2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser Review

Finally, we've got some power here. The star of Chrysler's 2003 PT Cruiser line is the $22,365 PT Turbo. It has a turbocharged high output 215-horsepower version of the vehicle's standard 150-horsepower four-cylinder engine--and considerably more torque.

The result is that the front-drive PT Cruiser finally has the punch to back up its racy appearance.

The PT Turbo's 0-60 mph time--a good indicator of overall performance--drops to 7.2 seconds from a rather lazy 10.7 seconds for the standard PT Cruiser. Such things as merging and passing abilities are much higher, and top speed jumps from 105 to an electronically limited 120 mph--which makes the 140-mph speedometer marking seem rather silly.

And that's with the "turbo'' engine hooked to a $290 four-speed automatic transmission. A standard heavy duty five-speed manual gearbox version will be offered later this year and will give the PT Turbo slightly livelier performance, although the responsive automatic has a decent manual shift feature.

Chrysler, which has put more turbocharged engines in cars than any automaker, didn't just slap a turbocharger on the 2.4-liter PT Cruiser engine. Rather, the turbo four-cylinder got such things as a redesigned cylinder block and cylinder head for better cooling. Also the crankshaft is stronger and new pistons are cooled, racing-style, by oil jets. Valves also are all new.

The small, low-inertia turbocharger from Mitsubishi is integrated into the exhaust manifold and allows smooth, linear performance without annoying turbo lag or torque steer. There's also no turbo "whine.''

Some might swear that Chrysler put a larger V-6 engine under the hood, although it has no V-6 that would fit there. The PT Turbo's turbocharger should have a long life because it's oil- and water-cooled.

Adding to the PT Turbo's charm is a performance-tuned exhaust system with a large-diameter chrome exhaust tip and exhaust note that is pronounced but not annoying.

The turbo engine doesn't cause fuel economy to suffer much. It's estimated at 20 mpg in the city and 25-27 on highways with the standard engine and 19-20 in the city and 25-26 on the open road with the turbo engine.

A more buttoned-down sport suspension gives the PT Turbo crisper handling than other versions of the retro-looking PT Cruiser crossover vehicle, which looks like a modified car from the early 1940s. The standard PT Cruiser is fun to drive, but the turbocharged version offers a lot more driving kicks.

The PT Turbo has beefy four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock and traction control systems. The racy spoked cast-aluminum 17-inch wheels are larger than the 15- and 16-inch ones on other PT Cruiser models. They let the PT Turbo wear 50-series tires, which are the widest for any PT Cruiser model.

DaimlerChrysler has been using almost every trick in the book to keep the PT Cruiser popular, including offering it with flame decals that were popular with 1950s car customizers and woodgrain body appliques to recall Chrysler's classic 1940s "woodie'' wood-panel models.

Only car buffs might notice, but the PT Turbo has a distinct look with such items as a body color front fascia with a larger, lower grille to feed more air to the turbo intercooler. A body color rear fascia has a larger exhaust opening, and new body color bodyside moldings provide a "dipped'' look to enhance the PT Turbo's performance appearance.

Front seats provide better support for spirited driving and have a unique cloth fabric. Also offered are leather-trimmed seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Unique silver-faced cluster gauges are on the instrument panel, which is covered with a high-tech "Shadow Dot'' pattern material on a silver background. The console area has a special bright silver treatment.

The rather heavy PT Cruiser's weakest point always has been its small, unrefined engine; it's adequate in town but allows only average 65-75 mph passing times. It works best with the manual transmission because the automatic slows acceleration--especially with more than one occupant in the vehicle. A lack of power has been the major complaint of PT Cruiser owners.

Still, the PT Cruiser's unique look, practicality, versatility and comfort mainly have been responsible for keeping it popular. And it has a reputation for feeling solid after long, hard use.

Although shorter than some small cars, the five-passenger PT Cruiser's interior space rivals that of a large sedan or even some SUVs. More than 30 seating configurations are allowed by the fold/tumble/removable seats, although there isn't much cargo room with all seats in place.

The tall body, low floor and chairlike seats allow easy entry and exit. But, while attractive, the recessed dashboard gauges are hard to read quickly. Also, the power front window switches are rather awkwardly placed on the dashboard, and those for the back windows are in the front console. Front cupholders are very low, and some major controls are notchy. Radio controls are small, but climate system controls are large.

Wheels are a big deal with unique vehicles such as the PT Cruiser. New 15-inch bolt-on wheel covers with bright lug nut caps now are standard on the entry level $16,670 PT Cruiser, as are accent color bodyside moldings. The $18,600 Touring Edition gets new 16-inch cast aluminum wheels, along with new body color front and rear fascias. The $20,870 Limited Edition also has new body color fascias.

For those who don't want the PT Turbo but desire more power, a $22,365 version of the Touring Edition model comes with the PT Turbo's turbocharged engine and sport suspension, as does a $24,495 version of the Limited Edition.

All PT Cruiser models definitely are worth considering, but the turbocharged engine makes this vehicle really stand out.


2003 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER

Prices:

$16,670-$24,495

Likes:

Strong acceleration with new turbocharged engine. Roomy. Unique styling.

Dislikes:

Limited cargo room with all seats in place. Just average performance with standard engine. Odd power window switch location.