PT Cruiser production to end

[Master slacker]

Driver mod does help.

 

[Bman]

I've only driven the PT rental car as well and it was crap (i'd say the same for the mustang rental cars I've been stuck with too though...). I used to have to fly into New Orleans for a meeting every month. I would rent a car in the morning, drive to the job site, attend a meeting, and fly back out that afternoon. The PT Cruiser I rented twice and gave up; no power and it sucked down gas. For whatever reason I usually ended up with a Grand Marquis (or similar) and the gas gauge wouldn't even register the trip, so it would look like I was returning the car with a full tank. The PT showed about 1/8 tank gone both times upon returning...

 

[NCcarguy]

^A 454 powered car is perfectly capable of getting groceries.

Thanks Flyer!!! I actually have been to the grocery store in that car. In fact, I'll bet the trunk space on the Chevelle would rival the space in the PT cruiser.

My original point though, for about the same money there are many other cars that are much more fun to drive. I think that ultimately is the reason a car dies off.

In fact. My 07 Mustang GT with just about all the options you could get that year cost me out the door $26,500. That's only about 3-4k above the price of the "Turbo" PT cruiser......You can see why it would struggle with sales.

 

[MGX]

I rented an HHR for a trip to Houston. We called it the Homo Hot Rod.

 

[Bean PE]

In fact. My 07 Mustang GT with just about all the options you could get that year cost me out the door $26,500. That's only about 3-4k above the price of the "Turbo" PT cruiser......You can see why it would struggle with sales.

A RWD V8 coupe and a FWD turbo-4 station wagon/minivan hybrid are in totally different market segments. I'm sure neither stole very many (if any) sales from the other.

 

[Master slacker]

Knowing that a slow, yet turbo'd 4-banger with poor reviews is only $3000 cheaper than a V8 pony car that has good reviews leads me to believe that the 4-banger is an overpriced and underwhelming vehicle.

 

[Bean PE]

Knowing that a slow, yet turbo'd 4-banger with poor reviews is only $3000 cheaper than a V8 pony car that has good reviews leads me to believe that the 4-banger is an overpriced and underwhelming vehicle.

Well, it is an american passenger car.

 

[engineergurl]

^A 454 powered car is perfectly capable of getting groceries.

Thanks Flyer!!! I actually have been to the grocery store in that car. In fact, I'll bet the trunk space on the Chevelle would rival the space in the PT cruiser.

My original point though, for about the same money there are many other cars that are much more fun to drive. I think that ultimately is the reason a car dies off.

In fact. My 07 Mustang GT with just about all the options you could get that year cost me out the door $26,500. That's only about 3-4k above the price of the "Turbo" PT cruiser......You can see why it would struggle with sales.

Our grocery getter is fun to drive and we got it brand new for right around 20,000 this past october... if I had the choice between the Mazda 6 (our car) or a PT cruiser (turbo or not), I would still choose the Mazda. Every time I've been in a PT cruiser, I didn't feel like I had enough car around me to feel safe.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

a Grand Marquis (or similar) and the gas gauge wouldn't even register the trip, so it would look like I was returning the car with a full tank. The PT showed about 1/8 tank gone both times upon returning...

That probably had more to do with tank size than gas consumption.

Our grocery getter is fun to drive and we got it brand new for right around 20,000 this past october... if I had the choice between the Mazda 6 (our car) or a PT cruiser (turbo or not), I would still choose the Mazda. Every time I've been in a PT cruiser, I didn't feel like I had enough car around me to feel safe.

That's not even a fair contest. I used to have a V6 Mazda 6. I loved that car...right up until I T-boned that truck.

 

[engineergurl]

Our grocery getter is fun to drive and we got it brand new for right around 20,000 this past october... if I had the choice between the Mazda 6 (our car) or a PT cruiser (turbo or not), I would still choose the Mazda. Every time I've been in a PT cruiser, I didn't feel like I had enough car around me to feel safe.

That's not even a fair contest. I used to have a V6 Mazda 6. I loved that car...right up until I T-boned that truck.

My only issue with that car is that the steering column adjuster lever thing sticks out and I nearly always bang up my knee. It's actually the first "BRAND NEW CAR" the hubby and I purchased ever... of course he got rear ended before we even made the first payment, but he stopped on a dime and didn't hit the car in front of him! :mf_heads_or_tails:

 

[Master slacker]

Knowing that a slow, yet turbo'd 4-banger with poor reviews is only $3000 cheaper than a V8 pony car that has good reviews leads me to believe that the 4-banger is an overpriced and underwhelming vehicle.

Well, it is an american passenger car.

:huh:

They're both American passenger cars.

 

[OSUguy98]

Knowing that a slow, yet turbo'd 4-banger with poor reviews is only $3000 cheaper than a V8 pony car that has good reviews leads me to believe that the 4-banger is an overpriced and underwhelming vehicle.

Well, it is an american passenger car.

I've never quite understood the anti-_____ (fill in the blank with whatever Make you wish) mentality, esp. nowadays where cars of just about every make/model are made just about anywhere/everywhere...

 

[Chucktown PE]

Not related to a PT cruiser but I'm looking at buying an 07 GMC Sierra, Extended Cab, Z71 edition next week. ti's at an insurance salvage auction and I think I can get the truck for about $2000, spend $5000 fixing it up, and sell my 03 Honda Accord with 120k miles for $8000. So I'll break even on the deal and have a car with 50k miles instead of 120k. The only catch is it will have a salvage title, but I'll drive it till the wheels fall off so I don't really care. Anyone have any experience with that truck?

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I would advise against the salvage car. Might want to check your insurance carrier, too. Some won't let you insure salvages.

 

[Chucktown PE]

I would advise against the salvage car. Might want to check your insurance carrier, too. Some won't let you insure salvages.

I knew that was coming. I actually have a friend who has a car dealership that does this all the time and if you don't care about driving a car with a salvage title, which I don't, it works out pretty well if you plan on spending the money to fix it right. Outside of the salvage title issue, does anyone have any opinions on that truck?

 

[Bean PE]

I've never quite understood the anti-_____ (fill in the blank with whatever Make you wish) mentality, esp. nowadays where cars of just about every make/model are made just about anywhere/everywhere...

It's about the design and corporate mentality more than where it's built. German cars have electrical gremlins, Japanese cars run forever and get pretty good but not always spectacular mileage, and American econoboxes are fuel efficient but are junk in the grand scheme of things (though I have to admit the new Fiesta looks like a good vehicle) while American trucks and muscle cars are rad-ass.

And when I said "passenger car" I was considering the Mustang GT to be more of a sports car (without getting into the esoteric and largely irrelevant discussion of the exact definition of "sports car").

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I would advise against the salvage car. Might want to check your insurance carrier, too. Some won't let you insure salvages.

I knew that was coming. I actually have a friend who has a car dealership that does this all the time and if you don't care about driving a car with a salvage title, which I don't, it works out pretty well if you plan on spending the money to fix it right. Outside of the salvage title issue, does anyone have any opinions on that truck?

Oh, it is a good truck. What caused the total on it?

 

[Master slacker]

It's about the design and corporate mentality more than where it's built. German cars have electrical gremlins, Japanese cars run forever and get pretty good but not always spectacular mileage, and American econoboxes are fuel efficient but are junk in the grand scheme of things (though I have to admit the new Fiesta looks like a good vehicle) while American trucks and muscle cars are rad-ass.
And when I said "passenger car" I was considering the Mustang GT to be more of a sports car (without getting into the esoteric and largely irrelevant discussion of the exact definition of "sports car").

I wouldn't call the Mustang a sports car period. A sports car to me, and to most other car enthusiasts, include cars such as Corvette, Miata, Boxster, etc... These cars are designed to perform well on race track conditions right out of the box. They're not made for a straight line, necessarily. Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers and the like are pony cars. There are distinct differences between the two categories.

In any case, the two originally discussed cars are American passenger cars. There are good and bad, but countries, in general, don't always have blanket issues (Germany - electrical, etc...). It's a shame that people still label American cars as junk. Sure, the 70's and 80's were broken ankles of American automobiles, but today they're surpassing expectations of both Asian and German counterparts. Sure Japanese cars run forever, but they're supposed to slow down when you take your foot off the gas.

 

[MechGuy]

I wouldn't call the Mustang a sports car period. A sports car to me, and to most other car enthusiasts, include cars such as Corvette, Miata, Boxster, etc...

Miata? Really? I wouldn't call that anything other than a girls car. Sports car surely not.

 

[Chucktown PE]

I would advise against the salvage car. Might want to check your insurance carrier, too. Some won't let you insure salvages.

I knew that was coming. I actually have a friend who has a car dealership that does this all the time and if you don't care about driving a car with a salvage title, which I don't, it works out pretty well if you plan on spending the money to fix it right. Outside of the salvage title issue, does anyone have any opinions on that truck?

Oh, it is a good truck. What caused the total on it?

Front and rear end body damage. It looks like the drive train is okay. The air bag did deploy but I can get one off of ebay. I read that if the repair bill is more than 30% of the car's blue book value then it's considered totaled and the insurance company won't pay to fix it.

I wouldn't call the Mustang a sports car period. A sports car to me, and to most other car enthusiasts, include cars such as Corvette, Miata, Boxster, etc... These cars are designed to perform well on race track conditions right out of the box. They're not made for a straight line, necessarily. Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers and the like are pony cars. There are distinct differences between the two categories.

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