Whatever it's hauling, the PT Cruiser can go enthusiastically. It weighs 3123 pounds with the manual transmission, meaning each of its 150 horsepower pulls roughly 21 pounds of iron. That's a better power-to-weight ratio than a VW Golf, a four-cylinder Honda Accord or the typical minivan, yet a poorer one than sportier cars like the Golf GTI GLX or Honda Prelude. The power-to-weight ratio provides a good indicator of where the PT Cruiser fits in the performance spectrum.Wedged tightly between the Cruiser's stepped fenders and under its tapering hood is a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine with twin overhead cams. Big four-cylinder engines have a natural tendency to idle roughly, so Chrysler uses a counter-rotating balance shaft to smooth things out. The 2.4 happens to be the base engine in Chrysler's minivans; for the Cruiser, improvements were geared toward reducing noise and vibration rather than increasing power. Peak horsepower remains at 150, with 162 foot-pounds of torque. The PT Cruiser offers both a five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmission. The PT Cruiser can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 8.5 seconds (when equipped with the manual transmission), which is more than respectable for a car in this price range. The shifter is surprisingly precise; it's not sports-car grade, but not bad for a longer-throw gate with a lever that's a foot long. Working the gears to get the most from the engine is a pleasant proposition in nearly all circumstances. The automatic isn't as effective as the five-speed at getting the Cruiser cruising, because the 2.4's power is biased toward higher rpm. On the other hand, there are four gears in the automatic, and kickdown shifts come fairly quickly. With properly timed dips of the accelerator, there's enough torque for safe, clean overtaking on two-lane roads. The Cruiser handles more like a sedan than a minivan. It will hustle with good composure and reasonable verve. Body lean is well controlled. By design, the Cruiser understeers moderately, a push that warns a driver to slow down through curves. The Cruiser's strut-type independent front suspension is similar to the Neon's. Its rear suspension design maximizes cargo space, but the solid rear axle bounces a bit on rough pavement. Overall, however, Chrysler's suspension engineers have delivered a good balance of handling and a comfortable ride. They've also done a fine job of masking the Cruiser's height. Only in quick, hard, slalom-type maneuvers does the PT Cruiser start get top heavy. You can almost feel the high mass of the car try to continue in one direction as the front wheels turn in the other. Yet most drivers will never drive hard enough to notice. And in sudden, emergency-type lane changes, the PT Cruiser is more composed than the typical sport-utility or minivan. At speeds beyond legal Interstate limits, the Cruiser is stable, and not particularly susceptible to cross winds. A lack of noise may be the most impressive, or surprising, of all the PT Cruiser's qualities. There is little wind noise, almost no tire or road noise, and just an audible whine from the drivetrain. It has better noise, vibration and harshness control than Chrysler products of the mid- to late 1990s have conditioned us to expect. Front disc and rear drum brakes are standard. A better plan is to order the optional anti-lock brake system, which comes with four-wheel discs and low-speed electronic traction control. The PT Cruiser is no boy racer, nor even a hotrod in the mold of cars that inspired its styling. The Cruiser is, however, a car that turns heads with its looks. It delivers exceptional functionality for its size, and it won't wilt during an enthusiastic drive.
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