2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser Quality Review

The 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser has the space for five on paper, but it may not meet everyone's expectations in terms of comfort and quality.

Most reviews studied by experts at TheCarConnection.com express satisfaction with Chrysler PT Cruiser’s interior space. Automotive.com says "the five-door model's tall body boasts lots of room...interior volume and versatility compare well to a small SUV." According to Cars.com, "up to five occupants can fit inside the versatile interior...two bucket seats are installed up front, and a 65/35-split folding rear bench holds three." Car and Driver warns, however, that the "seats don't suit everyone's backsides." Edmunds says, "Taller drivers will find plenty of room to get comfortable, but shorter drivers may not care for the somewhat flat seat design and elevated driving position," though they point out that "rear seats in both variants are slightly elevated to provide a nice view, and adults will find plenty of head- and legroom."

Predictably, the convertible version suffers in comparison. Automotive.com points out that "the convertible doesn't stand as tall as the wagon, offering just 84.3 cubic feet of interior volume compared with 120.5 for the wagon." The wagon is fine, however; Car and Driver notes "a flexible interior means lots of cargo capacity." Whereas the wagon offers "an impressive 64.2 cubic feet of maximum cargo capacity" according to Edmunds, the convertible Chrysler PT Cruiser must make do with a "small trunk opening with 7.4 cubic feet of space."

Overall, the Chrysler PT Cruiser interior is a "spacious and versatile cabin," according to Edmunds, which doesn't mention ergonomics or quality of actual materials. ConsumerGuide, on the other hand, notes that the "interior liberally uses hard plastics, but they don't look cheap," but the "dashboard-mounted power-window switches are odd," while "convertibles add a handy 'all up/all down' button."

Noise levels while traveling in the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser are not excessive: Automobile.com notes "little wind noise, almost no tire or road noise, and a just-audible whine from the drivetrain." ConsumerGuide reports that "coarse pavement induces some road roar...wind rush starts to intrude at 65 mph." This source adds that "convertibles are only slightly noisier top up and fairly calm top down," but "in all versions, the engine never sounds smooth and is especially coarse above 4000 rpm."