Chrysler Cruiser....... thoughts please.

[purplebargeken]

As the title suggests, thoughts please. A fairly upright seated, comfy car would be good. Would this fit the bill? Quirky is good, I like quirky.

[Guest Lord Sward]

I like them.  Watch the cost of the road tax though.

[dugong]

NO.

 

I think you're mistaking 'quirky' for 'dire pastiche'.

[purplebargeken]

Can't be any worse than most stuff on the road now. 

[purplebargeken]

No? Oh

[dugong]

No? Oh

Sorry. A friend had a CRD it was a litany of untold mechanical misery.

 

Then again, AROnline says I'm Clarkson-lite and can't operate an MG6, so what do I know?

[purplebargeken]

Don't really do diesels, so petrol might be better. Tempted by the 2.4/2.5 flavour.

[dave21478]

I have seen a few dropping into my miserable price range lately. I think they look ok as long as you avoid all the chrome aftermarket tat a lot of people stick to them.

I hear parts prices can be ruinous though, and they are supposedly incredibly bland to drive.... No real performance and not great economy either.

 

On the plus side, they are fairly spacious IMO and look a bit different in amongst the sea of amorphous monochrome blobs on the road today.

[Fabergé Greggs]

I try to refrain from being negative wherever possible, but seriously: BARF

[purplebargeken]

That could be construed as negative, maybe 

[Matt]

Neighbour across the road has one. It's alarm goes off at total random for no reason. Not sure if that adds anything but there you go.

[dugong]

If you like appalling fuel consumption, spotty parts support and high running costs (and, stick on shiny crow tat), I could recommend a PT Cruiser.

 

However, I'm not high.

[SambaS]

Hmm, PT Cruiser.

 

Serves a purpose probably, whatever floats your canoe I guess.

[dugong]

Hmm, PT Cruiser.

 

Serves a purpose probably, whatever floats your canoe I guess.

It'd sink. Thankfully.

[purplebargeken]

Ok, not feeling the love. Will leave alone.

[Guest Lord Sward]

Avoid the diesels, but the rest are being a bit harsh on the old bus.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Part Time Cruisers are for pot bellied Country and Western fans from Droitwich who picked up an American accent after a week's package deal in Orlando. But they are cheap.

[purplebargeken]

Howdy pardner.

[garethj]

I looked at one of these about 10 years ago when they were newish, I think they had 6000 mile service intervals which was pretty crap even in the 1980s.  Their reliability isn't great, apparently.

 

How about a Honda HRV instead?

[mercrocker]

Funny how many of them are around on the rocking scene.   I guess some folk  think they are American.   Most of 'em die young, (the cars I mean).  No, really, just die.  Without warning, never to fire again.   I would really like to like one but I can't.   Interiors are horrid, lacklustre FWD handling, zero performance.   There are loads better things to burn money on.   Honestly.  

[eddyramrod]

Part Time Cruisers are for pot bellied Country and Western fans from Droitwich who picked up an American accent after a week's package deal in Orlando. But they are cheap.

I'm not from Droitwich.

2.0 petrol manual, 2002. 

Yes, I would definitely do it again, and in fact almost did before dropping on the current Tacuma.  They are no worse to drive than comparable hatchbacks; I once drove our PT and an A3 on the same day, and was perfectly happy to leave the Audi alone thereafter.  I doubt they do anything dynamically better than any other hatch either, really, so don't expect anything earth-shattering.  What they do very well indeed is long-distance cruising.  Did a few long trips in this one.  Cruise control and raised seating makes the motorway a doddle, and the seats, while not up to Volvo standards, are perfectly acceptable.  If economy is a priority, buy a Prius.  If you fancy a PT, grab one and pay for the fuel.  that's always been my philosophy and has given me two Cadillacs and a Daimler in my past, so I think it's served me pretty well.  I don't do misery cars.  The one practical issue these have in daily use, is the turning circle.  It's roughly the same as Concorde at maximum speed.  It's very light because of the power assistance so you don't realise how much lock you haven't got until the front wing (that you can't see) scrapes on the wall you were trying not to hit.  FWD?  Whose bright fucking idea was that?  They seem to be hard on front suspension bushes too, and as has been suggested, you might want to look into price and availability of parts near you before leaping into ownership.  But is that the Autoshite way?

 

Don't buy manual, it's not especially bad but you know... avoid on principle.

Don't buy diesel.  Just don't.

Don't buy a grey (silver) one.  On principle.  It really is the worst possible colour they could be.  I don't think it suits any car, but the PT is the finest illustration of that point.

 

Good luck.

[Cavcraft]

NO.

 

I think you're mistaking 'quirky' for 'fucking rubbish. So fucking rubbish, in fact, that they make a Laguna automatic with a FIAT 126 engine running on used fishtank water and whose electrics are several pieces of damp string looked positively refined  .

 

 

All of that and also I believe if you don't put chrome flame badges on the bodywork, they will shove a red hot poker up your jacksie at the weekly owner's meeting in any God forsaken coastal resort in Britain.

Also, you don't look like a fat kiddy fiddler or a council estate Elvis, so you're the wrong 'lifestyle choice' for one of these hideous heaps of wank.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Howdy pardner.

You talkin' to me, Boy? Goddamn commie lovin' jew boy. Sure gotta preddy mouth etc etc.

[Cavcraft]

And Autoshite will hunt you down and kill you.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Also, you don't look like a council estate Elvis.

Genuinely coughed a mouthful of Nescafe Gold Bland all over the keyboard laughing.

You owe me a keyboard.

[RoadworkUK]

I feel sorry for Bryan Nesbitt, the PT's designer. Waking up every morning knowing you brought that into the world must be like bearing the guilt of Nazi war crimes or something.

[eddyramrod]

Could be worse... could be Chris Bangle.  Now THAT's a cross I wouldn't want to bear!

[Guest Lord Sward]

We once had to do a clutch on a diesel.  Absolutely the worst job we've ever done in our workshop.  The bits arrived, from Chrysler, at vast expense and guess what?  They were for LHD cars.  Thats right, Chrysler didn't realise they did a RHD diesel. Eventually, and after buying much more specialist workshop kit then we'd budgeted for that year, let alone, that job, we'd completed it.  The stuff of nightmares.

 

Roll forwards a few months and I return home quite ill from a road trip to the Geneva motorshow.  I roll off the ferry all but dying and get delivered home.  Doctors decide that I'm too ill for hospital (remember that folks, the NHS officially say that hospitals are not fit for ill people) so I get around the clock, excellent and fairly intensive nursing at home.  I have two drivers put into my arm for the cocktail of expensive drugs (which I have to pay for myself as I'm NOT in hospital, go figure) and the nurses tell me that its all going to hurt.  I therefore must think of something quickly to distract me from the pain and process.  I think of fitting and bleeding that Chrysler clutch.  I breeze the needles and drivers.  Thats how poorly they are engineered.  And I HATE needles.

[dugong]

I feel sorry for Bryan Nesbitt, the PT's designer. Waking up every morning knowing you brought that into the world must be like bearing the guilt of Nazi war crimes or something.

It looked bloody brilliant on the drawing board.

 

As did the Prowler.....

[mercrocker]

All of that and also I believe if you don't put chrome flame badges on the bodywork, they will shove a red hot poker up your jacksie at the weekly owner's meeting in any God forsaken coastal resort in Britain.

Also, you don't look like a fat kiddy fiddler or a council estate Elvis, so you're the wrong 'lifestyle choice' for one of these hideous heaps of wank.

Nowt wrong with God-forsaken coastal resorts.    Or Council Estate Elvis.   I fucking idolised him when I was a nipper (council estate version I mean).   He didn't have a FWD hatchback though - a shagged 68 Caddy with only one 8 track jammed in the player.   Ray Charles, it was.   The Caddy had lost both fender skirts and most of its headlining.   Maybe their ghosts are even now silently cruising the back of the funfair at Dymchurch....