I have just exceeded 1500 miles on my 2003 PT/GT Turbo, and I am able to share these observations:

Why did I buy - I have a history of back problems, and I need to use my personal vehicle at work. I do a lot of city driving and I need to load/unload 50+ pound items in/out of the car several times a day. I wanted a car with a rear hatch and I wanted the easier entry that comes with elevated seats. The PT was a cheaper option than a van or SUV, and has been everything I need in a car.

Exterior - This retro look is either a "love-it" or "hate- it" scenario. I like it, but I understand that it's more appealing to the over 30 (or even 40) age group. Its small stance fits easily in mall parking spaces with enough room on each side to open the doors wide. I hope this also means I won't get as many dings and dents as I've gotten with my previous cars.

Interior - This car has some notorious quirks in the interior. The power window switches are in the center of the dash instead of on the door. The power mirror controls are on the dash just to the left of the steering wheel, and are difficult to reach while looking in the mirrors. The gauges are black numbers on white faces, but the numerals themselves are back-lit so they're very hard to read at dusk with the headlights on. On the plus side, I have heated seats which are easy to control and comfortable. Seats have lumbar adjustments and power height adjust. I am 6' 2" and I have comfortable head & shoulder room. The passenger seat and rear seats fold down, and the rear shelf has a setting that makes a flat load floor in this configuration. The rear seats also tip forward for extra room. The rear shelf can be mounted vertically behind the rear seats (in their normal position) and that gives you access to the grocery bag hooks like you would find in a mini-van.

Engine & drive train - The turbo charged 4 cylinder engine has plenty of pep, but it seems to lack power at the low end. When driving between 40 and 50 mph, the automatic can't seem to decide which gear to select. This isn't a problem when using my transmission in autostick mode (I leave it in 3rd) and I would suspect that this is not a problem with the manual either. I have PLENTY of merging and passing power! I've been getting between 19 and 20 mpg in all-city driving, which is what I was led to expect (rated at 19 city/25 highway). Premium fuel is recommended, but 87 octane fuel can be used without voiding the warranty. This car is offered with an optional diesel in Europe, and that would probably help the mileage and low end power issues.

Handling - The ride is smooth and quiet. The car corners without as much body lean as I would have expected considering its height to length/width ratios. It stops quickly with the 4 wheel disc brakes (std. on GT, but I don't know if they're optional on other trim levels) and is easy to control during hard-breaking. The turning radius is awful for such a small car...I've read that it's worse than a Ford Explorer.

Overall - I really like this car. At the time of purchase, I was quoted a price of $80 over invoice (invoice price from Edmunds.com) and Chrysler was offering $3000 cash back on 2003 model year clearance.
Amount Paid (US$): 20-21K