2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser Turbo

Only a handful of new vehicles truly capture the imaginations of auto buyers. Fewer yet cause an appreciable number of those shoppers to pay well over sticker price just to be among the first owners of the hot new item.


Chrysler found itself in this enviable state when it introduced the retro-look PT Cruiser wagon as an early 2001 model. Like Volkswagen's New Beetle a few years before and the revived Mini in 2002, the PT's appearance also prompted enthusiastic folks to sign up for lengthy waiting lists to drive one home.

Cruiser Turbos have all-disc antilock brakes with traction control, plus painted aluminum 17-inch wheels.

Still, no matter how popular a new vehicle is at first, the bloom inevitably begins to fade after a time. As such, Chrysler has issued several appearance enhancements for the Cruiser. For 2002, a sharp-looking "Woody" edition features woodgrain trim gorgeously decorating its body sides and rear end. A Chrome edition for 2003 features chrome horizontal bars, which enhance the grille, and full-surround chrome molding around the entire vehicle.


None of these modifications, however, addresses the one flaw that's drawn grumbles about the Cruiser—its perceived lack of useful power. Sure, acceleration is adequate with the 150-horsepower four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission. Plenty of owners are quite content with those Cruisers. Manual shift allows a little extra energy to be released, to satisfy those who savor more spirited reactions.


If this were an ordinary compact car, few would fault its go-power. When a vehicle looks as striking as the PT Cruiser does, it seems to cry out for performance that reaches beyond the ordinary and heads toward the more stimulating end of the spectrum. "Adequate" just won't suffice for some in an automobile that continues to attract attention wherever it goes.