It was Memorial Day Monday. I was out running in errand in my new car. I was slowing for a red light, when BAM – the car behind me smashed into me. I wasn’t hurt, but my new car was pretty beat up, so I was left to drive a rental for several weeks. Much to my horror, when I went to pick up my rental, they handed me the keys to a shiny, silver PT Cruiser.
Now, I know about funny looking cars. I own (and love) a Scion XB, and I take my fair share of abuse about it. The Cruiser is one of those cars that people either love or hate. Some people think that its retro curves are “oh so cute”. I’m not one of those people, and I don’t mean to offend them, but I think the Cruiser is incredibly ugly. It’s just not my cup of tea.
So, making the best of a situation, I decide to take my Cruiser and be grateful that my insurance company is paying for it. I get in, and I am immediately stuck by how comfortable the driver’s seat is! Really! It’s very firm and has good back support. I really like the seat a lot. That’s about where my comfort in this car ends.
The interior of this car is cramped. I’m not a big person, I’m only 5ֶ”, and maybe that is part of the problem. In order to reach the pedals, I have to sit up close, and I feel like I’m right on top of the dash. It’s somewhat claustrophobic! Additionally, having just been in an accident, I’m a bit paranoid. I think that I’m so close to the wheel that heaven forbid the air bag deploys, I could lose two bra sizes! I’d feel a bit better with a little more space between me and the dash.
Speaking of the airbag, as is customary, it’s located in the center of the steering wheel. The wheel, of course, is designed to look “retro”, so it’s fairly open with just a small round center panel housing the airbag and the horn. The first day I was driving the Cruiser, a Mustang cut me off. I hit the horn, and darned if I didn’t almost sprain my wrist! You have to hit the very top of the wheel circle to activate the horn, and then, if you get it in just the right spot, it rewards you with a sweet little “beep”. I’m not a heavy horn user; the only time I use it is when I really need to get another drivers attention and avert an accident. In those instances, I don’t want a sweet little “beep”. I want a loud obnoxious “HONK”.
Since I’m so close to the dash, I get a good look at it. Can you say “plastic”? It’s not the fact that it’s plastic (my car has a plastic dash, too); it’s just that it’s so chintzy. It’s a basic black plastic, with panels of silver plastic designed to look like old fashioned metal plates. The look doesn’t work. It just looks like cheap chintzy plastic.
The gauges and controls are all normal and well placed. The air-conditioner is great! The radio controls are good – lots of pre-set buttons and a cd player. The car has cruise control and intermittent windshield wipers. Wait – what’s that in the very middle of the dash? The window controls? Why the heck are the window controls in the middle of the dash board? With a standard on the door window control, I can easily operate the window without taking my eyes off the road. The center panel looks weird, feels weird, and just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Maybe I’m just too rigid, but I like my window controls on the door.
The rear view mirror is annoying small. Thankfully, the side view mirrors are large and well-shaped and provide a really good view. They are especially important because it’s very hard to see the road around you when you drive the Cruiser. With all those “cute” retro curves, this car has so many blind spots it warrants a guide dog! Lots of metal and small windows in the back make it really hard to see. On second thought the rear view mirror is probably big enough because it does cover the whole back window – which I like to think of as a peep hole. It’s very small and doesn’t offer a good view of what’s happening behind you. This of course is not a major problem, since when you look in the mirror, instead of seeing the “peep hole” you get a great view of the two rear head rests and the back window brake light. Bad, bad, bad design.
The rear peep hole does have a window wiper and washer. I think this is important for visibility. Of course when I pulled my rented Cruiser into the driveway, the rear wiper simply fell off. Since this is a rental car, I can’t blame the car manufacturer. I don’t know how the car has been maintained and serviced, but I don’t think the wiper should just fall off. Thankfully the rear defroster works well and fast, and helps to clear up the back window quickly.
The sun visors are also a source of amusement. Chrysler was kind enough to put vanity mirrors on both visors – a nice little touch. On the mirror cover it states “sliding visor”. It took just a few minutes of fiddling for me to realize that the ˝ inch jiggle in the visor was the extent of its sliding ability. Sliding visors seem to be more of a way to cover up a minor design flaw than a selling feature.
I should probably talk about the engine, horsepower, and torque, but frankly I don’t know what torque is or how many stallions are under that “oh so cute” retro hood. I dislike the design and space of this car so much, that no great features in the engine would change my overall opinion. The car seems to run fine. It’s a bit jerky on acceleration, and the gas pedal feels mushy, but it performs adequately for a basic four cylinder model.
I hate this car. I don’t mean to offend any of you Cruiser fans. I know that the Cruiser is well liked by many, but Epinions is all about opinions, and my opinion of this car is pretty bad. Its funny looking, cramped, and has poor visibility, but, hey, it does have a really comfortable driver’s seat!
Afterthought (6-17-05):
In the comments section, it was suggested that I write more about the car’s performance. I am reminded of my favorite hotel review by the esteemed CurtisEdmonds – if there is no hot water, who really cares if there is a continental breakfast? Similarly, if this car is so uncomfortable, who cares how it performs? I realize, however, that comfort is subjective, and that some people may find this car comfortable and appealing.
How does the car drive? Out on the highway it does ok. It’s not going to win any performance awards, but it gets me where I’m going, and the ride, when cruising, is smooth. Acceleration is about average for a 4-cylinder model, but I do find that the car hesitates and jerks when accelerating.
I am very uncomfortable with the gas pedal. I don’t know if this is the design of the car, or if my rental is missing some screw or bracket, but the pedal is connected only in the middle so that it has a seesaw type motion. This was very disturbing at first. IF this is by design, I suppose it could be to allow for drivers’ feet to lie at a comfortable angle, but the rocking of the pedal took a LONG time to get used to. I would prefer a more secure and solid feel to the gas pedal.
My car does make a strange vibration and noise when braking. Again, I don’t know if this is a maintenance issue, and the brakes seem to work fine, I just don’t like hearing strange squeaks and rattles coming from under the hood.
All in all, I still hate this car, but mostly for its aesthetics. I don’t like the shape of the body, and I am uncomfortable with the interior design. For drivers who think that the Cruiser is “oh so cute”, it could be a good choice of vehicle. If the interior space and design is not a turn off, the car performs adequately and comes with a low sticker price that makes it affordable.
Would I recommend this car? No! While the aesthetics are a matter of personal preference, and some people will LOVE the look of the Cruiser, I think that safety should be a major purchasing consideration. The visibility in this car is poor. There are many blind spots, and I feel that it is very difficult to have the level of awareness of the road around me that I would like.
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