Chrysler PT Cruiser Cabrio Limited 2006 Review

Road test

Overall rating: 2.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 2.5/5.0
Pricing/Packaging/Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 2.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 2.0/5.0
X-factor: 3.5/5.0

With such overtly retro, in-your-face styling, Chrysler's PT Cruiser (for launch review click

Up front, the body carries the familiar 1950s hotrod styling of its hatch kin, although the four doors have been replaced with two very long ones and the roof comprises a lined and insulated soft-top that is unlatched from the windscreen header by a D-handle then electrically folds into slot behind the two rear seats. A soft tonneau is provided while a solid "sports bar" is fitted to improve body rigidity and also increase safety in the event of a rollover.

Exactly how much that sports bar contributes to increased body rigidity is unclear but from the moment you set off on the road, one thing strikes an immediate impression is that the PT Cruiser is not a particularly ‘stiff’ vehicle.

At suburban speeds, the car shudders and shakes as you cross tram tracks and patched up roads with a juddery feel through the large steering wheel (with an equally large turning circle) and plenty of jittering through the seat base.

Out on a winding country road at higher speeds, you can feel and see the body twisting and flexing as you push through corners and while the ride quality is reasonable, it does crash a bit over bigger ruts and potholes.

After an enthusiastic 300km drive, CarPoint's test car had also developed a number of squeaks where the rear of the doors joined the body but after sitting in the driveway overnight, they had disappeared by morning.

The suspension is set up with a comfort bias and is fairly soft resulting in plenty of body roll if you push too hard with the lean factor accentuated by the overly hig, flat, and (in our Limited test car) slippery leather seats. With its soft suspension and flexible body, handling is definitely not one of this car's better traits and it doesn't take much for it to push wide through corners.  

What is particularly smooth and refined however is the drivetrain. Under the bonnet is a 105kW/214Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that drives the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearshift.

The engine is adequate off the line -- it's hauling a fairly hefty bit of metal -- and is quite flexible with a smooth, quiet and linear delivery of power right through the rev band. Although the five-speed box has a long throw and long gear lever -- a result of the design of the car - it is still reasonably smooth and its gate well defined.

What does impress about the car is that despite being a soft-top, it is surprisingly quiet inside the cabin (top up or down) when cruising comfortably on a decent road. There is little in the way of wind buffeting with the roof down and if you want to take in the wind-in the hair experience in winter, the seats are heated to ward off the chill.

There is also plenty of space and while the high forward driving position and ‘sit on, rather than in’ seat shape sometimes gives the impression that you are piloting a bus, it does leave plenty of room for the two rear passengers. No other convertible in this price band offers such a useable rear seat.

It is also well equipped for the price with a quality single-slot CD audio system, air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, mirrors, driver's seat and roof, remote locking, ABS, low-speed traction control and four airbags. That said, it should also come with rear parking sensors as vision beyond the rear three-quarter mark is almost non-existent.

With its funky retro styling, this is a car to look at and be seen in and if leisurely cruising the boulevard for admiring glances is what you are after, then it might appeal. Just don't try to drive with any degree of enthusiasm, as its lack of body rigidity and soft suspension are just not up to the task.