New Car Test Drive editor Mitch McCullough reports from Los Angeles, with Jeff Vettraino and Phil Berg reporting from Detroit.

The PT Cruiser is fun to drive, but it's not a sports car. In essence, it's a tall, practical economy car that goes relatively quickly. The standard engine is rated 150 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque. This is enough to propel the Cruiser from 0 to 60 mph in about 8.5 seconds and down the quarter-mile drag strip in about 16.7 seconds. Big four-cylinder engines like Chrysler's 2.4-liter have a natural tendency to idle roughly, so a counter-rotating balance shaft is used to smooth things out.

The PT Cruiser offers both a five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmission. The manual gearbox is surprisingly precise, not sports-car grade, but not bad for unit with a longer-throw gate and foot-long shifter. Working the gears to get the most from the base engine is pleasing.

The automatic isn't as effective as the five-speed at getting the base Cruiser cruising, because the power is biased toward higher rpm, which is not where automatics work best. The engine's peak torque is reached at a relatively high 4000 rpm. (Torque is that force that propels the car from intersections and up steep hills.) On the other hand, kickdown shifts come fairly quickly. With properly timed dips of the accelerator, there's enough power for safe, clean overtaking on two-lane roads.

The 180-horsepower turbocharged engine that's optional on Limited produces a healthy 210 pound-feet of torque, starting at 2800 rpm and holding steady to 4000. That improves performance with the automatic considerably.

Speaking of torque, the engine in the GT develops 245 pound-feet, at 2400-4500 rpm. That makes the 220-horsepower High Output turbo feel like a bigger engine, even though it's not. A rumbly exhaust makes the GT sound more like what hot-rodders wanted when the hot-rod body was first introduced. You know it's a turbo because of the telltale whine when it spools up, though chambers in the intake manifold act as sound dampers.

The GT can get to 60 mph in about 7 seconds, which is decent but not rocket-like acceleration. Driving the GT around town, you'll likely forget to downshift, since the engine pulls strongly at 2500 rpm in any gear. Once you decide to go quicker, the GT acts a little more like the muscle car its body says it is.

The standard gearbox in the GT is a five-speed manual built by Getrag in Germany. We also drove a GT with Chrysler's AutoStick transmission, an automatic that has a semi-manual shift feature. It works well, though the tall shifter is reminiscent of an old-fashioned hot-rod setup. Stand on it at low rpm and there's a little lag as the turbo gets into the boost, but once it spools up it takes off decisively.

Even the base PT Cruiser handles more like a sedan than a minivan, maintaining its composure in the corners. With its big 17-inch wheels and tires, the GT hustles like a sports sedan, though it lacks the precision of one. Body lean is well controlled. The rear suspension design maximizes cargo space, but the twist-beam rear axle bounces a bit on rough pavement and the chassis does not feel rigid. In quick, hard, slalom-type maneuvers the PT Cruiser starts to feel top heavy, even with the GT's stiffer suspension and big wheels. You can almost feel the high mass of the car try to continue in one direction as the front wheels turn in the other. It feels tentative when turning in for high-speed corners and does not inspire confidence. It's more composed than the typical sport-utility or minivan in sudden lane-change maneuvers, but it really is more of a cruiser than a sports machine. We found it not particularly susceptible to cross winds at high speeds, though. There is little wind noise, almost no tire or road noise, and a just-audible whine from the drivetrain.

In terms of ride quality, the PT Cruiser feels like a compact car, with road vibration entering the cabin. The mirrors shake when the stereo is on. Generally, it feels a bit dated and not very refined. The convertible felt bouncy and jouncy on rough neighborhood streets.

Front disc and rear drum brakes are standard. ABS is available for base, Touring, and Limited ($595). Four-wheel-disc brakes with ABS ($825) are offered for Limiteds equipped with the 180-horsepower engine; that's the best setup and it also includes low-speed traction control.

The Chrysler PT Cruiser blends the retro look of a late-1930's American sedan with new-age styling cues such as dual-beam flush headlights and teardrop-shaped taillight lenses. But that's not all there is to the PT Cruiser. The shape is intriguing, but underneath is a modern platform with front-wheel drive.

By exterior dimensions, the PT Cruiser is quite compact. It's nearly 6 inches shorter than a Neon. Yet with 63 inches from the pavement to the highest point of its roof, the Cruiser sedan is also 7 inches taller than the Neon, and nearly as tall as some minivans. That height is a crucial element of the PT Cruiser's design.

The GT sedan is distinguished from the other models by its chromed wheels, larger air intakes, and a spoiler on its liftgate. The spoiler ($150) is optional on the Limited.

The design of the convertible is quite a bit different from that of the sedan. It's a two-door rather than a four-door. The convertible looks shorter than the sedan, but isn't; maybe it's the single long door on each side that creates this illusion. It's certainly lower, by almost 3 inches. Closer examination reveals that the windshield is raked more radically and uses a different A-pillar design. With the top up, the convertible looks like a custom chopped-top hot rod. Pretty cool.

With its top down, the PT Cruiser convertible's high tail and integrated sport bar remind us of the old Volkswagen Cabrio. But where the VW's side windows sealed against its symbolic roll bar (almost as on a prewar convertible sedan), the Chrysler's windows seal against each other for a more modern convertible profile. Its slightly narrower and color-keyed sport bar sits behind the windows, inside the car, and is aerodynamically designed to minimize wind noise. A nice boot is provided that dresses up the appearance with the top down. Our GT convertible drew many admirers.

The PT Cruiser pulls its exterior styling themes into the cabin with painted inserts on its T-shaped symmetrical dashboard. The driver faces three white-faced gauges set in individual cylinders, with speedometer center, tachometer right and fuel and water temperature left. The GT's silver-faced speedometer reads up to 140 mph, while the standard Cruiser's speedo goes to 120. It's unlikely you'll peg either needle and we recommend against trying.

Accessory switches are concentrated in the center panel, with radial-type climate control dials. Window switches are at the top of the center dash, inconvenient for quick operation; you'll have to search for them until you get used to their location. The door levers have a nice action, and the switches operate with good tactile feel, though they're not world class. The standard stereo sounds tinny; we haven't spent much time with the new Infinity system. Also, there's a separate Set button for the station presets, fussier than simply holding the preset down.

A bonus of the Cruiser's tall profile is its upright seating position, with a fairly high view ahead, somewhat like a sport-utility vehicle or minivan. The front seats in the three lower-line models have a reasonable amount of bolstering to keep driver and passenger from sliding side to side. The leather package offers a rich appearance given the Cruiser's price, with suede inserts in the doors and along the lower cushion edges. The GT gets sportier seats with more padding in its side bolsters to hold you firmly in place in corners. The GT also features a leather wrapped steering wheel with satin-silver spokes, and bright accents on the pedals.

Roominess is a virtue in the Cruiser. The sedan's 121.5 cubic feet of interior volume is comparable to that of large cars such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or Lincoln Town Car, though it certainly doesn't have the ambience of those cars. Much of that space is a function of the Cruiser's height. The roof rises toward the rear like on a chopped-top hot rod.

To take advantage of this, the rear seat bottoms are higher than those in front, resulting in what what the industry calls theater seating. The front seats are mounted on tall boxes, leaving plenty of room for rear passengers to stretch their legs underneath. A six-foot, nine-inch passenger can fit comfortably in the front or rear seats.

Chrysler claims the cabin of the PT Cruiser sedan can be configured 26 different ways. This flexibility stems from three features: a 65/35 split rear bench that can be folded flat, tumbled forward or removed; and, on all but the base model, a movable parcel shelf in the cargo bay and a front passenger seat that folds flat. The rear seats are anchored with quick-release attachments for easy removal. Suitcase handles and steel wheels make it easier to stash the rear seats in the garage and move them about. The smaller seat weighs 35 pounds, but the larger section weighs a hefty 65 pounds.

With both rear seats out, the Cruiser provides 64 cubic feet of cargo volume. A mountain bike fits with the rear seats removed or, by removing the front wheel, with the rear seats in place. The load floor measures 40 inches between the wheel wells, not wide enough for four-foot building materials, but still enormously useful. Folding the front passenger seatback flat forms a table next to the driver, or makes room for an eight-foot stepladder or a load of two-by-fours.

Compared to the sedan, the convertible doesn't stand quite as tall (at 60.6 inches), and offers only 84.3 cubic feet of interior volume. Head room and hip room are both reduced significantly, in the front seat as well as the back. The convertibles get the sport seats from the GT across the board, which is nice. The chair-like rear seats in the convertible have lots of leg room making them very comfortable, though it's tight around the hips and shoulders. The convertible's seats can be configured nine different ways, suggesting practicality. Trying to load something in the back seat is annoying, however: You have to set whatever you're trying to load down, use both hands to flip the front seatback forward, pick it back up and put it inside.

The convertible does not offer the practicality of the sedan. With the rear seats upright, there's a scant 7.4 cubic feet left in the trunk, eliminating one of major compelling features of the Cruiser. Worse, the trunk is very awkward to access, requiring you to bend down to get at it, and the trunk lid flips out and is right in the way. We found it very awkward and hard on the back when trying to load a 40-pound bag of dog food. The 7.4 cubic feet isn't bad by convertible standards (with 48 percent more cargo capacity than the Beetle convertible), the trunk opening is small. In terms of practicality, it might be the worst trunk on the market. However, the rear seats are split 50/50 and fold and tumble to create a pass-through to the trunk and 13.3 cubic feet of cargo space. The pass-through is tiny, but can really help when trying to haul something; we were able to load a pair of eight-foot lighting tracks in through the back.

Chrysler calls the hoop behind the PT convertible's front seats a ''sport bar,'' perhaps not to raise expectations too far. The bar features integrated dome lights, an unusual touch in an open car. The convertible's rear window is glass and an electric defogger is standard. Rearward visibility in the convertible is limited. The tiny rear window limits sightlines with the top up; the lowered top and boot limit visibility with the top down.

In either model, Bluetooth technology brings hands-free telephone operation to the Cruiser while leaving your cell phone free to travel with you when you get out of the car. The optional UConnect system ($350) works when you set your mobile phone down anywhere inside the vehicle, tying it into a microphone and a voice-recognition interface when you press a button housed in the rearview mirror. You can even continue a conversation while entering or exiting, without disrupting your call.

Chrysler knows how to make cup holders, and the Cruiser's are solid and mounted low, easily holding your cappuccino. The vent controls don't look like they'd be easy to operate with gloves on and don't feel durable, however.

Safety features include front side-impact airbags, standard in GT and Limited and optional ($390) on the other models. Seatbelts should always be worn, however, and the PT Cruiser comes with three-point safety harnesses at all positions, including the rear center position. The front belts have pyrotechnically charged tensioners, just like in luxury cars, to tighten the belts for the initial stages of an impact. The rear bench is equipped with child-seat tethers.

(Show more reviews)