What does Oppo think of... PT Cruiser Turbo Cabrio

"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa) 03/09/2014 at 13:11 • Filed to: oppopinion

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Yup. It's the bitch basket.

Unlike previous "what does Oppo think of..." posts, I actually have experience with this car. My mother owns one.

Here we go.

The Good

The 2.4l turbocharged inline 4 is a slightly detuned version of the engine used in the Dodge Neon SRT-4. Yay pedigree!

Heated seats.

The convertible top is quick and relatively painless to use.

Manual transmission is an option if you want to row your own gears

The slushbox really isn't awful, and it has an "autostick" mode that emulates a (lethargic) sequential transmission.

It's comfortable to sit in, and super easy to get in and out of (the front seats)

The suspension does a decent job of keeping the car level through corners.

The instrument cluster is attractively laid out

The Bad

The radio is awful

The hand brake, if you can even manage to pull it due to poor positioning, is useless

If you have anything on your keychain it WILL brush against your right knee due to poor ignition placement

It weighs entirely too much for what it is

TURBO LAG. For the first 1-2 seconds the pedal is held down, the car slowly ambles to about 15 mph at a slow walk before the turbo kicks in, at which point you're in for a load of torque-steer and spinning tires as it struggles to find grip to haul its enormous mass up to speed

The steering defines the word "numb"

Interior storage and hidey-holes are awesome. The glovebox looks like it would be enormous, but can hardly hold the car's owner's manual, there is no center console storage, but you do get a drawer under the passenger seat. Unfortunately, this drawer is little more than a plastic box that slides in and out by resting on the floor. No guides, no thing. Constantly gets jammed in place.

Gas mileage is overwhelmingly mediocre

Requires premium fuel

Insured as a sports car despite taking ~8 seconds to reach 60, numbers not far off from most cheap-to-insure V6 sedans.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 03/09/2014 at 13:15

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Didn't they classify the PT Cruiser as a truck so that they didn't have to meet MPG numbers of a car?

AthomSfere > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 03/09/2014 at 13:18

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PT Cruiser, I think the discussion really stops there.

The 2.4l turbocharged inline 4 is a slightly detuned version of the engine used in the Dodge Neon SRT-4. Yay pedigree!

Pedigree!? LOL, for what, 2 years? Although that car should have stuck around, not the Neon so much, but the consept, large for a 4 engine turbocharged with a good manual and four doors.

dogisbadob > YSI-what can brown do for you 03/09/2014 at 13:21

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Yes they did

dogisbadob > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 03/09/2014 at 13:22

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I think they're kind of cool. Like you said, basically a Neon SRT4 convertible (or wagon)

Mich better than the later Murano cabrio which kind of looks like a half-assed fuglier version of the PT convertible.

Firewrx234 > YSI-what can brown do for you 03/09/2014 at 13:22

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If I'm not mistaken, that's correct. Which is terrible bc my wife's pt is the regular lethargic 4 cyl that averages 22-23 mpg in about 75% highway driving

M54B30 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 03/09/2014 at 13:43

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My dad bought a Turbo PT new in 2003 and loves it. The 2.4T is fantastic and it's actually pretty fun. The exhaust sounds great on it. He doesn't have turbo lag issues but I think the engine was reworked for convertible (and later wagon models). Massive blind spots though, and he usually gets 14-16 mpg. Nothing's wrong with it, that's the mileage he's always gotten. I can tell you first hand, the turbo PTs have no issue driving hours down the autobahn at 120 mph.

One thing is non-debatable - it's extremely easy to exit and enter the front seats. It is the perfect height and set up.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > AthomSfere 03/09/2014 at 13:49

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"It's the same engine as an SRT-4 !!!"

It's a bragging point, if nothing else.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > dogisbadob 03/09/2014 at 13:50

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I actually never made that connection before.

I actually traced over a PT Cruiser picture and then erased a few lines and re-drew a couple things and ended up with a MUCH better-looking car. It's a pity how close they were on the styling.

EDIT: Found the picture.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > M54B30 03/09/2014 at 13:53

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Yeah, the exhaust note on these cars is really easy to pick out. The only other engine I've heard with the same note was a 200hp 4cyl turbocharged skidoo (60mph on rough water? I'm an idiot).

Might just by my mom's car. I put my foot down and have time to brace myself for the ridiculous torque steer when the turbo kicks in.

And yes, the front seats are perfect. No bending down, no stepping up. Perfect for people with joint or back issues :D

jkm7680 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 03/09/2014 at 13:58

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The good- Turbo

The bad- Everything but the Turbo

JasonStern911 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 03/09/2014 at 14:07

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not my type of car, but I respect Chrysler for making something that doesn't look like every other car out there. I could see them reaching a SAAB-like collector status in the distant future.

M54B30 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 03/09/2014 at 14:20

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That entry and exit is exactly why my dad got it - him and my mom are getting older, he has back issues, and this is great. Their other car is a minivan so they like the simple "slide sideways " versus climbing up and down.

Torque steer is a big issue and his have the 17" wheels with a turning radius of the Titanic.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > M54B30 03/09/2014 at 14:37

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Aah, yes. The turning radius. I forgot about that. It's like piloting an iceberg in a Walmart parking lot.

Milky > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 03/09/2014 at 16:35

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You are WAY to kind this car. I.E. - "The instrument cluster is attractively laid out" lolwut? I've never driven the turbo but I've been behind the wheel of the base model & holy damn is it bad. Crap interior, gas mileage & handling.

Also don't understand how you seem so excited about a detuned engine & torque steer, the worst of both worlds.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Milky 03/09/2014 at 17:20

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You mistake sarcasm for enthusiasm. Though I honestly have seen worse instrument clusters.

Somethingwittyer likes noisy > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 03/09/2014 at 20:19

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Blow that "truck" to hell, but not before you yank the engine out.