2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Touring Edition Convertible 2.4 turbo from North America

Summary:

Best convertible on the market for under 28k

Faults:

Tranny gasket leaking & emergency brake cable hanging up, had to be replaced / fixed by dealer after month #1.

General Comments:

I love my PT Convertible!

XXL room and lots of power and room for 4 large people, I loved having it at the beach this past summer.

ABS should be standard on all models, was hard to find a TE w/ABS.

Short windshield is cool, but makes it hard to see traffic lights.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th February, 2006

13th Feb 2006, 13:59

Thank you for the good review.

The only opinion I might offer, is that if you are inferring that the car being under 28K is a deal, I respectfully disagree. I think new cars in general are terribly over priced, and really do not see any exceptions.

Perhaps it might be a deal "relatively" speaking (in comparison to other cars), but I am not desensitized enough to how expensive everything is these days to view any vehicle approaching 30K (or much over 10K frankly) as a deal in any sense.

I just think back to when I was younger, and what vehicles (and homes, etc.) cost in proportion to an average person's income and I see a huge problem. I am blessed to be able to afford a new car without difficulty, but I cannot bring myself to purchase one at these prices, because I do not want to enable the problem. I do think the PT Cruiser is a nice car, however I have only ridden in the non convertible model.

Good luck with it.

7th Jun 2006, 09:56

Please bear in mind when talking about the cost of vehicles, you include what you get. A base model Dodge Neon (for example) started under $10K in the mid 1990s, but by 2005, a base Neon was nearly $15K.

For that extra price, you got a longer and more comprehensive warranty, more power options, CD player (only AM/FM radio in the original), auto transmission, and more. Cars are becoming more expensive, but you are getting a lot more than you were before.

As far as the Convertible PT Cruiser, (although I paid less) I have one with an MSRP of $30,700 and it is loaded and then some. Heated leather seats, turbo engine, GatRag Tranny, AM/FM/CD/Cass with satellite radio, and loads more. It was a lot of money, but once again, there are a LOT of features.

Today, when you buy a car, you buy a lot more than metal. You buy features, reliability, and peace of mind.

7th Jun 2006, 15:57

Whats a "GatRag" tranny? Do you need to get a rag because it leaks fluid all over the garage floor?

PT Cruiser Ragtops are nice enough, but they are over-priced, and the turning circle diameter rivals a school bus!

19th Sep 2006, 06:31

The best convertible on the market for under $28,000?

Try a 2-year-old Saab 9-3.

17th Jun 2007, 23:16

Um well if you can't see the traffic lights, um I have a big hint for you. UM let the top down. LOL it is a convertible right???

In reply to 7th Jun 2006, 09:56

4th Jul 2014, 18:06

You do mean 'Getrag' don't you?

2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser from North America

Summary:

Love love love it!

Faults:

Have only had the car for 2 months, so can't comment yet, but it feels stable.

General Comments:

I love this car. It drives and parks like a compact car, but has a lot of sitting and storage space. After I drove my new PT Cruiser for 2 weeks, I sat in my old hatch back and could not believe how squished I felt.

It drives very well so far and seems to have a good amount of power. Gas guzzles a bit more than I'd like, about 25-31 miles per gallon, but the space and larger engine is the compromise.

I would definitely buy another one, and hope to trade in for the convertible one day.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 9th January, 2006

11th Jan 2006, 16:51

I am curious as to how you get 25-31 mpg out of your Cruiser. I have yet to break 23, though mine is new.

13th Jan 2006, 00:59

I, also am very curious to how you get up to 31MPG in your PT Cruiser.

I have the 2003 model and was getting between 23 and 24mpg.

Then I put a K&N air filter in it and bumped the MPG up to 25 and 26MPG. But not as high as you are getting.

Cherish the PT Cruiser you purchased because yours is getting very good gas mileage compared to myself and others I've read about.

Kinda amazing.

24th Mar 2006, 14:52

I drove from Oklahoma to Michigan and followed trucks and got 550 miles on the first tank of gas. I know that I will never see that kind of mileage again! Mine still gets about 28 on average though. Although it refuses to start occasionally.

15th Mar 2007, 13:12

My 2205 PT gets 26 mpg in town and 28-29 mpg on th highway.