2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible Road Test

Not To Be Taken Lightly

Can you think of the last time something was so good that it truly surprised you? It happens occasionally in the car biz, but often enough the end product doesnt quite live up to the marketing spin.

Not so with the new PT Cruiser Convertible. When I first caught site of it in concept guise I thought it would eventually be a nice little pretender, nothing to be taken seriously but rather something merely to toss the coif while attracting a few envious eyeballs.

After a days drive through the winding roadways that surround Scottsdale, Arizona I stand corrected. This is a real enthusiasts car, with wonderful road manners and loads of power, especially in top-line GT trim.

During the

Unlike some new cars, the new PT Cruiser Convertible actually does live up to the marketing spin. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

walk-around, where various Chrysler execs from design, product planning, engineering, public relations and marketing demonstrated the cars attributes, I nabbed the keys to the fully-loaded 5-speed GT on display. It featured a gorgeous coat of almond metallic paint, with an interior color scheme featuring body colored dash inserts and console, plus two-tone beige and taupe leather seats.

Before even getting out on the road, I took

Chrysler had talked about its best-in-class rear legroom, and they werent joking. There is plenty of room in the back for two adults to ride in comfort. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

the opportunity to check out the drop-tops rear seats. Chrysler had talked about its best in class rear legroom so I had to see for myself. Theyre not joking, I had room to spare even with the front seat pulled to its rearmost position, plus the seatback was comfortable, with ample lumbar support and plenty of shoulder and hip room.

But it was the drivers seat that most intrigued me. The GT features manual fore, aft and recline adjustment as well as power seat height.

The convertibles stylish cabin is also relatively quiet at high speeds with the top down. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

My tester included the 2-way heated front seats as well, a great option if youre in a colder clime. And dont think for a minute the bun warmers werent needed just because we were traveling through Arizona. The cushion heaters were set to high while the heat was on full blast, and even then the nip in the air forced me to put on a brave face. Fortunately the wind tunnel honed PT convertible does a good job of deflecting wind overtop the sport bar so my discomfort was kept to a minimum. The lack of wind made it easy to converse even at "slightly" higher than posted speeds too.

Like I mentioned previously,

Under the hood of the GT model is a 2.4-L turbocharged 4-cylinder delivering 220-hp and 245 lb-ft of torque. While it offers surprisingly quick acceleration, the mid-grade 180-hp turbo (shown) moves along pretty well too. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

the GT will put a grin on your face under full acceleration. Under the hood is a 2.4-L turbocharged 4-cylinder delivering 220-hp and 245 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. Youd think that torque-steer would be a problem, but Chrysler has done a great job of exorcising this annoyance out of the equation even under full steam mid-corner. Drop the clutch and hammer the throttle and youll feel a little tug on the wheel, which cant be avoided, but overall its extremely controllable.

The same must be said in the handling department. The GTs standard 17-inch chrome alloy wheels wrapped with P205/50 HR17 Goodyear

Chrysler has done a wonderful job raising torsional rigidity to extreme levels, making the PT Cruiser Convertible one of the tightest ragtops Ive driven in a long time. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

Eagle performance rubber join a performance-tuned suspension to make short work on tight curves, understeering when pushed to the limit, and I mean really pushed, but overall carving up twists and turns like a sports car.

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