While I was on my house/apartment-hunting trip in Victoria two weeks ago, I flew into San Antonio and rented a Chryslet PT Cruiser. While I get to expense the cost of the rental, I see no need for a full or mid-size sedan for just one person so I always opt for a small or compact. The rental company was going to give me a VW Bug, but I deemed that a bit too small for my luggage as well as having too weak of an image for the people at work. Frankly, the PT Cruiser was a little borderline as well, but I think my sheer manliness enabled me to pull it off.
The PT Cruiser was fair (like all rental cars) but suffered many of the same problems that the Sebring I rent in San Diego back in July had. The interior of the PT Cruiser was filled with hard plastics and other surfaces that weren't all that enjoyable to touch or look at. The transmission, like the Sebring, was a four-speed automatic and it was noticeably lurchy and simply not up to snuff compared to my Fusion's six-speed automatic. Admittedly, since it was a smaller vehicle, the engine was a little on the weak side, but perfectly adequate. It handled fairly well and I pushed the car more than normal to see just how much it could take. You know, in case of an emergency. The car simply felt a little small (which it was) and the seats weren't well made.
I wish I had written this sooner, whie everything was fresh in my mind. Now, I can't recall many specifics. Overall, it was adequate, but not a car I would every buy. It's not that it was too small or under-powered. If my driving needs changed, I would fine with a small, fuel-efficient vehicle. However, it would need to have a well-designed interior that conveyed some sense of luxury or reflect that the designers spent time on the details that go a long way to making a vehicle comfortable to be in.
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