2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible Exterior Review
in Affordable Four-Seat Convertibles
Based on analysis of 27 PT-Cruiser-Convertible reviews and test drives.
Exterior - What the Auto Press Says
The PT Cruiser's appearance has always been a major draw for buyers and certainly its most memorable element, but the convertible model adds a chopped off top and retractable roof to the picture. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram believes that the " car is a beauty -- considerably more appealing with the top down than up, as a matter of fact."
Automobile.com finds that "somehow chopping the roof off has transformed the vehicle, giving it a new more youthful appearance." Kelley Blue Book says: "The versatility of the PT's original design shows itself with the creation of the two-door convertible. Not only does the PT Cruiser make a surprisingly attractive convertible with the top down, we also like the more rakish and slightly more sinister roofline created with the top up. Dare we say the look evokes a hint of Chrysler's super-popular 300 sedan?" USA TODAY believes that the "folding top is the marquee feature, so lets go there first. It is handsome. When up, its taut, smooth lines draw and please the eye. Down, it drops far enough into a well to avoid the baby buggy look favored by Volkswagen." The Boston Globe describes the look of the convertible as "more aggressive. It becomes retro in the mode of a Chevrolet SSR (that's the hot rod pickup truck), with front fenders bulging like steroid-enhanced brows, rear fenders flexed, the trademark high belt line, and long doors for easy rear access."
Not everyone likes the look, though, and the main point of contention is Chrysler's "sport bar," a roll-bar-like device that hovers above the occupants and serves both to brace the chassis and to anchor the seat belts. (It does not, however, serve as a roll bar and offers no protection in case of rollover.) Car and Driver feels that the "sport bar" makes the Cruiser Convertible look "sort of butch, almost enhancing its cuteness." The Washington Post believes that the " sports bar is beautifully painted, having a finish resembling piano lacquer, and affixed left and right with the company's jewel-like, winged badge. It is a work of automotive bling-bling." But USA TODAY finds that "the Cruiser's so-called sport bar sticks up like a basket handle." And the Orlando Sentinel doesn't like that look. "Some cars look natural as a convertible, some don't. The PT Cruiser convertible's styling seems a little forced and uncomfortable. With the big hoop between the front and rear seats -- Chrysler calls it a ‘sport bar' -- a PT Cruiser with the top down looks like a picnic basket."
Reviewers find the top easy to remove. "Dropping the top is what a convertible is all about," says the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "and this one requires little effort. Turn a knob overhead by the windshield and then press a button on the console. The roof lowers automatically in about 15 seconds." USA TODAY thinks the roof moves even faster than that: "The top goes up or down in a brisk 10 seconds. That's a treat. Expensive luxury cars arrogantly make us wait 20 and 30 seconds." Several reviewers, though, complain about the effort required to put up the tonneau cover. Automobile.com calls it the "ever-so-annoying tonneau cover. The process to drop the top takes a mere 10 seconds after unhooking the latch, but putting the cover on is more time consuming."
