Five Hundred could carry Ford securely into 2005
The “Big Three†of United States automotive corporations are reinventing themselves these days, veering away from preoccupation with trucks to refocus on full-size sedans. In that scenario, Ford Motor Company introduces the 2005 Ford Five Hundred, which breaks new ground in several ways.
First, the Five Hundred is conservatively styled without gimmicks or frills, but it is a provocative and reasonable sedan that restrains itself from getting caught up in the current tendencies of too much power and winter-challenged rear-wheel drive. It is gratifying to see a company resist those trends, and the Five Hundred appears willing to choose safety and economy over power and pizzazz.
Uncontroversial styling might have better staying power, at that. The Five Hundred is one foot shorter than the aging Crown Victoria and three inches longer than the Taurus, with more rear legroom and trunk capacity than either. Rumors of eliminating the Taurus are premature; the Five Hundred will complement the Taurus, not replace it. At least, not until the trusty Taurus fulfills a couple more years of fleet duty.
Another trend Ford bucked is that companies are acquiring other companies to expand their global presence, and itÂ’s only reasonable to combine models. But after buying Volvo, instead of rebadging the next Taurus or Explorer and forcing the clone on the Swedish company, Ford helped streamline VolvoÂ’s path to create new vehicles, which raised world standards for progressive safety structure.
The Volvo S80 sedan and its truck-of-the-year XC-90 sibling, are built on the “P2†platform, which emerged from considerable time in Volvo’s sophisticated Gothenburg safety center, where frontal, front-corner, rear, side, and rollover crash-tests led to comprehensive safety designs. The S80 and XC-90 might be the safest vehicles on the planet, with ingenious structures designed to absorb, deflect and ultimately control crash energy, while the layering of the different grades of steel – the heaviest used in pillars, roof and side structure – keep occupants in a cocoon.
For the Five Hundred, Ford summoned VolvoÂ’s P2 platform for the underpinnings of the Five Hundred. OK, Ford doesnÂ’t use the costliest, high-strength steel that makes the Volvo unwavering in its safety zeal, but good steel and the structural design make the Five Hundred unquestionably the safest Ford sedan ever built.
A Ford body, with a Ford-designed interior, and a Ford engine driving the front wheels, wrap around that structure. Ford also borrows VolvoÂ’s Haldex all-wheel-drive system, a device that electronically directs full power to the front wheels, but reacts in 50 milliseconds to shift as much torque as prudent to the rear wheels. You donÂ’t need all-wheel drive all the time, and in this case you only get it when conditions determine that you need it.
With a base price of $22,795, the car comes quite well-equipped in basic SE form, with SEL and Limited as upgrades. Base price for the all-wheel-drive version is $24,500, and Ford has taken great pains to gather its options on packages that are under $1,000.
“Command seating†puts occupants comfortably up tall, four inches taller than in a Taurus, with a good view and remarkable space. Trunk-space is 21.2 cubic feet, and that’s before folding down the rear seat. Inside, you may be completely unaware that you are in a car officially classified as “midsize,†because of all the spaciousness. You also won’t know you are surrounded by more than just all possible airbags, by a ring of steel, integrated with a frontal energy-management design directing the force of a blow to the lower frame rails and cross-members. Ford claims that the Five Hundred remained perfect from the A-pillar forward in a 35-mph frontal crash.
There will be enthusiasts who will complain about not having enough power. “Enough†is the operative word here. No, the 3.0-liter V6 won’t dust off your neighborhood drag-racer, but it is sophisticated, if small. It has chain-driven overhead camshafts, one over each bank, with four valves per cylinder. Everything is electronic on the engine, including the gas feed, which is computer-coordinated with the transmissions.
As it is, the engine has 203 horsepower at 5,750 RPMs and 207 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 RPMs. ThatÂ’s not a lot, in these days of runaway power. The transmissions themselves help the car achieve acceptable acceleration levels, with 0-60 times under nine seconds. The engine lacks twin cams on each head, or variable valve-timing, but that leaves room for future refinement. Besides, it helps keep emissions lower than the standards demand, and helps fuel economy rank in the upper 20s.
The front-wheel-drive Five Hundred has a six-speed automatic available, while the all-wheel-drive car has a CVT – continuously variable transmission. The problem with U.S. buyers getting accustomed to CVTs is that the transmission shifts constantly, but feels as though it’s not shifting at all. So you step on the gas, the sound level comes up a bit, but then it holds, without increasing as the car goes faster and faster.
ItÂ’s very smooth, and surprising. At the first introductory drive opportunity of the cars north of Chicago, I pulled up to a stoplight on a four-lane highway in a rural region. My drive partner and a Ford designer were on board with me in the all-wheel-drive version with the CVT. Next to us, another Five Hundred stopped with two people aboard. Their car was front-drive with the six-speed automatic. Nobody else was in the vicinity, so we had to go for it when the light changed.
A cynic might say that the little V6 engines couldn’t make the big and spacious sedans go fast enough to be accused of drag-racing, but the surprise was that we pulled ahead slightly on launch, gave up about five feet when the other car shifted to second, then we pulled away slightly again. It turned out, we had two more similarly vacant intersections and repeated the impromptu “test,†and the result was the same each time. We figured their car, being lighter with front-drive only and with two on board instead of three, and having the six-speed against the CVT might have a big edge. But the AWD and CVT prevailed.
Speaking of alpha-numeric identification, itÂ’s wearisome how ferocious images of Barracudas, Firebirds, Eagles, Hawks, Rockets, Chargers, Challengers, and Sting Rays have been transformed into a mind-numbing array of cars named S60, WRX, G35, XLR, CTS, STS, and, for all we know, XYZ. Ford decided to rename its newest cars after past winners, but found GT-40 was copyrighted and had to settle for GT, then Futura was taken, so it needs a new name for its next new midsize sedan.
Ford did use “500†to distinguish its top sedans decades ago, so it rekindled that name for its newest car, with the provision that it gets spelled out – Five Hundred, instead of 500 – for a perceived touch of class. We can only hope Ford will spare us the Edsel, Pinto and Falcon. Please.
At any rate, by whatever name, Ford officials declare the Five Hundred will be the flagship of an entirely new car strategy. Market trends showed sedan buyers were moving upscale, with an ever-increasing demand for more features, more room and more luxury, while smaller sedans were decreasing in popularity, with customers going toward SUV.
Into those seemingly separate trends, Ford dropped the Five Hundred as a vehicle that does both. It provides more room and features than most sedans, while offering up-tall seating, spacious legroom, enormous cargo capacity, and all-wheel drive benefits that used to be the domain of crossover SUVs.
MINI Cooper blows its top with 2005 convertible
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. — The term “mini†has been used to designate all things small, but as a stand-alone term it has become the possession of the Mini – the modern and sophisticated version of a small, squarish, British car born in the late 1960s.
In fact, the Mini Cooper is credited as the source for the term “miniskirt,” a device which undoubtedly must have looked most stunning when viewed from the low-slung seat of a Mini. The people who immediately connect the word Mini with the little square four-seater these days are of a new generation. They may scarcely recall the original, but it doesnÂ’t matter. They know what they like, and they like the Mini Cooper, which was reborn two years ago, courtesy of German car-maker BMW.
Two years ago, telling someone you were buying, or driving, a Mini might have been met with a quizzical look or a blank stare. But the past two years not only have entrenched Mini Cooper name, but made it strong enough to introduce an entirely new model – the 2005 MINI Cooper convertible. Where the Mini Cooper coupe is both cute and macho, the MINI Cooper convertible has a more severe dose of cute, without lessening its cheeky aggressiveness.
This week, BMW chose to introduce the new MINI Cooper convertible in Minneapolis. Car makers strive to dazzle the media with far-flung trips to the California coast, or to exotic resorts, but Minneapolis was chosen for being uncharacteristic. As the most sprawling, bustling city in Minnesota, Minneapolis is comparatively unknown as part of flyover country to the continent-hopping auto marketers. Perfect. For a city that used to boast about being the “Mini-apple†to New York’s “Big Apple,†and as the cultural hub of a state widely nicknamed “Minny,†timing was just right for the city’s debut as a car intro site.
Company officials stress that MINI Cooper convertible buyers should keep the top down 90 percent of the time, delivering all of them in top-down mode, and asking owners to sign a contract in triplicate vowing to try to keep the top down except for specific situations, such as the temperature dropping below freezing. Turning on the heaters is OK when it’s chilly, and raising the windows with the top down is allowed, although only for the meek. One compromise is possible. Push a button, and the leading edge of the convertible starts sliding back, stopping after opening 16 inches. A sunroof in a convertible – who could have thought of such an idea? Another push of the button, and the top folds the rest of the way back, then down, stashing neatly behind the twin-hoop rollbars behind the rear seats
Another push of the button, and the top goes the rest of the way. In Minneapolis, in January, clever marketing will take a back seat to the warmth of its secure-fitting top, when facing a blast of sub-zero air.
“Mini-apolis – the City of Mini,†said Gert Hildebrand, the MINI Cooper convertible’s designer. He followed the basic principles that always have governed the Mini’s boxy design, from a form-follows-function concept, to an emotional sculpture, leaving the boxy exterior, the surprisingly spacious interior built around four occupants, and the spunk and stance from having all four wheels stretched out to the extremities.
“The Mini always was built to be a convertible, since it started as the Austin Mini in 1959, and its authenticity asted until the replacement was designed in 2000,†said Hildebrand. “We still followed the five basic senses – seeing, which is your first impression; feeling, where you can tell the quality; hearing, the sound of the engineÂ’s power; smelling, the classic leather interior; and taste, which does not mean weÂ’ve built a chocolate car, but it is one that lets you eat up the road.Ââ€
The car generates favorable responses from everybody. Imagine the thumbs-up signals when a 25-convertible stream of MINI Coopers cruised by in an irregular, 25-car caravan from Le Meridien Hotel in Downtown Minneapolis, then east on Interstate 94 before routes down the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River, and back up on the Wisconsin side, before crossing again at Taylors Falls, for a little close-order driving gymkhana at the Wild Mountain ski area parking lot, where quickness and handling were exemplary.
The original Mini was fitted with a race engine from the John Cooper Works race shop, also in England, which transformed the original to the Mini Cooper, and it quickly became popular among enthusiasts and autocross racers because of its light weight, compact size and potent engine. The British automobile industry was a victim of its own eccentricities, BMW took over. The new Mini Cooper retains the British charm, is freed of eccentricities, and has been an overachiever in the marketplace.
The new Mini Cooper was targeted for 20,000 U.S. sales, and instead sold 32,000. Last year, its second, saw the Mini Cooper hit 36,000 sales. The Mini Cooper convertible starts at $21,500, with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, boasting dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and 115 horsepower with 111 foot-pounds of torque. ThatÂ’s enough to pull the front-wheel-drive, 2,700-pound box from 0-60 in 8.9 seconds. If you choose to replace the five-speed stick with a four-speed automatic, the 0-60 run is 10.2 seconds.
That car is ideal for people seeking a commuter-friendly vehicle with adequate power and impressive fuel economy, and for those who want more, the MINI Cooper S is there for enthusiasts. The same four-cylinder engine, jointly built by BMW and Chrysler in Brazil, is supercharged, boosting power to 168 horses and torque to 162 foot-pounds, with a six-speed manual that lowers 0-60 runs to only 7 seconds. Performance is snappy, and the car stays flat and stable while turning abruptly and stopping instantaneously with its four-wheel discs and available brake-distribution assist.
MINI executives figure their convertibles will ultimately account for 30 percent of sales, which would thrust it right up there with the New Beetle Cabrio, and into territory reserved for the Chrysler Sebring, Ford Mustang or Thunderbird – the top three convertibles in U.S. sales.
Perhaps the best feature of the MINI convertible is that it is entirely as much fun as the regular Mini. I once wrote that “it is impossible to drive the Mini Cooper without a smile on your face.†That also goes for the convertible version, which still holds four occupants, even if the rear seat residents would best be short people or kids.
The interior is really slick, with a large tachometer visible through the steering wheel and a large speedometer centrally located on the dash, or the chrono option, which has both a speedometer and tach on the steering wheel column, and a large instrument resembling a chronograph watch in the center dash location.
With front-wheel drive biting for traction, razor-sharp steering and handling, and a tight 34.8-foot turning circle, the MINI carves its own path in maneuverability – just as it has in the automotive segment. Large vehicle and SUV fanciers alike would appreciate the benefits of small cars, if all small cars were as fun to drive as the MINI Cooper convertible.
(John Gilbert writes weekly auto columns. He can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Toyota Tacoma gets new look, power , size for 2005
DETROIT, MI. – The pickup truck business continues to grow in size as well as popularity. Toyota and Nissan have joined thefull-size pickup competition with Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge, and the compacts seem to have grown restless. The Chevrolet/GMC Colorado/Canyon grew in size for 2004, and the Dodge Dakota has grown several inches for 2005.
Now Toyota, which has been building little pickup trucks for over 30 years, will come out with the eighth generation of its compact Tacoma, and it, too, moves right on up near the larger trucks. It is longer by six inches, wider by four inches, roomier inside, and more potent under the hood with an optional 245-horsepower, 4.0-liter V6 with 282 foot-pounds of torque.
ThatÂ’s an increase of 50 horsepower, which leads to a towing capacity increased by 1,500 pounds.
The humorous aside to all this midsize truck growth is that the Toyota Tundra seemed just right to a lot of people, although big pickup types criticized it for not being fully as large as the F150 Ford, Chev Silverado, Dodge Ram, or the Nissan Titan. When Dodge unveiled its new Dakota, it claimed it was the only compact truck with a V8, but it turns out it is actually longer than the Tundra, which may be larger than the compact segment, but certainly does have a V8.
Now, in its quest to establish superiority among less-than-full-size pickups, the new Tacoma grows right past the Tundra. The longest 2005 Tacoma is now longer, at 221.3 inches, than the shortest Tundra, which means we can assume that the next Tundra, which will be built in an all-new and huge plant in San Antonio, Texas, will grow substantially.
Meanwhile, back at the Tacoma, the all-new 4.0-liter V6’s 245 horsepower not only represents an increase of 55 horsepower over the old Tacoma’s smaller V6, butit also is more power than the Dakota V8. So the competition intensifies.
Three specific Tacoma models are going to come out of the NUMMI plant in Fremont, California, and they will be aimed at three specific segments of the compact-truck market. Market research gave Toyota the idea to focus on enthusiasts who’ll like the Access Cab to haul dirt bikes, ATVs and watercraft; maturing young guys who may go for the Double Cab as a combined SUV with a cargo bed; and the youthful “Gen-Y†guy who wants a tuner-type street hot-rod, and who will find the X-Runner most desirable.
All of them will begin arriving in dealerships in October from the NUMMI plant, and in December, more Tacomas will be built in a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to help Toyota achieve a projected annual output of 170,000 Tacoma trucks.
Toyota is aiming the Tacoma directly at younger men, although it will build three distinctive personalities into the trucks with the regular-cab, extended Access Cab with rear-door access, and Double Cab with a full four-door cab. Among its models will be a very sporty X-Runner.
“We expect 15 percent of those will come from sales of Regular Cabs, 40 percent from Access Cab, and 45 percent from Double Cab models,†said Bob Carter, vice president of sales for Toyota. “We expect 80 percent of Tacoma buyers will be male, with a median age of 42, which is six years younger than the segment average. Sixty percent will be married, 45 percent will be college graduates.
“Twenty-one percent of compact pickup buyers are under 35, and Tacoma gets one out of every four in that segment,†Carter added. “And among buyers who are under 20, 43 percent of them buy Tacomas.Ââ€
Toyota intends to keep the most basic model down to an attractive $12,400 base price, which should maintain the broad base Tacoma has always attracted, but Toyota also knows most buyers will move upscale, and the Double Cab V6 will start at $22,000.
American truck buyers recognized those first Toyota Stout and Hilux pickups – remember the Hilux? – as solid, substantial little trucks that worked tirelessly and with great durability. For many years, before and after being rechristened the Tacoma, the Toyota compact pickup waged a worthy battle with the likes of the Ford Ranger, Chevy S-10, Dodge Dakota, and small pickups from Mazda and Mitsubishi. The new Tacoma moves upscale.
“Every part has been revised,†said Paul Williamsen, project engineer for the new Tacoma. “It has all-new suspension front and rear, an all-new platform, and a new engine.Ââ€
The platform is a revised unit that also serves as the basic underpinning of the Lexus GX470 and the Toyota 4Runner SUVs. While significantly stronger and stiffer, the more powerful engines and roomier interiors also set the stage for a vast array of model configurations. No less than 18 models can be created out of the three cab types.
The Regular Cab and the Access Cab – which now will have dual-access-doors – have a 73.5-inch bed, while the Double Cab four-door offers a choice of either a 60.3-inch bed or a 73.5-inch bed. The are 4×2 and 4×4 models, and a PreRunner set-up which has the 4×2 two-wheel arrangement but with the raised riding stance and styling of the 4×4 models. Wheelbases vary according to model, too, with Regular Cab models on 109.4 or 110 inch length between the axles, while Access Cabs move up to a 127.8-inch wheelbase. The Double Cab has a 127.8 base, except for the long-bed model, which has a 140.9-inch wheelbase.
Four-wheel drive models are equipped with Torsen differentials, which do the job of limited-slip units in four-wheel-drive settings.
The new engines are a strong element in the stylish changeover of the Tacoma. The big news is the 4.0-liter V6, which has dual-overhead camshafts and variable valve-timing, with the 245 horsepower representing a large increase over the 190-horse 3.4 unit it replaces. The 4.0 V6 also will be the base engine in the 2005 Tundra, and continues to be the mainstay of the 4Runner.
The base engine in the Tacoma is a 2.7-liter four-cylinder, also with dual-overhead cams, now producing 164 horsepower and 183 foot-pounds of torque. That engine replaces both the 2.4 and 2.7 four-cylinder engines previously used. The V6 needs 91 octane premium, while the four-cylinder, which Toyota anticipates will account for 30 percent of Tacoma sales, makes its power on 87 octane regular.
In four-cylinder models, buyers can choose between a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. The V6 versions have either a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic. The V6 with the five-speed automatic can cover 0-60 in 7.5 seconds, a fact that undoubtedly will entice younger buyers, while more buyers will be impressed with the 6,500-pound towing capacity, compared to the 5,000-pound maximum of the 2004 Tacoma.
The raciest Tacoma is the X-Runner, which is a flashy model named after the “X-braced†reinforced frame for maximum torsional rigidity. The X-Runner has full ground effects, with lower fascias set off by integrated foglights in the front, and a large hood scoop, plus three monochromatic color schemes – red, black and “Speedway Blue.†The X-Runner comes lowered by an inch and on high-performance tires on 18-inch alloy wheels, and has firmer springs, with Bilstein gas shocks specially placed on the outboard side of the frame rails, and a firmer rear stabilizer bar and special steering quickness.
In X-Runner form, the Tacoma gets under seven seconds for 0-60 sprints, and its lateral acceleration measures 0.9-g., better than the Nissan 350Z sports car that was used as its benchmark.
That model is different from the normal Toyota Racing Development (TRD) models, which create special off-road packages, and a better-handling on-road package.
Inside, improved room and creature comforts also add storage spaces under the seats, and safety characteristics with door beams and airbags and air curtains that let the Tacoma meet all passenger car safety requirements, which means they are beyond standard truck requirements.
With special features such as bed tie-down cleats that can be moved to an infinite number of settings – very Nissan Titan-like – and high sightlines similar to big trucks, the Tacoma could well be declared big-enough by pickup buyers who want some room but also want some fuel-efficiency and maneuverability.
(John Gilbert writes weekly auto reviews. He can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Altima gets sporty boost from 2005 SE-R model
BELLINGHAM, WASH. — About a decade ago, Nissan created a surprise high-performer with the Sentra SE-R, which looked like the basic entry-level subcompact, but, thanks to those initials after the name, came equipped with factory upgraded engine, suspension, wheels, tires, and, most importantly, fun quotient. So when I got the chance for a brief weekend with a 2005 Nissan Altima SE-R, I jumped at it.
We were in the midst of the introduction of the all-new Nissan Pathfinder in Seattle, and nearby Bainbridge Island, but everything we were experiencing about the Pathfinder would be embargoed until the end of August. ThatÂ’s a reasonable way to allow monthly magazines a fair chance to drive the same vehicles earlier and describe them at approximately the same time as daily or weekly publications. Of course, I got my September issue of one of those magazines in July, but the automakers overlook that sort of cheating with wink-wink/nudge-nudge acceptance.
My plan was to follow the Seattle trip with a weekend drive to scenic Bellingham, up close to the British Columbia border, where you can choose between ocean, harbor, or Mount Baker and its foothills for your scenery. My son, Jeff, is living in Bellingham, and when I was offered the chance to test a preproduction Altima SE-R, I was off. Nissan has reintroduced the Sentra SE-R, and plans to bring out a new Altima SE-R in mid-September, although it isnÂ’t planning a separate introduction. Chances for an exclusive road-test arenÂ’t often available.
A bright red and shiny black SE-R were both on display In Seattle, where Starbucks or “Seattle’s Best Coffee†stands are everywhere. I savor my gourmet coffee black and straight, and that was the same way I chose my Altima SE-R – black and with a straight, six-speed stick. A couple hours later, up Interstate 5 with the weekend wanderers, I felt united with the Altima SE-R’s capabilities, just as it felt fully responsive to my every urging to maneuver out of the way of SUV speeders and around cell-phone slowpokes.
The Altima itself was changed completely three years ago, growing onto the same platform as the larger Maxima and gaining Nissan’s strong 3.5-liter V6 in the process. For 2005, the front has been restyled to take on the “family†grille, and the SE-R gets a darkened treatment. It also gets unique front and rear fascias, a rear spoiler, high-intensity xenon headlights, tiny foglights set into the lower front, and large chrome tips on the dual exhausts. True to the SE-R heritage, the best stuff comes underneath.
The 3.5 V6 is increased from 250 to 260 horsepower, and from 249 to 251 foot-pounds of torque for the SE-R, and while thatÂ’s not a big improvement, the difference is readily apparent from the husky exhaust note. A modular cylinder-head design with lightweight pistons is topped off by continuously-variable valve timing and a variable fuel-air induction system. The SE-RÂ’s six-speed manual gets slightly revised gear ratios from second gear upward when compared to the five-speed sticks of other Altima models. The five-speed automatic that was on the red display car is also available on the SE-R.
The SE-R sticks to the road with larger18-inch forged alloy wheels that are 8 inches wide, compared to the standard 16-by-6.5 on base, four-cylinder Altimas and 17-by-7 on SL or SE models. The altered aspect ratio means more alloy and less rubber, and the 225/45R18 low-profile tires help provilde superior grip. Just as significant to the handling of the SE-R is an increase in thickness of the stabilizer bars, by 2 millimeters in front and by 4.3mm. in the rear.
It was no surprise that the SE-R Altima held its position with ease on the freeway, but it more eagerly accepted the twisty two-lane roads from Bellingham to Mount Baker, where I my son, Jeff, was tour-guide and co-driver. He was as impressed as I was at the carÂ’s behavior. While it accelerated swiftly, the most fun was putting the right front corner on the outer line and having it hold that line with precision around the tightest turns.
Disc brakes on all four wheels are larger and thicker in front on the SE-R, and antilock brakes are standard, while brake-assist and electronic brake force distribution help assure that when you step on the brake pedal hard, you will get full potential out of those enlarged discs.
Inside, the SE-R package starts out with a unique dash treatment, with sportier textures and a center array of voltage, oil pressure and fuel consumption atop the stack that houses the audio and heat-air controls. That means you canÂ’t get a navigation system in the SE-R. You do get the upgraded Bose audio system with six disc changer in the dash and eight speakers. Power, heated, leather front bucket seats and a 60-40 fold-down rear seat are standard in the SE-R.
At 3,279 pounds, the SE-R is no lightweight, but it carries its nose-heavy distribution well on the front-wheel-drive platform, and torque steer was never a problem during my drive time. Fuel economy is estimated at 20 city and 28 highway for the stick-shift SE-R.
The Altima’s main challenge always has been the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, and it does well in that comparison. Last year, a new challenger emerged with the revised Mazda6 setting new standards for sporty handling among midsize sedans. Maybe that was the inspiration for Nissan to develop the SE-R, which gives the Altima a boost in sporty performance and handling in a potent package that is tastefully styled to be subtle – until you put your foot down.
(John Gilbert writes weekly auto reviews and can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
PT Cruiser goes topless to add flair for 2005
A PT Cruiser convertible? What’s next – a mini-sized Suburban? A convertible Mini-Cooper?
When Chrysler came out with the PT Cruiser, it was probably the most eye-catching vehicle in the industry, and completed something of a hat trick, following the Plymouth Prowler and Dodge Viper, proving that concept cars could spring to life and make fantasy become reality. The Viper is still around, as DodgeÂ’s halo vehicle, a limited-production car that has overpowered its way to international road-racing prowess, although the Prowler ended its limited production run without ever capturing the popularity anticipated for it.
The PT Cruiser, however, not only lives on, but has broadened its appeal as a vehicle that is more than just interminably cute. Granted, the PT Cruiser is cute, a retro-look wagon that resembles one of those compact little British taxicabs of 50 years ago. It was a brilliant design, with a short exterior length housing a surprisingly roomy interior that featured upright seating for four and surprising trunk space under that station-wagon-like tailgate.
A fellow I know traded in two SUVs and bought two PT Cruisers, one for himself to drive to work and the other for his wife to haul the kids to hockey practice. They did the job that station wagons, minivans and SUVs had done so well.
The only drawback to the PT Cruiser was that while it foretold the popular notion of giving drivers and occupants an up-tall view of the roadway, and had an efficient little four-cylinder engine, it didnÂ’t have the ability to house anything more than that four-cylinder. So when the automotive world swirled upward in an escalation of power, power and more power, the PT Cruiser could have been left behind.
So, a year ago, DaimlerChrysler upgraded the PT CruiserÂ’s 16-valve, dual-overhead-camshaft, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine by strapping a turbocharger on it. The result was that while the PT Turbo didnÂ’t handle much like a sports car, its sudden boost to 215 horsepower gave it sports-car-like acceleration, with 0-60 sprint times of around 7 seconds, and a top speed of up around 130 miles per hour.
For 2005, DaimlerChrysler has done it again, giving the PT Cruiser another surprising upgrade by augmenting its square, four-door wagon-back style with a two-door convertible model. It almost seems like a contradiction in terms, but it works. Flip a switch and lift the leading edge of the top up from its latch, then pull on a console switch and the fabric top whirs back, back and down, coming to rest in a cubicle behind the rear seat, and exposing a wide, substantial-looking roll bar that is a stylish way to enhance safety.
The PT Cruiser Convertible has a stylish flair even with the top up, because the raised top angles forward in a coupe-like slope that separates its silhouette from its square heritage. But naturally, a convertible looks best with its top down, and the PT Cruiser is no exception. While the squareback original still has its appeal, the convertible moves back to the top for eye-catching capacity.
I found the PT Turbo fun to drive and much more appealing because of its ability to zoom away from congestion, rather than suffering behind it all, and a loaded, upscale model with the turbocharged engine and a very slick Getrag five-speed manual transmission, was priced at $27,050.
More recently, I got a PT Cruiser Convertible and was in for a surprise. It had the same turbo 2.4-liter engine, and the identical dark metallic “inferno red†paint, with a four-speed automatic transmission and the drop-top convertible, and yet it came in at a total sticker price of $26,310.
As car pricing goes, it represents an amazing bargain. The key is that the base price of the PT Turbo is $25,460, and adding heated front seats, and a nifty Sirius satellite digital radio, boosted the PT Turbo price to $27,050. The base price of the PT Cruiser Convertible Touring Edition is a mere $22,900, without the turbo engine, and a turbo version of the engine is only a $1,250 option, while the automatic is $825, and supplemental side airbags lift the total to only $26,310.
The PT Cruiser/Turbo/Convertible suffered its biggest problem at birth. It was introduced at the Detroit International Auto Show, where it and the Chrysler Crossfire Convertible were relegated to the back row as DaimlerChrysler rolled out the flashy new Chrysler 300C and Dodge Magnum sedans, and the spectacular ME Four-Twelve concept car. There was only so much room in the spotlight, so it took time for the convertible to catch up.
On the road, the PT Cruiser Convertible has good power, can achieve upper-20s for gas mileage, and increases its fun-to-drive quotient considerably, even if it loses some of its kid-hockey-gear stowage space. It also has all the latest touches, such as power locks with central locking, remote keyless entry, three 12-volt power outlets located front, rear and on the console, foglights, 16-inch alloy wheels with all-season touring tires, and child seat anchors for when the kid is too young for hockey and maybe even too young to appreciate the fun of going for rides in a convertible.
I like the instrument cluster, and the audio system was adequate, with its in-dash CD player. I was less impressed with the PT CruiserÂ’s handling. Granted itÂ’s still an upright-seating vehicle, so itÂ’s going to feel tall, but with the big wheels and tires, and the Touring suspension, I expected firmer cornering characteristics and maybe a little firmer steering from the power rack-and-pinion.
ItÂ’s not that the car handled poorly, but firmer handling could easily achieve the sports-car-like handling that would let the car live up to its sporty flair and turbo motor. Of course, firmer shocks and lower-profile, higher-performance tires might be easy fixes for the handling feel. In fact, the PT Turbo comes stock with 17-inch chrome-finished aluminum wheels and could readily house lower-profile performance tires.
As for continuing to be a trend-setter that inspires the competition to bring concept fantasy cars to life, consider that BMW IS going to bring out a convertible version of the Mini Cooper, as a 2005 model to be introduced in Minneapolis (the Mini in Minny?) inb September. And General Motors IS going to come out with a mini-sized retro Suburban, as a 2006 model, with the look of the original, rounded-back Suburban, but in PT Cruiser-sized form. Both of them might work well. Meanwhile, we already know that the PT Cruiser Convertible works — very well.
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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