Bitch Kitty Racing

Pleasantly Surprised

One of the duties of being a car geek is to have an opinion on everything automotive. I have lots of these opinions. Up until yesterday, I certainly had an opinion on Chrysler’s PT Cruiser. “Total mom car,” was all I had to say about that. I have never been able to get over the styling, that hot rod look that Chrysler loved in the 1990’s. I know it has an emotional appeal to the Boomer generation, but it’s lost on me. Yet, by the end of long day behind the wheel of a PT, I truly came to appreciate this car.

When it was time to pick my ride for the week, in the name of fairness I knew I had to pick something I was sure I’d hate. It’s impossible to have a believable opinion if one displays prejudices, and I have slammed the hell out of the Cruiser without ever having driven one. It was now time to do the right thing.

There I stood in front of a brand stinking new 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser, Touring Edition. I signed the papers giggling; it was just so ridiculous. This thing was the antithesis of me, or so I thought. I had completely forgotten that Tom Gale, then head of new product development at Chrysler, had a hand in this car. Mr. Gale has proven repeatedly that he knows what he’s doing, and his trust in young designer Bryan Nesbitt must have been founded.

I love that new car smell and was not disappointed. Outgassing vinyls and plastics overwhelmed my senses. At first I thought I was just getting pleasantly high, but then I discerned that my eyes really were swimming. There were the five distinct surface patterns in immediate view: rich glove-leather patterned vinyl right next to a smoother leather pattern, faux carbon fiber, two colors of shiny plastic, and a softly fuzzed headliner. There were eight different shades of gray visible, a dash inset that carried the car’s blue exterior color to the interior, chrome accents, and two blacks. This is one visually busy car. Further inspection shows further color and texture differences. It’s maddening at first, but just like TV you get used to all the flashing noise. I did want to extend the exterior color into the door insets, though. It’d brighten up the interior and help to unify the car.

After wresting my attention from the dash, I was finally able to look through the windshield only to discover that the upper left field of my vision was obscured by the roof (when first in line at stoplights, I had to bend down to see them). I am not a tall person, only 5’10,” so I figured the seating position was set too high. Rooting around under the seat showed that there was no adjustment. I had the option of forward or backward, or could adjust the rake. I made myself as comfortable as possible and began adjusting the steering wheel. There was a tilt, but no telescope. I also noticed that the wheel is huge, much larger in circumference that it needs to be because power-assisted steering is installed on this car. It’s silly, and it feels like something from the 1940’s.

Enough of my ranting.

The Cruiser is a machine, a tool, and therefore must be judged on its ability to perform its assigned task. Driving away from the lot, I was impressed with its pep; it really has a nice torque curve. I was a little less impressed with the engine noise, however. This car has a wonderfully growly tone of voice that would be incredibly appealing in any sports car, and perhaps that’s the point, but seems a bit excessive in a station wagon. It’s really loud! When I got to my destination I popped the hood and spied plastic intake runners; they might be to blame. It’s a pretty neat trick though, using plastic instead of metal. It saves both weight and cost, and I’m impressed. Poking around more showed many thoughts in this direction, most notably a rubber bushing on the driveshaft to quell torque steer. Again, a simple and cheap solution. Chrysler really is trying to keep the cost down on this car. I do wish they had provided scuff plates on the rear sills to match the ones in front, though. Cost savings can only go so far before the car looks incomplete.

I cracked the plastic wrapper on the manual and had a read about the 65/35 split removable rear seats, then opened the rear doors and took the seats out. The 65 is heavy and hard to handle, but both sides came out with a minimum of fuss. Once out, ye Gods! The cargo space is seriously immense, looking capacious enough to swallow a Percheron whole. The front passenger seat also folds down flat for even more area. Right then and there the design engineering on this car won me over. There is a lot of thought about the purpose and function of this car in it, and it shows. This is the Tom Gale I respect so well, and I was able to let the styling go and give this car the respect it deserves.

Driving the car in town I noticed some body roll, enough to make me feel the beginnings of nausea. I had to alter my driving style and really smooth everything out before I became truly comfortable with the way it handled. I attribute this to my own penchant for go-karts instead of cars, and the PT is a crossover vehicle, a station wagon cum SUV nee panel truck. Driving it made me even more aware of its purpose and function, and keeping that in mind helped my control of the car.

I picked up my friend Michal and her dog, Piper, and we hit the road for a long day trip. On the freeway the PT was relaxed and composed, a very capable long-distance car. The long wheelbase and soft suspension, while perhaps mildly irritating in the city (but only mildly), proved to be a boon. With the cruise control on, the car just loped down the road, keeping in its lane seemingly by itself. The dog had plenty of room in the back, and the discovery of an auxiliary input in the stereo meant we could plug in the iPod with a cheap 1/8 to 1/8 cord, a very nice touch in this day and age.

Freeways suck, however. They lack all feeling, all emotion, all connection to the landscape or driving, so the moment we left the greater metropolitan area I hung a left into endless farmland and twisty roads.

Then the magic happened. The car just totally came alive, completely in its element, cruising through the country with a big black lab, dog toys, picnic supplies, good friends, music up, windows down, and endless scenery. Michal is prone to car sickness but never complained once, no matter how hard I pushed it. The PT found all the natural lines in the corners without a single complaint. While the wheel requires a lot of input, it’s still a very smooth drive. While I would never call this car challenging, I would call it fun.

I would also call it lacking in top-end horsepower (there is a turbo version available which addresses this). On such a beautiful day, I really only felt the need to pass somebody once. I put my foot in it to achieve a suitable passing speed, but I could not get enough out of the car to feel comfortable overtaking a slower vehicle. At lower speeds the PT feels peppy, but at higher speeds it’s simply pepped out.

High horsepower is not what this car’s about, however. It’s a people mover, a cargo hauler, and a real cruiser. This car wants to work for a living, and working vehicles do what they’re designed to do. The PT is designed for a family day at the beach with the dog, or perhaps as a small work truck for in-city deliveries. It can be a soccer taxi, a bread van, or a tailgater’s delight. There is a lot of car in this seemingly small package, and it nails its purpose.

At the end of 180 miles of city, freeway, and country driving I still felt relaxed and comfortable. The dog slept as the sun went down, the music was a bit quieter, and we were all ready for dinner. As I put the car away for the night I gave it an affectionate pat and realized I was completely converted. Everything about this car appeals to the vehicle design engineering geek in me. I even have to admit that the exterior styling is pretty damned good. It’s unique, it stands out without being garish, and even after seven years it doesn’t look dated.

So I stand a little wiser now and filled with crow, hopefully able to carry Mark Twain’s valuable lesson with me into everyday life: “We never knew an ignorant person yet but was prejudiced.”

Sticker price with destination charge: $16,500
Bitch Kitty Racing value for dollar score (0-10, 10 best): 9
EPA fuel economy (combined): 23
BKR fuel economy: 19
EPA air pollution score (0-10, 10 best): 6
Annual greenhouse gas emissions (tons): 8.0

Chrysler is currently wondering what to do for their next generation PT. Here are my suggestions: simplify and unify. Tone down the interior and pay more attention to material selection. Smoother and simpler surfaces would both make it look more modern and improve the experience. The outside is relatively clean and simple; bring that ethos inside. Match more interior surfaces to the outside paint color. Look harder at the simplicity of the car’s design inspiration, the 1940’s, the sleek aircraft-inspired era before the jet age. More windshield would be appreciated, starting a bit further forward with a longer rake, modernizing it while still carrying the theme through.

The cleaner and simpler the car looks, the more modern it will look, and also the more stylized, approaching Art Deco instead of Farm Truck Modern. That would be really cool, and also play into Chrysler’s design history and future.

More power please, and the addition of a cheap hybrid system like GM’s would allow me to love this car even more. Also, please do something about the engine noise. It’s really loud!