2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser vs. Its Competition

Martin Padgett Editorial Director

The Chevrolet HHR was introduced as a 2006 model, and many saw it as a direct competitor to the popular PT Cruiser.

The HHR is marginally larger than the PT Cruiser, and it tends to be a better driver because its chassis and powertrain technology are a generation newer than the Chrysler's.

With the introduction of the high-performance HHR SS, the PT Cruiser has no direct competitor for this model.

The Jeep Compass, also a product of Chrysler, is actually a carlike tall wagon and boasts better handling than the PT Cruiser—along with more standard features and a lower price.

And the Compass offers all-wheel drive; the PT Cruiser doesn't.

The Scion xB is another potential Chrysler PT Cruiser competitor.

The xB has a boxy body style that some might find more fashionable and more modern; the xB’s interior isn’t as roomy as the design might lead you to believe, though.

Finally, the upcoming 2010 Kia Soul, which goes on sale halfway through the ‘09 model year, is another promising rival, a tall, very boxy wagon that offers perhaps the best fuel economy of any in this group.