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C2 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday April 17, 2002 PT Cruiser looks retro and fully engineered C hrysler's PT ment of a turbo version Cruiser is a wonderful that will offer 215 hp. example of what hap enough to make the PT a pens when you listen to hot rod in every sense of the public. the word. Produced in 2000 as And that is not all an early 2001 model, Chrysler is doing to keep the hype surrounding the PT Cruiser in the the car was already two consumer m ind's eye. years in the making Currently special flame from the original con paint and "woodie" trim cept car, the Euro packages are offered and Cruiser, that was ^ at the recent Geneva shown, I believe, in Motor Show we were Geneva, not Detroit. told a convertible will at The effect of the car last be available. Looking as cool as it did tw o y ears ago, the (now called the PT Jim Robinson Currently there are C hrysler PT C ru iser still catches ap p recia Cruiser) on the public was immediate. three PT models available, the base, the tive glances, especially w ith the optional 16Purchase inquiries started pouring in for Touring (as tested) and the Limited. The inch chrom e wheels. ABOVE: A tru e h atch the little car with the big interior to the Touring can be considered "nicely" back, the PT C ru iser has re a r seats th a t can point Chrysler simply could not ignore equipped with such niceties as be folded flat o r rem oved. T he tra y on the demand. power/heated mirrors, remote entry, cargo floor also acts as a cargo cover an d a Now I thought another car shown overhead console with compass and out table. BO TTO M RIG H T: T he in terio r o f the about the same time, called the Pronto side temp gauges, three 12-volt power PT C ruiser is finished in light colours with Cruiser, was going to be the production points, cargo net, fold-flat passenger easy to reach controls an d gauges. variant. But as happens so often, I was seat, touring suspension with 16-inch totally wrong and the Pronto Cruiser has tires and aluminum wheels. disappeared, With a base price although I still of $26,440. my tester believe this is the had several options. BODY STYLE: small call The first was $1,030 Five-door hatchback D a im le r C h r y s le r for the four-speed DRIV E M ETH O D : needs. automatic. Next was front-engine, front-drive While the PT $1,020 for the fourEN G IN E: 2.4-litre DOHC Cruiser has a definite wheel disc brakes inline four-cylinder (150 hp. retro look to it, there with ABS and low----------' 18 ,9 95 SUPW SMI _ 162 lb/ft) is nothing retro about speed traction con ` 18,895* S U P t t S A U 1 7 4 9 5 s u m SAU FU EL ECONOM Y: 11.9U100 ·14,99 5 SUP« SMf the engineering or >39,995 suPtt SMI trol. --------- -- f^loaWSinraS km (24 mpg( city, 8.6U 100 km hHylooW,'«*«-Sl'L ,fl utility. For instance, Note the car (33 mpg) highway. comes standard with the wheelbase is 103 PR IC E : $26,440, as tested inches (2,616 m) and disc front, drums rear $29,605, $810 shipping not while that is about and no traction con included. right for a compact trol. Luckily, the foursedan, there are 101.2 cu. ft. (2,866 disc/ABS package available on all three 6 9 9 5 sunn SMt < ` 1 M 9 5 SUP«SAII litres) of passenger room on the inside. versions is a thousand bucks well spent. s a g a s . With the 35/65 split rear seats up, there Other options included $500 for the side u, m k t is 19 cu. ft. (.0538 cu. M.) of luggage air bags, $175 for the power driver's space. Take out the fold and roll rear seats, and $170 for an upgraded sound seats (the only removable seats available system. Lastly there was a charge of on any hatchback) and that increases to $270 for a set of chrome-plated 16-inch 64.2 cu. ft. (1.82 cu. M.). If you need aluminum wheels that really set this car more room than that, the front passenger off. seat folds forward. If you go for the Limited, consider it I should also note there is an innova a Touring with a leather-lined interior. <10,895 s u m w s b b s s 14 ,9 95 SUftt SMI tive tray that can sit flat on the cargo Even though it has been on the road 4 to.« #*n4 toaM. sunniof. Stk. « W » 4 * OM floor, serve as a contents cover, or with for more than two years, the PT Cruiser folding leg extended, becomes a chest- still draws attention wherever it goes. height table, perfect for a little lunch Several people at work asked to take a roadside or a couple of `brown trout' look inside and all were impressed with High School, · after your local softball game (assuming the size of the back seat. The fact the University or College you have a designated driver, of course). rear seats come out like a minivan also Power for the PT Cruiser is a 2.4- comes as a surprise. It also leads to peo · 13395 SUPCTSMi *19,995 sura ,, litre, twincam 16-valve four-cylinder ple asking me why other carmakers h*rloaW ,***k W 8 W I 33 k S ! * - " producing 150 hp and 162 ft/lb of don't do the same thing, for which I Optimum I USED VEHICLES torque. A five-speed manual transmis have no answer. sion is standard, a four-speed automatic My good wife, a former Chrysler optional. If there is one drawback, it is owner who has to be pried out of her engine power versus the weight of the beloved offshore minivan, drove home '$500 credit indudes taxes. Seryke coupons for a cost o f cents. PT. Power is adequate for most daily from a family Easter dinner and pro Fulltime students with a valid identification and or with six months o f graduation. Please call for details. driving, but with four passengers hill claimed the PT to be "pretty good" climbing is leisurely and there is a lot of high praise indeed from a confirmed no engine noise. By the same token, on the fuss A-B driver. A believer in taller is W G sfoH to tm K trtU e highway, the PT moves along quite better when behind the wheel, Mom Maintenance Oil '62,995 smartly. If you don't keep an eye on the found no trouble adjusting to the PT, Changes for 3 Years `speedo' the PT easily slides past whereas she isn't keen to drive our sec lOOkmh before you notice. In fact, pass ond car, a compact, because the seating or 72,000kms! * G M RENTAL B U YB A C K . P S T /G S T /L IC /A D M ($ 1 6 5 ) EXTR A ing (although there is intake manifold position is so close to the ground. howl) is pretty good. Like all multi Because this car is built in Mexico, I valve engines, once you get the revs up, spent some time going over the panel fit the torque is there. and the quality of the paint. Mexican The power issue is going to be quality control has not been the greatest, addressed shortly, with the announce but the PT I was testing showed no _________________ unevenness in body panel gaps and no paint `orange peeling* was to be found. Many colours and Many pundits said PT Cruiser sales would peter out after the novel ty was gone, but sales worldwide are approaching 400,000, hardly the numbers of a niche vehicle. That's because D aim lerC hrysler has cleverly creat Now for the first time ever on our most popular Caravan, Dodge introduces the Quad Convenience Package. ed a kind of mini minivan for those Includes CD Player, Quad Seating and Remote Keyless Entry. who would never buy a minivan. SE 28D F eatures Include: · 3 .3L V6 engine - 180hp · 4-Speed automatic transmission · Air conditioning · Multistage driver and front Drawn by the passenger airbags · Speed control · 7 Passenger seating · Power windows, locks and mirrors · Sentry-Key* theft deterrent system great looks, the PT Cash purchase for or lease for Cruiser hits the logic mark with PAYMENTS FOR interior volume, a month for 48 months. fabulous utility, With S4.443 downpayment or equivalent trade. U financing and good fuel Phis $300 security deposit X W 48 months. and S9S5 freight economy, and on regular gas. So if you think the PT Cruiser is simply a styling For an additional a m onth gimmick designed step up to the Q uad Convenience to keep the D aim lerC hrysler Package including: name in con ^ CD Plavcr sumers' minds, go S dealer lo r details into a dealership and try one on for size. A i - ii Don't be sur prised if you buy Oakville's 2000 · one, there's a little 2001 Five Star Certified Dealership . flame paint in your future. 7 years in th e sam e location. ROAD WORTH! KERRific DEALS FOR APRIL AT A GLANCE SffiSHK *>» 3SSST- Optim um Student Program 0 KERR'S Fabulous Finds * 5 0 0 Credit* \ &2GM Goodwrendi Oil A Fitter Coupons NO CH AR G E ^ Canada' s #1selling minivan. 2002 Dodge Caravan * 2 3 ,2 8 8 $1 Q " LJ7 *2 5 8 r r NO 90 DAYS A m C H R Y S L E R LOCKWOOD 175 W yecroft Road, Oakville fix / e s t a r w 905 845.6653 between Kerr & Dorval) 1