The PT Cruiser!!!

Very quick review...overall very utilitarian but with a very serious problem.

Interior...not too bad...the materials aren't bad for the level of vehicle...fabric, plastic, and fit is not bad relatively. One problem is there is some poor visibility when looking to the sides and behind. Simple controls...things work fine. The A/C can keep up with 108 degrees pretty well (with tinted windows).

Exterior...personal choice...but one notable bit of praise...the door handles and trunk handle are solid metal (oh yeah, inside too). Pretty hefty and sturdy for a car of this magnitude. Keeping up the retro-theme, the exterior door handles require a push of the button...haven't seen that in years.

Handling...about what one would expect, a bit jittery with usual amounts of roll, etc.

Road noise...pretty damn noisy.

Power...pretty little power, but fine for grocery getting.

Utility...excellent

Gas mileage...sucks, 20 mpg over 450 miles. Not good for a little 4-cylinder with crappy pick-up...and no, I didn't abuse it.

Ok, the big killer...

The TRANSMISSION will get you killed! Step on the brake firmly to create a fairly short stop (the type that might happen 2 or 3 times every 20 miles or so of "city" driving) and the tranny goes out of gear into some sort of pseudo-neutral. Step on the gas, the engine revs, but goes nowhere until 2-3 seconds later the tranny kicks into gear and slams you forward. This also happens if you are going slowly through a very tight turn (wheel turned all the way one way or the other)...such as in a parking lot situation.
Best of all, I told the guy at the rental agency (Dollar) that this car is "defective"...he said "what's the problem, the transmission???" I said, "yeah, how did you know?"...he said, all the PT Cruisers fall out of gear if you step on the brakes firmly...THAT WAS BEFORE I SAID WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS!!! I said that it would get people killed!
He said all the Sebrings have an airbag problem and all the Concordes (I think) have "check engine" lights on...and Chrysler does nothing about this. Freaking surprise. Another example of partially engineered stylish vehicles pushed into production too early before they are fully engineered...beware anyone who buys the Pacifica!!!

 

Yiikes. Sure hope Chrysler doesnt rub off on Mercedes!!

 

Maybe Pacifica is the first Chrysler to be fully sorted out and professionally engineered. Maybe not. I'm not going to be the test case.

 

has worked there for 25+ years...little things have changed...not as bad as the 80's, but still products are being pushed out before engineering is even 40-50% complete (an improvement from 10-15%)...still Chrysler's motto seems to be to push the new product out quickly while interest is high...then let the dealers fix the problems.

Later in a model generation is likely to be more completely engineered...obviously.

You can't polish a turd.

 

that why would one suddenly expect change "this time"...what about "last time"?

 

... and the Pacifica was somewhere down the list, below my wife's "..over my dead body will you catch me driving that thing..." threshold.

 

Well...you have a smart wife!