There are very few vehicles that run as long on as few changes as the Chrysler PT Cruiser. For nearly a decade, this 7/10ths replica of a '37 Ford has been out there on the streets. The novelty of seeing them (people actually took pictures of the first tester I had) has long since worn off, and you wouldn't be blamed for asking why it's still around.
But drive one and the answers begin to reveal themselves. It's still economical, still reasonably energetic, and still a design offering a lot of room for people and things in a small package. And Chrysler's had long enough to get the bugs out of them...it was impossible to nit-pick during the week I had one last month.
After all this time, the people who are still buying them must love them (I'd love to see statistics on repeat business...how many 2001 PT Cruiser owners traded in for an '05 and are considering an '09). And while the PT Cruiser isn't sexy (or maybe not even all that cool), it delivers on its promise...and is a better car than it gets credit for.
