Who likes hatchback cars?

Hmm.... interesting!

I will read up on them and test drive one

Misfit,

You should really get your facts straight before you bereat another person's car. There is really no reason to be hostile, using terms like "PiTy Crapper". The Internet is a much more pleasant place if we treat everyone as if they were friends sitting in our living room.

I'm not knocking the Matrix, or any of the other cars I mentioned. I'm just saying the PTC is bigger and the PTC GT is faster, if that is what people are looking for.

I simply stated facts that were derived from legitimate sources such as Consumer Report, Edmunds, and JD Powers.

The PT Cruiser still sells well and there are plenty on the road to establish a realistic reliability rating. The first year sales (2001) were particularly high, and 5 years should be enough to establish good numbers. Besides, the Matrix came out in what... 2003? But you don't seem to have a problem with that.

The PT Cruiser is NOT based on the Neon. The most common misconception about the PT Cruiser is that it's built on the Neon chasis. It is not. The original prototype displayed in car shows was built on a Neon chasis, but when it went in to production they developed a new chasis (actually, a unibody).

If you took 30 seconds at any car site, you could see that it's true. they don't even have the same size engine (2.4L vs 2.0L).

Really, the only fact you seem to have gotten right is that the PTC doesn't have as good mileage as the Matrix and most of the other cars in the list I mentioned. But you forgot to mention that the PT Cruiser also has a really crummy turning circle (40.2' vs 36.8' for the Matrix).

Hey, I'm not saying the PT Cruiser is perfect (neither are any of the other cars), I'm just saying it's worth consideration.

Well, there is no accounting for taste. By that I mean you can't measure it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I happen to think the PT Cruiser is a beautiful car (for a wagon). Certainly nicer than the Scion Xb, or any of the others I listed in my previous post. Hey, I'm not knocking the look of the other cars (except maybe the Xb), I'm just saying that it's a matter of taste.

I think that the black bumpers on the PT Cruiser were a big mistake though. The color matched bumbers are a huge improvement.

It's a piece of s*it like most Chrysler products.

F*ck you.

The Xb would be an example of "pretty is as pretty does." One does not care to look at the exterior without considerable eye protection but, once inside, it's really an attractive vehicle. That is to say, well laid out, lots of room and at a good price.

The PT Cruiser is not something I'd consider purchasing (although I have heard some nice things about it) but, considering what Chrysler was aiming to do, I have always felt the styling was done exceptionally well. One look at the outside and you are compelled to think, "it's a brand-new 1939 car." I regarded the Prowler in much the same way. One look and you're thinking "Dad's old hot rod" yet it was thoroughly modern. Also not a car I would be tempted to purchase but very well done.

Gary, Thanks for your eloquent response. You illustrated my point with much more vigor and enthusiasm than I ever could. My point being that there is always a lag between perception and reality.

In this case, the PT Cruiser is unlike other Chryslers in that it is a well engineered, well made car. But the perception of many (such as yourself) is that of Chryslers from 5 or 10 years ago. As a result, the Chryslers don't hold their value. This is a bad thing if you buy new and sell in a couple years, but it is a good thing if you buy used cars. You are buying cars that are cheaper than they should be because of the perception that they are junk.

It's like the Hondas of the 70's. For years people were saying "Hondas are crap", and "Japanese cars suck". This myth carried on into the 80s when the reality was that the Hondas were some of the best made cars on the road. If you were smart enough to buy the Hondas then, before the perception caught up with reality, you got a great car for a bargain price.

The XRS only comes in a 6-speed manual and only 2WD. I have no need for a 4WD. Do you?

Scion xB was my choice. NO regrets.