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(Enlarge photo)
The PT Cruiser Turbo features a lowered front fascia, electric blue paint and 17-inch chrome wheels with low-profile tires.
(Photo courtesy of DaimlerChrysler AG)
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Sportier, more supportive seats and satin silver interior touches add to the PT Turbo's speedy image.
(Photo courtesy of DaimlerChrysler AG)
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The "2.4L Turbo" badge, lowered rear fascia and large-diameter chrome exhaust make the PT Turbo stand out.
(Photo courtesy of DaimlerChrysler AG)
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Road Test: Follow-Up Test
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Follow-Up Test: 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser Turbo
We Wish
By
Neil Dunlop
Date posted: 11-11-2002
"Too slow." Ever since the PT Cruiser hit the road in 2000, much of the motoring
press complained that it did not have enough power. Many felt that if Chrysler
wanted the PT to be taken more seriously it needed more thrust than the 150 horsepower
its standard 2.4-liter engine provides.
Enter the 2003 PT Cruiser Turbo with its 2.4-liter, 16-valve, inline four-cylinder
turbocharged engine and 215 horsepower. When this latest version of the popular
PT was introduced in early 2002 we were as hopeful as children at Christmas that
it would finally fulfill our wishes for more boost, more grunt and, subsequently,
more fun. So when a brand-new production PT Turbo was delivered to us for a week
of evaluation we tore down to the garage to see our new toy.
From the moment we laid eyes on it we could tell that it was no ordinary PT Cruiser.
The bold electric blue paint, large-diameter chrome exhaust tip, lowered front
and rear fascia, 17-inch chrome wheels and low-profile 205/50HR17 tires indicated
that it was a special model. Also, the "2.4L Turbo" badge on the liftgate was
like a "Free Burgers" sign at our local drive-through — it made us salivate
like Pavlov's dogs.
We were still responding to our conditioned reflex when we slipped into the performance
front seats with slate-colored cloth that are unique to the Turbo. Right away
we could feel that the seats had higher bolsters and more lateral support than
those in the normally aspirated PT. Though they were made in the same upright,
chairlike style, they were snugger and hugged our bodies.
Further heightening our anticipation, visual clues to the Turbo's exclusivity
were all over the interior, such as: the satin silver shift knob, leather-wrapped
steering wheel, silver gauge faces (instead of the standard white) and instrument
cluster bezels with a racy shadow-dot pattern.
So far, so good.
Still excited, we fired the PT Turbo's engine. Since it is the same size as the
2.4-liter inline four engine in the normally aspirated model, we didn't expect
any difference in the engine note. We weren't disappointed. It sounded ordinary,
which is to say, unimpressively like a four-cylinder. In its defense, it is
a four-cylinder.
As we pulled out of the lot, we were also not surprised to discover that the Turbo
has the same 41.5-foot turning radius as its less powerful siblings. For a car
that is actually 6.4 inches shorter than the diminutive Dodge Neon, this is frustrating
and perplexing. For comparison, the Neon's turning circle is 37.5 feet, and a
Ford Explorer makes the same circle in 36.8 feet.
For us, one of the hallmarks of a small, sporty vehicle is maneuverability. If
a hot, little 3,311-pound hatchback has a larger turning circle than a big sport-utility
vehicle, it's got issues.
Returning to the positive, one of the other things we noticed right away was the
tauter feel of the PT Turbo's suspension. We've always appreciated the PT Cruiser's
driving traits. The Turbo improves on these points: its steering responds quickly
— you turn the wheel and the car responds immediately. The suspension is
rigid but not stiff, it gives when it has to for comfort, but does not allow much
body roll. And the sporty rubber provides scads of grip without complaint.
Unfortunately, we are disappointed to report, it's a much more sophisticated setup
than the PT Turbo needs — it's just not fast enough to take it anywhere near
the limits of the suspension and steering. Yes, the new turbocharged engine has
65 more horses and 83 more pound-feet of torque than the normally aspirated PT,
but it wasn't enough to get us excited. We suspect the PT Turbo's suspension could
handle more.
Though the Turbo's engine shares similar specifications to the regular PT, it
is actually a different beast, not just the same one with a turbocharger bolted
on. Larry Lyons, vice president of Chrysler small vehicle engineering, explained
that it was purpose-built: "This engine was created as a 200-plus horsepower motor
for the PT Turbo from the beginning. This allowed us to make significant reliability
improvements over turbo engines of the past."
Of course, having only had the PT Turbo for a week of testing, we can't vouch
for its reliability. However, we can tell you that the automaker redesigned the
cylinder block, head assembly and crankshaft to be more durable. It also added
race car-style oil squirting mechanisms to cool the pistons, allowing for higher
output without stress on those components. And the engineers worked to ensure
the oil- and water-cooling systems were superefficient so that the engine would
last longer and run better.
We considered the possibility that our disappointment with the PT Turbo's performance
was partly because we had too high expectations, but we dismissed this self-criticism
when we recalled that our expectations were just as high for the Volkswagen Beetle
Turbo S and the supercharged Mini Cooper S — two other retro, cult-worshipped
vehicles like the PT — and they didn't disappoint.
So, what's the problem? Same old, same old; the PT Cruiser Turbo still feels like
it's underpowered.
First, there is a significant amount of turbo lag, which we were ready to forgive
given the PT's low $24,510 price. However, the Mini Cooper S is just over 20 grand,
so that's not an excuse. Second, peak torque does not come until 3,600 rpm, which
is a long time to wait for rippin' speed. It's this lack of low-end grunt that
is the major issue because that's what creates the seat-of-the-pants thrill we
love so much.
Chrysler claims a zero-to-60-mph time of eight seconds for the four-speed automatic
version of the car, which is what we drove. This makes it about a second faster
than most sedans and about three seconds quicker than the majority of minivans.
What we're getting at is it ain't slow, but it's hardly fast either. The automaker
says the five-speed manual version will do the deed in 7.5 seconds, which is just
one-tenth more than the Beetle Turbo S and the Mini Cooper S, but, alas, we have
yet to drive the PT Turbo in manual format.
Our test vehicle was equipped with the optional "Autostick" automanual transmission.
It is a fairly decent compromise for a manual shifter, shifts are quick and we
were able to tweak a little more power out of the engine by making shifts later
than the automatic tranny would.
Before we sign off, we want to emphasize that our complaints about the PT Turbo's
lack of boost doesn't mean it isn't fun to drive. It is. We loved how well it
handled and had fun tossing it around curves and sharp bends. If you plan to take
full advantage of its terrific driving dynamics you will have fun, too. Just don't
expect to go fast.
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