Chrysler PT Cruiser   Women's view

The heat is on for car manufacturers to provide cool-looking family vehicles. At a glance, Chryslers contender in the mini-MPV arena, the PT Cruiser, seems to fit the bill. June Neary puts it to the test

When I first saw pictures of the Chrysler PT Cruiser, I immediately thought of the Wacky Races and the Ant Hill Mobs car Chugga-boom. What? Youve never heard of that classic cartoon? Anyhow, back in the early 1950s, the Ford Prefect was the chic car of the day and it looked very like this Chrysler. Its near vertical tail, headlamps in the front wings and upright narrow grille are seriously retro. The PT (Personal Transportation) Cruiser was styled by young American designers to look like a hot rod and thats just how many of those old Prefects ended their days with V8 engines and wide wheels.

These two particular hot rod attributes dont extend to the PT Cruiser, though I did like the chunky five-spoke alloy wheels fitted to my test car. Under the bonnet, instead of a V8, beats a rather ordinary 2.4-litre engine or a 2.2-litre CRD diesel.

Oh well, you cant have it all. This is the latest version of the Cruiser and there are new round front foglamps and revised tail lights as well as a body-coloured spoiler for PT Cruiser anoraks to spot. Inside, you dont need to be an anorak to notice the differences. The cabin has a much more up-market look and feel in comparison to the previous version which quite frankly felt cheap.

The dash has larger gauges, rotating airvents, a Chrysler signature analogue clock and a new stereo, mounted higher for easier access. The centre console has a sliding armrest (replacing the previous fiddly seat-mounted armrests), houses a deep storage bin, a powerpoint to charge your mobile phone and has two neat, fold-out cup-holders for rear seat passengers. There are new seat trims and fabric choices too to complete what Chrysler hope is an individual feel. Nostalgia might be fun, but Chrysler hasnt lingered in the past for too long with the PT Cruiser - the high roof and an upright seating position combine with the flexible seat and load space arrangements to make sure the PT Cruiser suits the need of todays buyers.

Inside, theres plenty of room for four adults, as well a tonne of luggage. In fact, five could squeeze in without too many moans and groans, but the rear seat is a bit short of width. The cars ideal if you have the average 2.4 children.

The seating layout isnt as flexible as a Renault Scenics, though. Rather than three individual chairs and a variety of mounting positions, you get just two split 60/40 which can be folded three ways, though Chrysler claims 26 different permutations of seats and luggage are possible. However, the seats can be completely removed with help from nifty built-in rollers. You can also fold the front passenger seat flat to carry an eight-feet long load which will be handy if you regularly carry surfboards, ladders or grandfather clocks.

I also liked the clever parcel shelf which you can position several ways, including vertically to divide the load area, and which doubles as a picnic table. I didnt find any under-floor bins but there is a load restraining net in the boot plus clever net oddment holders in the front seatbacks.

The driving position is comfortable. The switches, levers, air conditioning and stereo controls are easily reached. Theres more headroom in the cabin than most will ever need (all 6 4" of my husband cleared the roof with room to spare). This, together with the glassy design, gives a feeling of spaciousness thats pretty rare in a mini-MPV of this size. On the road, the PT Cruiser sounds, rides and handles much like a Chrysler Neon: not that excitingly, but then I dont aspire to be a racing driver. Rest to 60 takes about 10.6 seconds on the way to 121mph, so its fast enough. The 2.

4-litre petrol models fuel economy is reasonable at around 30mpg though it drops alarmingly if you pay £800 extra for the rather jerky automatic gearbox. Engine noise is not very well suppressed in the manual model I tried and its worse, apparently, with the auto. If you need better fuel economy, the car to go for is the 2.2-litre CRD diesel.



Three PT Cruiser trim levels are offered in the UK. All are well equipped, with even the base £12,995 Classic including power steering, central locking, air conditioning, electric windows and a 6-speaker CD sound system. For £14,570, the Touring version adds alloys, front fog lamps, anti-lock brakes, cruise control and a trip computer. For £16,070, the Limited has leather/suede seats and the chromed alloys, which are very popular in the US.

The CRD diesel-engined models are a little pricier opening at £15,725 for the Touring and topping out at £17,225 for the Limited. Nor does it end there. UK Chrysler buyers enjoy an after-sales package that includes a three-year/60,000-mile warranty and three years of roadside assistance, as well as six years rust cover.

As an alternative to a Scenic, the PT Cruiser isnt quite as practical. Having said that, those 1950s hot rod looks definitely win me over. My test car didnt come with a rear-parking sensor, which would have been a useful because the styling makes judging the corners a bit tricky. So, give me a sensor, add in a footrest for long hauls and the Cruiser and I could well live happily ever after.