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2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser Compact Station Wagon
PT Cruiser slightly better, but will it be enough? New competition, flood of retro cars to challenge PT sales
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New Car Review of the 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser Compact Station Wagon
Base MSRP Range: $14,235 - $28,860
Base Invoice Range: $13,454 - $26,838
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MSRP As Tested: $23,225
Versions: Base, Touring, Limited, GT.
Vehicle Category: Compact Station Wagon
Engine Location: Front Engine
Drive Wheels: Front-Wheel Drive .
Standard Engine: 2.4-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, 16-valves, I-4, 150 -horsepower at 5,100 rpm and 165 lb-ft torque at 4,000 rpm.
Optional Engine: 2.4-liter, Turbocharged, Dual Overhead Cam, 16-valves, I-4, 180 â€' horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 210 lb-ft torque at 2,800 rpm.
Optional Engine as Tested (GT only): 2.4-liter, Turbocharged, Dual Overhead Cam, 16-valves, I-4, 220 â€' horsepower at 5,100 rpm and 245 lb-ft torque at 2,800 rpm.
Transmission: Four-speed automatic, Five-speed manual.
Fuel Economy (city/hwy): Four-speed automatic 19/25 â€' 20/25, Five-speed manual 21/27 â€' 21/29.
Standard Safety Features: Dual front airbags.
Competition: Chevrolet HHR, Ford Focus, Mazda 5, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Matrix.
Review
When Chrysler first started selling the PT Cruiser in 2000, it stood out like a clown at a funeral. You couldn't help but notice it.
Today, though, there are so many retro-themed cars for sale and so many other PTs on the road that they hardly get a second glance. We've grown accustomed to seeing cars like the Chevy HHR and SSR, Volkswagen Beetle, Ford Thunderbird and Mini Cooper, so it's like all our funerals have become filled with mourners dressed as clowns. Craziness has become fashionable, it seems.
That's why I'm surprised Chrysler wasn't very bold when it redesigned the PT Cruiser for 2006, especially after seeing sales figures for the way-hot HHR -- a car that's often dubbed the "me too" cruiser because of its similarities to the Chrysler.
Instead of adding some zest with a wild new look or attention-grabbing new features, the latest PT is only mildly changed and slightly better. It has a new interior -- one that looks different but hardly functions any better than the old one -- along with some baffling styling changes on the front end.
The front-end style is the most difficult to fathom because the changes seem neither necessary nor particularly attractive. Chrysler designers gave the PT a new grille that looks good enough, but there was no compelling reason to replace the old one. It looked just fine. Same thing goes for the front fascia that surrounds the fog lights, which have inexplicably changed from oblong to round.
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