I am a regular working woman & am not a car buff, but I want to give you my perspective. I can’t really speak about engine size or wheels etc, but I am just a regular person with a regular opinion. For specs you can go to the web site. I am talking about the base model here.

I had to get rid of my Saturn. God help me. After looking at every car in the universe (I wanted a 1-2 year old used affordable compact car), I was so desperate, everything looked the same. I didn’t even think to give the PT Cruiser a look because I didn’t think I could afford it. I was so worried I would end up with a Honda (great car, but so boring).


THE GOOD

I stumbled upon a Chrysler Used Car lot, & noticed the used PT Cruisers were going for 16k if I was lucky (still too high for my budget). Then the car salesperson said “You know what...the NEW 2003 PT Cruisers are on sale this week for $13,900?” I absolutely couldn’t believe it! I took it for a test drive, I pretty much bought it on the spot. I couldn't belive that it was actually cheaper for me to buy new than used. Even the car dealer said he had never seen anything like it.

I bought a brand new 2003 PT Cruiser stripped down base model (5 speed manual) & I was impressed with all the stuff it comes with...standard. It comes with AC, rear defroster, power windows and a CD player. Good enough for me!

It is super duper roomy. I cannot believe this is considered a compact car…it feels like an SUV! Plus you sit up “high” in the car…nothing wrong with that! Tons of room for two adults in the backseat & heaps of legroom in the front & backseats.

The AC & heater work fast & are powerful.
All four doors have pockets in them to store stuff.Plus under the passenger seat there is a little box to store CD's.

The cutest thing about the stickshift is that it comes with a white cue ball.And it is a long skinny stick shift...RETRO.

The seats have armrests, which are nice, and it is literally the most comfortable backseat in the history of cars. It is HUGE! I took a nap in the backseat one day & thought I was in a hotel.

You can lay down the backseats and easily carry 8-9 ft long items. The backseats also pop right out like an overnight bag…in case you want to carry fish or something in your backseat & don’t want to mess up the cloth seats.

It rides smoooooooooth. Every time I am at stoplight I think my car has died. It is just that quiet.

THE BAD

Ok Now for the bad stuff. You won’t win any races in the base model. It doesn’t have a lot of pickup & go…but just great for a “driving around town” car for sure.

There are some blind spots on this car.

Because (in my opinion) this car seems big compared to regular compact cars…it is a chore to wash it. There are lots of curves and height here. But this is what gives it character.

The glove compartment is fairly small. But the dashboard is extra retro.Lighter/Ashtray are extra.

My new car brakes squeaked for the first several months, but that is to be expected in a new car sometimes. Also the gas mileage hasn’t been fantastic. Good but not great.

The trunk...well it isn't exactly a trunk...it is kind of like hatchback space...not huge but big enough.

THE UGLY

Can you believe that some people think this car is ugly? People are still staring at me as I drive this little bad boy around town. I get lots of nice comments in parking lots and at the grocery store from complete strangers. 99.9% of the people tell me how cute this car is. My best friend thought it was super ugly & I was downright hurt!

I feel like I should wear a beret & get a machine gun & cruise the town in this car. I love the gangster look. The Godfather would love to be seen in this.

Plus you get a ton and I do mean a TON of wacky colors to choose from that no other car manufacturer offers. I chose the silver gray (not wild) but still very nice.









Amount Paid (US$): 13,900
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: Base Model