Used Chrysler PT Cruiser review and buying guide (2000 to 2008): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Chrysler PT Cruiser should you buy?

The 2.2 CRD diesel, sold from 2002, is the PT Cruiser that drives best. It's got much more pulling power than the 2.0 petrol, so it gets along and holds motorway speed more easily. Just make sure the clutch is healthy, because the CRD's hydraulics are its known weak point.

There's only one generation, built from 2000 to 2008. A 2.4 petrol joined the UK range in December 2004, and the car was facelifted with new engines in November 2005. The 2.4 can weep oil from its head gasket, and the original 2.0 petrol struggles with the heavy body, so neither gives you a reason to pass up a good diesel.

Whichever engine you choose, the same problems turn up across the range: leaking air-con, leaking power steering racks and front wishbone bushes that wear early. A car with ice-cold air-con, a dry steering rack and tight front suspension is worth more to you than any particular year or trim.

Which PT Cruiser engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 2.2 CRD is the pick, as long as its clutch hydraulics are sound. It's a Mercedes diesel with far more torque than the 2.0 petrol, which makes it the relaxed choice for longer trips. Its master and slave cylinders can lose pressure, and on some cars they've had to be renewed yearly.

The 2.4 petrol, sold from December 2004, can leak oil from the head gasket because the cylinder head wasn't always torqued down enough. Look for oil around the joint between head and block before you buy one. Nothing in particular is reported against the 2.0 petrol, but that's a thin record rather than proof it's sound, and it's sluggish in a body this heavy.

You get a short-throw five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. On an auto, ask what fluid went in at the last change: Chrysler switched its automatics to ATF+4 fluid in 2001, and that's what it wants topping up and changing with.

What should you check when viewing a used PT Cruiser?

Switch the air-con on first and make sure it blows properly cold, because the systems leak. It needs running every week, summer and winter, to keep it healthy, so ask the seller straight out whether they've done that. A system left idle for months is the one that springs a leak.

Get underneath the front and look for fluid on the power steering rack, since the racks leak. The front wishbone bushes wear early too, so have a look at them and ask for receipts if they've been done. One 2.2 CRD owner paid £450 to have the front suspension bushes replaced.

Chromed alloy wheels corrode, lose tyre pressure and can't be repaired, so check each rim closely and ask whether any tyre keeps going soft. The fix is a set of aftermarket wheels, and you've got to tell your insurer if you fit them. On the test drive, watch whether the lights brighten and dim with engine revs; a dealer software update normally cures it.

Cars from 2001 and 2002 were recalled in the UK to have an extra seal fitted around the fuel pump, to stop a leak after a crash, so ask for proof that was done. On a 2.2 CRD, press the clutch several times and check the pedal stays firm every time.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Chrysler PT Cruiser cost to run?

What do PT Cruiser owners like about them?

The cabin's far more practical than the retro shape suggests. The rear seats lift out, there are three proper seatbelts in the back, and there's plenty of room for luggage. With the seats removed it'll even swallow a surfboard, so long or awkward loads aren't a problem.

It's comfortable on the move, with a decent ride and handling that copes well on smooth roads. The manual gearbox has a short throw, so changing gear feels quick and neat, and with the rear seats out it turns from a five-seater into something close to a small van.

• The 2.2 CRD diesel engine offers significantly more torque than the 2.0 litre petrol, improving both acceleration and cruising ability.
• From 2002, the vehicle featured colour-coded bumpers, replacing the previous tough black plastic versions.
• This retro-styled MPV offers a practical interior, good ride and handling, with air conditioning and a six-speaker audio system as standard.
• For 2002, a Mercedes 2.2 CRD chain-cam diesel engine was introduced, producing 121bhp and 300Nm of torque.
• A new 2.4 petrol engine became available in the UK from December 2004, delivering 143bhp and 158lb ft of torque.