New PT cruiser

Discussion in 'PT Cruiser' started by Ashton Crusher, Oct 17, 2009.

  1. Ashton Crusher

    Brian Priebe Guest

    That's frankly awful when a 3.5L AWD Pacifica weighing 4,675lb before
    I sit in the driver's seat gets 21MPG (US) on the highway in real
    world driving. And that's with nearly 110,000miles on the odometer.
     
    Brian Priebe, Oct 19, 2009
    #21

  2. I agree with you. It's offset by the low price, they almost give them
    away. My Crown Vic gets 25 mpg on highway trips. My Mustang GT often
    gets 20 for my commute if I baby it, otherwise 18. The saving grace
    of the PT is that in town it looks like I can count on between 18 and
    21 depending on how heavy traffic is. I got 21 tonight on a 15 mile
    in town trip with light traffic.
     
    Ashton Crusher, Oct 19, 2009
    #22
  3. Ashton Crusher

    CF Guest

    That car really needs the CVT transmission! Wonder why they didn't do
    it two years ago!
     
    CF, Oct 19, 2009
    #23
  4. Ashton Crusher

    Bill Putney Guest

    Hey Ashton - you're just a piker compared to these guys - golf carts
    legally qualifying as "electric vehicles" if they are shown to be "road
    worthy":
    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107204574473724099542430.html

    "...Golf Cart Man is referring to his offer in which you can buy the
    cart for $8,000, get a $5,300 tax credit off your 2009 income tax, lease
    it back for $100 a month for 27 months, at which point Golf Cart Man
    will buy back the cart for $2,000. "This means you own a free Golf Cart
    or made $2,000 cash doing absolutely nothing!!!..."
     
    Bill Putney, Oct 19, 2009
    #24

  5. It's been living on borrowed time for the last several years. I think
    the Caliber (which I believe has CVT) was supposed to replace it but
    people kept buying the PT. I'm pretty sure 2010 will be it's last
    year but who knows. If they can keep making money on them and people
    keep buying them due to the low price and they don't need the factory
    for something else maybe it will go longer. Originally I think 08 was
    supposed to be the last year.
     
    Ashton Crusher, Oct 20, 2009
    #25

  6. You're too late. I did that here in AZ over a decade ago with a NEV
    (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle).
     
    Ashton Crusher, Oct 20, 2009
    #26
  7. Ashton Crusher

    Bill Putney Guest

    Seriously?
     
    Bill Putney, Oct 20, 2009
    #27
  8. Yup. Paid 8,000 for the NEV, got 10,000 tax credit, sold the NEV for
    $2000. It was the political scam of the day. Followed a decade later
    by the Alt-fuel scam where you could get about half the cost of your
    F-150 paid by the state if you bought one that could run on propane as
    well as gas. Most of them had 8 gallon propane tanks.. about enough
    to make a trip to the grocery store. It was pushed by a Mormon who
    apparently though no one but other Mormon's was going to hear about
    it. It put a huge hole in the state budget once word got out. They
    had to repeal it pronto before the state went bankrupt buying everyone
    half of a truck.
     
    Ashton Crusher, Oct 20, 2009
    #28
  9. Ashton Crusher

    Steve Stone Guest

    In 2006 the sales droids at one dealer were pushing me to buy the
    Caliber instead of a PT Cruiser.
    Their reasoning was a college kid wouldn't be caught dead in an stodgy
    PT Cruiser, and look at all the extra
    cup holders, the built in AC inverter, the drop down rear tailgate
    speakers, the glove box that doubled as a cooler!

    I stuck with the Cruiser because it seemed to be better able to handle
    the load of "stuff" my daughter stuffed into her college dorm, and she
    liked the slightly higher seating position.
     
    Steve Stone, Oct 20, 2009
    #29
  10. Ashton Crusher

    Brian Priebe Guest

    I've had occasion to rent both the PT and the Caliber over the years
    as the PAC was in the shop. The early Caliber CVT you couldn't pay me
    to own. Floor it and it took eons to rev the engine. I've heard it's
    improved a lot since. But the PT was peppy even without the turbo,
    comfortable, as as you note has relatively cavernous cargo area. But
    gas mileage has always sucked.

    Now what they really need is that Nissan 2.5L with their CVT that I
    drove in an Altima over the weekend. Miserly on gas (32MPG EPA on the
    highway) and when "required" embarrasses just about anything else on
    4 wheels that isn't a sports sedan. Nissan could learn a great deal
    from Chrysler about how to set up suspensions though. (And the tires
    were garbage.)
     
    Brian Priebe, Oct 21, 2009
    #30

  11. I read a lot of complaints about the CVT like you mentioned. I was
    originally going to buy a Patriot instead of the PT but there were
    none left. Anyway, I rented a Patriot to see how I liked them and the
    2009 models seemed to have had the CVT problems ironed out IMHO. It
    worked very well and I would love to have the Patriot
    engine/transmission setup in the PT. But the transmission in the PT
    shifts very nicely. For FWD the PT feels pretty good, I generally
    hate FWD vehicles because of how they "feel".
     
    Ashton Crusher, Oct 21, 2009
    #31
  12. Ashton Crusher

    Steve Stone Guest

    I think the insurance company will total our 2006 PT Cruiser after it
    was rear ended last week.
    I'm wondering if I should replace it with a 2010 PT Cruiser or the Dodge
    Journey.
    The Journey doesn't have the same personality of the Cruiser but may do
    a better job carrying "stuff"
    and pulling out on the interstates with a V6 engine.
    AWD might be a better choice for coping with winter in New York.
    Negatives I've read about the Journey are mushy handling and feeling
    like it will roll over.

    Any one here know more about the Dodge Journey or can compare one to the
    PT Cruiser?

    Steve
     
    Steve Stone, Oct 21, 2009
    #32
  13. Ashton Crusher

    CF Guest

    My wife and I had a 2003 base sedan and a 2005 Turbo Convertible. Both
    got lousy mileage! I wish that the CVT transmission would have been
    available. We now have a 2007 Caliber and get around 27-30 around town,
    and 31-35 on the highway. Never saw anymore than 26 with my two PTs.
     
    CF, Oct 21, 2009
    #33
  14. Ashton Crusher

    CF Guest

    Our 2007 Caliber sits as high as our 2003 and 2005 PT Cruisers. I
    agree, I like the body style of the PT, it is like my 1941 Windsor!
     
    CF, Oct 21, 2009
    #34
  15. Ashton Crusher

    CF Guest

    My wife says that her 2007 Caliber with the CVT has a lot of pickup,
    more than the base 2003 sedan and as much as her former 2005 Turbo PT
    Convertible. You are right about the lousy mileage. The Nissan Murano
    has the CVT as well as the Caliber. Chryslers have always handled
    better, going back to the torsion bar days. Hell, my 1941 Windsor as a
    front and a rear anti-roll bar, all standard from the factory, it is all
    original, 23K miles! The Fluid Drive does move off slowly, but who
    cares, gives me more time to smell the old car interior!
     
    CF, Oct 21, 2009
    #35
  16. Ashton Crusher

    CF Guest

    The Journey is nice, we were thinking about trading in our Caliber for
    the new one. However, after looking at the payments, we decided to
    stick with the Caliber for a while longer. The Journey rode very
    smoothly and had good pickup.
     
    CF, Oct 21, 2009
    #36
  17. Ashton Crusher

    Some O Guest

    The Journey is a very good value vehicle.
    I'm 5'-11" and I found it a bit high for easy entry.
    IMO the Journey is actually a small van. Not surprising Chrysler dropped
    their short Van when the Journey came out.
     
    Some O, Oct 21, 2009
    #37
  18. Ashton Crusher

    Some O Guest

    The urban/city mileage is reasonable.
    That 25 mpg highway mileage is poor.
    My 300M (3.5LV6, 250HP) gets a consistent 28 mpg (US gal) on the highway
    at 60 to 70 mph on regular fuel. I'm quoting actual measured fuel &
    distance for a long trip, although the digital mpg read out shows about
    the same.

    It's likely the the poor body side streamlining that causes the low
    highway fuel mileage. The VW New Beetle has the same problem.
     
    Some O, Oct 21, 2009
    #38
  19. Ashton Crusher

    Steve Guest


    We've owned my wife's 05 for about a year now (bought used with 35k
    miles). Love everything about it except, as you said, the gas mileage.
    Power isn't bad for a 4-holer, actually, but you'd expect 30+ MPG
    instead of 25.

    If they'd put the World Engine with varible valve timing and the
    continuously-variable transmission from the Caliber/Patriot in it,
    that's what they'd have. But I imagine they'll keep costs to a bare
    minimum and build it for one more year with the 2.4/41TE combo that's
    already certified (smog, crash, etc.) and proven.
     
    Steve, Oct 22, 2009
    #39
  20. Ashton Crusher

    Steve Guest

    The World Engine is already as good or better than the Nissan 2.5, and
    the CVT in the Caliber/Patriot is the same one (JATCO) as Nissan uses.
    All they need to do is put Iit in the PT Cruiser in place of the 1995
    tech (and very good for 1995) 2.4/41TE.

    I haven't had an Altima rental yet, but I've had a Sentra and was very
    impressed with the Jatco CVT. The engine (a 1.6 or 1.8 IIRC) was only
    decent- not amazing- but it did have VVT and combined with the CVT it
    always managed to be pretty much able to deliver optimum torque. The
    only time it suckered me was when I used about 60% of the accelerator
    pedal merging onto an interstate, and then went for the remaining 40% to
    keep a safe distance ahead of an approaching truck.... and it had
    NOTHING left to give. That's part of how the drivetrain controllers in
    VVT/CVT cars work- the percentage of the total available power they're
    giving doesn't always correspond to your right-foot position, which
    makes them seem peppier than they should in casual driving and you only
    discover what's going on when you ask for the rest of the power that
    isn't really there.
     
    Steve, Oct 22, 2009
    #40
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