Review Car

2011 Chrysler Pt Cruiser

New for The 2011 Chrysler Pt Cruiser is a 180-hp turbo option for Touring and Limited models; it comes only with automatic transmission. This retro-styled 5-passenger 4-dr wagon has front-wheel drive and a 2.4-liter 4-cyl engine. Base, Touring, and Limited models come standard with 150 hp. The turbocharged GT model has 220 hp. Manual transmission is standard, automatic optional with the other engines. The GT’s automatic is Chrysler’s Auto Stick with a separate gate for manual shifting.

Antilock 4-wheel disc brakes with traction control are standard on the GT and optional on 180-hp versions. A front disc/rear drum ABS option is available for nonturbo models. Front side air bags are standard on Limited and GT, optional elsewhere.

Also newly optional are satellite radio and Chrysler’s UConnect, which uses the audio system as a hands-free, wireless link to any cell phone in the car. Cruiser’s front passenger seat folds and the rear seat stows or removes for extra cargo room. The base model has 15-inch wheels, Touring and Limited have 16s, and the GT has 17s. GTs also have body-color exterior trim, exclusive sport seats, and silver instrument faces with matching cabin accent.

2011 Chrysler Pt Cruiser isn’t flying out of showrooms at padded prices the way it did when it was the newest, hottest thing on the street. Indeed, some dealers and Chrysler itself have resorted to rebates and other incentives on certain models. Perhaps because of that, sales rose 4.7 percent in the first half of 2002 vs. the year-earlier period. A steady stream of new packages and trim options has also likely helped keep the Cruiser fresh and buyers interested. The Cruiser’s next big shot in the arm may come in early 2011 when the much-anticipated convertible version arrives. It won’t have the wagon’s cargo space or versatility, but convertibles have never sold on practicality anyway. Because it’s almost sure to be heavier than the wagon, the drop-top may well get the Turbot’s 215-hp engine as standard. It will definitely have seating for four, plus a fixed “hoop” bridging the passenger compartment to restore some of the body rigidity that’s always lost when a fixed-roof car is “decapitated.” The top will probably be manual, with power operation optional. As for the future, the Detroit rumor mill has The 2011 Chrysler Pt Cruiser sticking with its basic design through model-year 2011, after which a redesigned replacement is expected.