Commanding
Respect with Practical Style
The
Chrysler PT Cruiser
by
Denise McCluggage
 If
style is paramount in your considerations and you like a design
that cheekily evokes the past while being very much today,
then Chrysler's PT Cruiser is parked just up your alley.
But
looking smart isn't all that this car (truck? minivan?) has to offer: It is as
practical as a self-wringing mop, as roomy as a farmhouse pantry and as well priced
as penny candy (it starts at $16,500 with a fully outfitted PT - leather seating
and traction control for instances - approaching $22,000.) Another
plus: the PT Cruiser is a pleasure to wheel about, although the serious driving
enthusiast would - always - like a few more horses under the hood (there are 150).
The car handles nicely, outward visibility is good and it is compactly park-able
- about a half foot shorter than a Neon. But in another way it dwarfs a Neon -
at 63 inches tall, it has seven more than its cousin. That warehouse height is
part of what makes the Cruiser's interior space so flexible and functional. Decide
what mix of people and their stuff you need at any one time and the chameleon-esque
Cruiser is up to it. The
over-tall, under-long dimensions of the PT Cruiser posed a particular problem
for the designer. Brian Nesbitt, the young man responsible, solved the problems
in a particularly elegant fashion with a cartoon-like emphasis of the fenders
and a slight flaring low on the door that kills any tendency for it to appear
slab sided. The roofline rising toward the back also disguises the vehicle's high
aspect ratio.
 Drivers
enamored of the upright seating position and "command
view" of an SUV - and many women say they are - will
like the PT Cruiser. It has those traits, and without the
high climb to the cockpit.
Rear
seat passengers will enjoy their view, too. Because of the roof height, so-called
"theater seating" is a snap - the back row of seats are higher than
the front row. The front row is well off the floor, too, leaving foot-stretching
room beneath for rear passengers. Here's a vehicle that's welcoming to an NBA
center, front or rear. The
2.4-liter engine in the PT Cruiser is perhaps familiar to minivan owners, but
work has been done to quell any four-banger tendencies toward roughness and noise.
Indeed the noise level in the PT Cruiser is remarkably low. And this from a company
that has been hard put, for instance, to hush its LHS sedans. That and an obvious
attention to the tactile feel of the buttons and levers makes it clear that special
care was bestowed on this special machine. What
does a PT Cruiser say about the woman driving it? That she is fashion conscious,
practical, frugal, playful, daring and with-it. Whether she is hauling kids to
a soccer game or band practice she will have room for all of the accouterments,
even if Sonny has chosen the tuba or if Sissy has invited the entire team home
for Fudgecicles. Or
maybe she's ferrying co-workers to a weekend retreat. Whatever.
The style is hot and the price is right. More
information on the PT Cruiser can be found on Chrysler's
site.
The
PT Cruiser was also named RTM's
2001 Car of the Year.
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