I’m glad I closed my deal Friday. I got a 2009 PT Cruiser and traded in a 1994 BMW 740iL that was due for smog inspection soon and probably would’ve required $1000 of repairs to pass.
Both terrible choices...
Don’t get in an accident in a PT Cruiser. It is one of the worst small cars in crash tests.
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Recent testing indicates that new cars are safe, regardless of their relative size. No surprise, then, that most of the latest 2009 model-year small cars tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety performed fairly well. Included in this round of testing were the Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Saturn Astra, Suzuki SX4, and Toyota Matrix. All seven of these machines (remember too that the Pontiac Vibe uses the same underpinnings as the Matrix) scored “good,” the highest rating available, for occupant protection in frontal crashes, and only the newest designs — the SX4, Matrix and Vibe — scored that high in side crash testing.
The poorest performer of the group, Chrysler’s PT Cruiser, also happens to be the oldest design. This being the case, it’s lowly “poor” rating in side and rear crashes, due in large part to its ineffective head restraints and lack of rear side-mounted airbags, isn’t too shocking. The HHR and SX4 also scored only marginally better in seat/head restraint testing. The latest MINI Cooper was also smashed for science, and it performed fairly well for a car of its diminutive proportions.
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/17/sx4-matrix-scores-good-on-iihs-tests-pt-cruiser-not-so-much/