $21,500 for about $5K under MSRP and only $500 under TMV (since I forgot to take out the destination charge before settling on a price. they always add that to their quote) I was trying to get $1,000 under TMV since it was an '03 hanging around in '04 (March '04, 14 miles, they still had a few '03s). The salesman misquoted the cost of the chrome package that had been added later by the dealer for a different buyer who ended up not taking it. I'm still thinking about putting it down on the survey that I haven't taken yet. He said it was worth $1,400 , but Edmunds said $400 when I looked later. I would pay about $400 max, but since he threw it in I guess it doesn't really matter, but it did help clinch the deal since it brought the price down to the amount I wanted under TMV. It's manual, leather, side air bags, sun-roof, H.O. turbo, 6- CD changer, etc. I'll probably save a little in property tax (Virginia taxes your cars each year -percentage of blue book) since I bought a model from the previous year. It's been a great car so far.

howard2dot0

I never post a message to tell people about my buying experience at a dealer; however, something unbelievable happened to me today that compelled me to post this message.
Friday night, I bought a 05 light almond Cruiser convertible Base model for $18850 before $1500 rebate. It has no options. The people there really made an effort to earn my business despite my aggressive bargaining. Today (3 days later) I got a call from their Finance Manager that if I stopped by, they would add additional $500 rebate that went into effect on Saturday to the $1500 rebate I already recieved. I could not believe what I was hearing. When I showed up 10 minutes later, he had a new contract drawn up with the additional $500 savings w/o any catch. I have never heard of a dealer doing that before. As a result, they made a loyal life-time customer and an enthusiastic PR man out of me. For anyone interested, the dealer is Goodson Chrysler on I-45 North in Houston, TX.

charlotte7

Chrysler is currently offering a 2k incentive on PT Cruisers. Is this going to expire on 31 March, or keep going for a bit? I can't seem to find the answer on Chrysler's Web site.

here4thekids

Hi all. I have been shopping around for an 05' PT Cruiser Touring ed. I have found one that I like and would love to buy it but the dealer has been a real ahole. If is a brand new black Touring Ed. that has automatic transmission, tints, and a lighting package. The MSRP is $17,730 after everything. I have a cousin who sells cars who told me what to do and ask for when I negotiate.

First thing I did was ask for THEIR invoice price, not the invoice price that the Chrysler manufacturer suggests which is the invoice price most people see. Initially he was shocked and surprised to say the least, and then he told me that the do not let customers see this (which started everything off bad). Then we started talking rebates and etc. and I told him that I wanted to talk initial price first and then work with the incentives. I explained that I was not interested in the extra $700 worth of options that was included and asked for him to throw it in. He declined to do so. So I went on with the negotiating process to see what type of deal I could get. The dealer then told me that the price was FIXED. I said, "What, LOL FIXED! Alright then, give me your price so I can leave." So after everything is done I got a quote for $15,032 with the rebates, taxes, and fees. Not really what I was looking for. There is only two more in the area so I am going to look at those today and see what I can get for one of them.

I have a couple questions though. Should I have asked to see their invoice, do most of them show their invoices, and does anyone have any idea how much they pay for a PT? Also, any idea on what I should be looking to get the price down to (talking initial price-the MSRP) in order to be fair and not get raped? And lastly if the dealer is not trying to budge then should I just shop at another dealer or should I try to work something out with the sales manager? If anyone can answer these questions for me please do so because I am looking to buy before the end of the month. Feel free to send your response to my email addy, proane277@aol.com. Thanks in advance

reuel3

Please do not request that others exchange information with you by e-mail. The message boards are provided by Edmunds.com so that everyone can benefit, and exchanging information pertinent to the discussion topic by e-mail deprives all of us of that information.

Additionally, posting your e-mail address on a public message board ensures that it will be picked up by spam bots and your address will be added to even more lists. If you want others to be able to e-mail you, please edit your profile so that your address is public rather than private. Spam bots cannot pick up addresses in profiles.

here4thekids

Reuel3

Thats no problem. It is my first time on here and id not know how it works. Thanks

snowball1

Bought an 04 still sitting on the lot in March of 05. It's an Inferno Red GT-Turbo, sunroof, leather, fog lamps, etc. Loaded. The sticker was 26,915. They marked it down to 25,412, then they gave me a 1% off discount for college.
They gave us 7200 for the trade-in (9530 owed) negative equity balance of 2330. When all is said we financed $25,100 for 60 months with 2500 cash coming back to us. So the car was 26,915 sticker, Financed for 25100, deduct -2500 cash back -2330 negative equity -536 taxes/fees = 19,735 (the real price of the car before adding back the negative equity, refund, taxes and fees) and no money exchanged to them from us. Is the math correct and was this a good deal???
Also is anyone experiencing a real blind spot on the drivers side when looking back to change lanes? Also, the turning radius is monsterous!! But it will boogie!

purplebug

HELLO!!! I am cruising around in my new Purple Showtime Mobile!!!! Can you tell that I haven't named her yet? Anyway, wanted to say thank you to all the people who helped me gather info and prepared me for the car buying experience, since my last one was 12 yrs ago. I received a 2005 Limited Turbo 4A with heated front seats, ABS system, spoiler with a touch of chrome for $22,648 through Chrysler Employee Pricing. I was preapproved somewhere else (internet bank) and Chrysler couldn't match the rate, but it was 5.19% for 48 mths. MANY THANKS to Bigelow Motors in Northern NJ for an honest, painless buying experience who will get thumbs up on the CSI. Now if only the Toyota would stop being jealous. :shades:

fish8

What am I missing here......you deducted the $2,330 in neg equity from the cost of your car. Shouldn't that neg Eq be added back in?

m1miata

Great deal. Got a base with air for around $14.7K , out the door price. I like a stick, and didn't need a turbo, so it is doing the job while getting the best gas mileage a PT can achieve. The only thing missing is the ease of remote door locks when using the liftgate and the shelf. A shelf can be had at MOSS for $125 if I decide I want one. I like the black plastic tote I bought at Home Depot for holding items in place and preventing leak damage. I simply used heavy duty rubber ties to hold it in place. Great car - low price!

Loren

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi everyone. Please use the following discussion to post any questions that you have about leasing a Chrysler PT Cruiser. Thanks.

Car_man
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wrjid

m1miata: Do you have the web address for MOSS. Would like ot buy a table.
Thanks

sparty444

Just bought an 06 GT with Boston Accoustics-Heated Seats- Sirius radio- auto trans and chrome for $23,500...$21,500 if you take off the rebate... am on the verge of getting a loaded 05 GT for my girlfriend...looking at $17500 for that one...some really good deals out there if your looking to buy one.

gio4

Hi Car Man
I leased a 03 cruiser on 5/17/03 & exp. in 07 with max of 46000 miles at the end of the lease. It was my first car purchase. Here is the brake down.

gross cap reduction $18702.00

amount due at lease $4030.70/paid $1530.70 & 2500.00 rebate

monthly payments $245.61

I have paid 39 payments of 48.I received from the dealer a letter that in Aug. 23 I can bring the car in & they pay 3 months of payment for a new lease. Would it be a good idea to do a purchase option that my agreement says for $7235.20 plus tax or fees plus processing fee of $150.00? Also can I negotiate the price and fees? Or should I wait for the lease to finsh and give the car back and make a new car purchase.

Info for new lease
Should I always put the least amount of money down & pay a higher monthly payment?

Thanks
Gio

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi Gio. If you are interested in purchasing your leased PT Cruiser you absolutely should try to negotiate its price. There certainly is no guarantee that Chrysler Financial, or whichever bank you are leasing it through, will be willing to work with you, more often than not they won't, but it's worth a shot. You don't have anything to lose. Whether you should buy your vehicle at lease-end or not depends upon how much you like it and what your purchase option price is like compared to its real world value.

It is always in your best interest not to make a down payment when leasing. I say this because consumers who make down payments on leased vehicles rick losing them if their vehicles are totaled in an accident or stolen and never recovered.

Car_man
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Prices Paid Forum

mr_anton89

Hi, I am looking into a 2006 PT Cruiser Convertible with an MSRP of $21,945. Options include the 28E Package and Automatic Transmission. Standard Black paint.
This is in snowy NE Ohio and an 06, so I am sure that they would love to get rid of this unit.
According to Edmunds' TMV Pricing Report the...
TMV -------------------> $18,230
Chrysler Mailed Rebate-> -$1,000
Chrysler Dealer Rebate-> $3,500
Total------------------> $13,730
That total amount can't be right..can it?
Somebody please give me some insight asap
Thanks, mranton89

kyfdx

TMV usually includes any dealer incentives, but not consumer rebates...

mr_anton89

It is not shown as being included...you need to click on show incentives before. Somebody please help ASAP!
Thanks

kyfdx

How We Calculate New TMV® Prices

burosky

Just wanted to get people's take on my purchase. I bought a one owner Red 2003 PT Cruiser Touring Edition with 34K miles (AT,AC,PW,PL,PS,CC,AM/FM CD) for $9750 plus tax, Lic and Doc fees. The car is in excellent mechanical condition. Just took it to my mechanic and he said he couldn't find any problems and the brakes are still about 70%. It has some nicks and scratches but nothing major or obvious. I would say the exterior is about 8.5 out of 10. The interior with cloth seats was well kept. I would say it is about 9 out of 10. I live in the Oakland/San Francisco area. I think I may have paid too much. I say this because I needed to get the scheduled maintenance done out of my pocket ($300) and I will need to replace all four of the OEM Goodyear tires (255/55R16) which will run me about $400 soon. What do you folks think about the deal?

jima53

We are thinking about buying a new 2007 Pt Sedan. Just the basic care with auto transmission , ac, not too many features to use as a second car for commute to work, about 45 miles total a day. Have the 06 and 07 cars been improved since the problems with the 04 and 02 models. For you PT owners, would you do it again and buy another one. We are looking to buy in the next month. For what its worth, we don't speed, keep the car garaged and do our own maintenance. Our Astro van has about 60,000 miles after 8 years and is still going strong. Should we just stay with what we have or buy the PT Cruiser. Thanks for any opinions.

Jim

ttbuyer

I bought an 2006 base model with A/C, keyless, CD satellite radio and an auto trans for $11,200.00 (plus tax & lic) in November...a great deal on a very good transportation car. I don't think there are any differences between the '06 and the 2007 because the PT was just significantly refreshed in 2006.

I would certainly buy this car again. It is not an exciting car to drive (like my Miata), and the MPG is not great at about 20 to 22 MPG, but the car is roomy and comfortable and has some visual character (unlike most of it's competitors). Additionally, my very positive experience with my wife's 2003 Jeep Liberty has caused me to expect good reliability from Chrysler Corp.

I had always had Japanese cars before and swore by them, but these days, American cars have gotten much better. The PT Cruiser is not a class leader anymore, but is a good value and has become a kind of modern classic. They are unpretentious, practical American cars with a pleasing shape and lots of cargo/passenger flexibility.

My Marine Blue 2006 Cruiser replaced a 2005 Nissan Altima which was more powerful, roomier and got better gas mileage, but it was so BORING I could hardly work up the enthusiasm to even wash the car. I didn't hate the Altima, I had no feelings for it at all...I still turn and admire the years-old shape of the Cruiser and it sparkles in the driveway as I write this.

If anyone reading this is interested, I got mine at Orange Coast Chrysler/Jeep in Costa Mesa, California. They were professional and a pleasure to deal with, even when I walked out of the dealership halfway through the deal because it was getting late and I was sick.

neile457

The only difference, I think, is the power liftgate (which we loved on out Town and Country). We have a 02, would love a new one.

phys14

Hi,

I'm looking at possibly leasing a 2007 PT Cruiser Limited Edition or 2007 PT Cruiser GT and would be very grateful for any help you can provide. Do you know the base rate money factor for either or both of these vehicles?

JM

CarMan@Edmunds

I'd be happy to help you out, phys14. This vehicle's lease program varies by term and mileage allowance. You never mentioned what either of these variables are, so for now I will assume that you are interested in a 36 month lease with 15,000 miles per year. Its lease program also varies by region. For now I will assume that you are in the Northeastern U.S. Let me know if you want something different or are in a different area. Chrysler Financial's current buy rate lease money factor and residual value for a 36 month lease of a 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser Sedan GT with 15,000 miles per year in its Northeast region are .00162 and 40%, respectively.

When negotiating your lease on this vehicle, make sure to take advantage of the $1,500 lease cash and $500 bonus cash that are currently available on it. They will help you to negotiate an attractive capitalized cost for your lease.

Car_man
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rchilders

Hey Car_Man -

I have never leased before and was thinking about going with a PT Crusier, as their leases are seemingly affordable. I woud like to stay under $200 / month if at all possible.
I am in the Los Angeles area and here is what I am being offered:

$1000 down
$215 / month including tax
10,500 miles / year
-or-
$220 / month incl tax
12,000 miles / year

Residual for 12K miles is $7,131 (42%)

Do you think that there is any way of getting a better deal? Again, I know nothing about this at all, never done it before, but I am ready to haggle with the dealer.

Thanks so much!

Rebecca

saabski

Hello all,

How much should I pay for a brand new, left-over PT Cruiser GT? MSRP is $24,650 and it has only 15 miles on odometer. It's a gold five-speed manual GT with leather, sunroof, and SIRIUS satelite radio. I was thinking about offering $17,500 plus Tax for the car-new 2007s are going for $4,000 to $5,000 off MSRP already. Am I being fair? can I do better with 2008s starting to arrive at the lot? With the 2008 on the lot, I am calculating in depreciation for 2006 despite the fact that it is brand new.

Any input would be appreciated.

krony

When looking at leftovers I usually compare my offer to used prices. I bought a '06 Limited on 28Dec06 for $15K (sticker was $19,600). At the time that was pretty comparable to a used '06 with 10K.

So I'd check blue book on your GT assuming 10K to 20K miles and bargain from there. With the '06's getting the new interior and body changes (over the '05's) I wouldn't hesitate, '08's probably won't be much different.

CarMan@Edmunds

Welcome Rebecca. Since you have never leased before, you definitely should check out the following informative articles that are available here at Edmunds.com prior to visiting any dealers: 10 Steps to Leasing a New Car and Calculate Your Own Lease Payment.

I don't know what sort of monthly payment a PT Cruiser would have off of the top of my head. It will really depend upon how the model that you are interested in is equipped and how good a selling price you are able to negotiate on it. The selling prices of leased vehicles are negotiable, just as if you were paying cash for or financing them. Decide exactly which PT Cruiser you want and then look up its dealer invoice price here at Edmunds.com by visiting the following section of this site: New Vehicle Pricing.

Once you know what the invoice price is for the exact vehicle that you want, subtract the $1,500 lease cash and $500 bonus cash ($2,000 total) that Chrysler is providing on it from that. Then add back a few hundred dollars for dealer profit (this low a price should be attainable in a competitive market like California) and you have your offer. Have the dealer use the price that you come up with as the capitalized cost for your lease.

Car_man
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chatty1

Hi, in May 2007 we bought a 2003, red, pt touring ed. The rest of the details are pretty much the same, except for the mileage. Our PT had 55k miles on it, so you got the better deal there. We got 2 new tires in our car deal.
We searched for a long time to get this car at our price.
We paid $9105.00.
So I think you got a pretty good deal.
From a chatty one.

sammy2007

I am interested in buying PT Cruiser 07, and I am searching for the reasonable price that I need to pay. Actually, I got a quote from a dealer, and I am wondering if this price is reasonable. Would you please help me to figure out that this price is okay?

I am looking for PT Cruiser Basic with ABS and Auto. No additional options are needed. The dealer suggested this price following:

" I have found a new 07' PT in a color called Opal Metallic Clear Coat. I also found the same vehicle in Marine Blue Pearl (almost like an oceanic blue), as well as one in Inferno Red Pearl Coat. Chrysler charges $150 extra for both the opal and red colors. The marine blue has no extra charge. I ran numbers on the opal color, and here is what the General Manager has authorized me to offer you: MSRP (sticker price), is $17,535. Our sale price to you including Chrysler rebates, is $14,700!"

Is this price okay? (I am in Madison, WI.)

ttbuyer

Of course, each local market varies, but my 2006 Marine Blue PT cost me $11,200.00 in November of 2006. (I am in Southern California). My car is a base model with A/T and sattelite radio (no ABS). Can't recall the "sticker price" but is was a little over $17K.

You might find a better price later in the year.

duettom

I just purchased a new left over 2006 Black GT Convertible with Lifetime Power Train Warranty, 5 speed, heated seats, and 18" wheels for only $15,888.00. It had 111 miles on it and had just been detailed. I guess nobody else wanted it and the dealer got desperate to sell. I bought it at the advertised price on their website. I'm very happy with it so far except for a lot of torque steer when flooring it. I'm planning on getting a Freedom Design Strut Brace to see if that helps.

ttbuyer

That's a GREAT deal! Congratulations!

duettom

Thanks. I guess I'll use all of the money I saved to buy all of that premium gas I'll need.

tedebear

Remember, it will still run on regular fuel. The owner's manual even says this. My wife usually always puts regular gas in her GT.

duettom

Thanks tedebear, I did read in the owners manual that regular grade gas will work. I plan to try using it after the engine has a chance to break in and loosen up. Do you get any detonation? Is your mph worse than it was when using premium?

tedebear

Well, I rarely drive it but the wife hasn't mentioned detonation or whether there is any significant fuel economy difference when using different octanes. She is definitely not what I'd call a performance-oriented style driver.

I did get some negative feedback on another Cruiser forum a few years back when I mentioned it usually gets regular fuel instead of premium. They asked why would anyone buy the turbo version if they weren't going to use whatever grade fuel that gave it the best performance.

For one, it was a Christmas present and she had no idea she was even getting a Cruiser until she opened the ring box with the key in it on Christmas morning. Anyway, my opinion is that a GT has better performance using regular fuel than a standard Cruiser does, regardless of what type of gas it uses.