I admited to driving a couple when they first came out in 2001 model year.. Earlier in this thread..
Then drove a 03 Turbo PT.. Kinda too small, & I'm just not a Mopar kinda guy.

Still glad I waited..

 

What other model has a run of 10+ years with very little change? Maybe our HHR would have taken off better if GM would have had a better marketing plan. I remember all the after-market products available the first year the PT was out and all the PT events going on across the U.S.. I may be bias,but we owned three PT's and met a lot of past and present friends through that little car and still have one in the garage parked next to the panel (Check out my gallery).

 

Hmmmm...a double agent....
I have a t shirt that says I still play with cars and a PT underneath

 

Due to a very unfortunate incident (a tow truck driver smashed into my '01 Vortex Blue New Beetle while it was parked and totalled it...it was my showcar and a true labor of love), I wound up buying a new '05 Electric Blue PT Cruiser GT (220 HP turbo), after testing a Crossfire and realizing that it wasn't built with anyone over 6' and 200 lbs in mind. My wife's brother worked for Chrysler at the time, so I was able to get an employee discount...my nearly fully-loaded GT came to about $22k.

During the two years I owned and drove it, it was a bittersweet experience. It took forever to get it..I bought it in December of 2004, but didn't actually get my hands on it until March (late March) of 2005. I did like the color and its looks quite a bit back then (not as much now), and I did some exterior customization (I'll throw a pic on here later). It had pep and was fun to drive, but was loaded with quality issues that eventually wore on me...after just over two years I couldn't take it anymore, and traded it for a 2007 Ford Escape (now my wife's car). But when it was actually working (never had engine problems...it was all other nonsense), it was a pretty fun car.

My HHR SS is definitely nearer and dearer to my heart though...as far as loving a car goes, I never thought I'd feel as strongly about a ride as I did my New Beetle...but I plan to keep my SS for as long as I possibly can. I get so much joy out of driving it.

As for the PT...I remember how they were all the rage early on, and dealers charging well over sticker, etc. Hard to believe 10 years went by so quickly...

 

I think I've heard about the PT's demise before...

 

I worked in cars for a little bit of time and was able to pretty much drive what ever i wanted when i would go to the auctions to buy cars for my lot. I drove a pt for sometime and my kids loved it drove great and i enjoyed the looks i got while driving it. HOWEVER i must say the thing that drove me to my second HHR (yes i just bought my second HHR) was two fold one that it (hhr) has way more room in the interior both in the front and the trunk (literaly could fill the PTS trunk with 6 bags from wallyworld and a gallon of milk) and two that the HHR looks much more old school with a little bit of modern flare than the Pt Cruiser.

It sounde like i read a little bit of somebody saying something about GM letting the HHR run a little longer does that imply that HHRS are going away???

 

From what has been said here, 2011 may the last model year.
GM is already cutting back options & certain models..

 

My PT, from back in the day (wish I'd taken some sunny day pics...the clouds don't do this color justice...but looking at these pics makes me realize how much more I like my SS's lines...and how happy I am that I don't have a front plate mounted on my SS):

 

^ Yeah, I've always liked that color on the PT's!

 

PT was ok when first introduce but in no way compares to the HHR - Interior quality was marginal at best.