2008 Best Car Series: North America - Get Your Nominations in Line!

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Reventón;3122741
It is. I can go down to Dodge, dish out the MSRP for it, and have one in a few months.
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Struth! They should put that on Nürburgring then, that would take the record easily, good publicity for a struggling Dodge.
 
3rded the Viper!!!!!!11!!1!
 
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homeforsummer
If that's not sarcasm then I salute you, sir! :sly:
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Nope, my workmate's dad has one, I was genuinely impressed.

I realise it's no Scenic, but the Scenic is no PT either.
 
I'd choose the PT over the Scenic. I haven't driven many cars in my life but I have driven some good ones (MINI Cooper, two generations of Mazda MX-5 etc) and many characteristics of the PT still impressed me. And neither the MINI nor any MX-5 would have been as practical for the journey we did.
 
homeforsummer
If that's not sarcasm then I salute you, sir! :sly:
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Danachronism
Nope, my workmate's dad has one, I was genuinely impressed.

I realise it's no Scenic, but the Scenic is no PT either.
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Guys please, a PT Cruiser? Why not the Challenger for something from Chrysler/Dodge? Retro cool, but I've used my nomination for the Camaro (which no one has commented on yet.:grumpy:)
 
The PT Cruiser isn't a bad car although it is a bit dated now. When the first came out they were sort of a cult car and I suppose still are.
 
nd 4 holden spd
..............................................................................................................................:odd:..............................................................................:lol:
Guys please, a PT Cruiser? Why not the Challenger for something from Chrysler/Dodge? Retro cool, but I've used my nomination for the Camaro (which no one has commented on yet.:grumpy:)
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Driven one? No? Then naturally you won't understand.

Just because I'm not sucked in by all the supercars and retro-pastiche muscle cars doesn't mean that my nomination is any less relevant. I've chosen a car I've actually driven, for a significant distance, and found impressive.

I'm well aware that against some of the other nominations it may not be the most impressive car ever, but it's certainly not without merit and I don't think it deserves the panning it seems to be getting from some of the blinkered supercar snobs around here who'll never drive the things they're voting for.
 
homeforsummer
Driven one? No? Then naturally you won't understand.

Just because I'm not sucked in by all the supercars and retro-pastiche muscle cars doesn't mean that my nomination is any less relevant. I've chosen a car I've actually driven, for a significant distance, and found impressive.

I'm well aware that against some of the other nominations it may not be the most impressive car ever, but it's certainly not without merit and I don't think it deserves the panning it seems to be getting from some of the blinkered supercar snobs around here who'll never drive the things they're voting for.
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Oh contrare, I plan on owning a Camaro one day. You can stick by the PT Cruiser, just funny how both you guys seem so passionate about a small people mover.;)
 
I wouldn't say passionate. We both just happen to have driven one and it's a genuinely good car. That other people are saying it isn't is either an indication that few of us around here have actually driven one, or that the ones that have are lucky enough to own something much more impressive to drive day to day.

It seems funny to me how people are that elitist that they refuse to believe a small people mover is anything other than a heap of rubbish.
 
My family actually owned a 01 PT and I learned how to drive on it basically. It was very unreliable and was in the shop quite a bit, but it's was a Chrysler so it was expected. When it worked though it was a decent car to drive and had a ton of room in it. It was also slightly sporty and didn't ride all that bad considering the god awful tires on it.
 
But it is, after all, a small people mover. There's not meant to be anything sporty about it, and this is a site dedicated to a racing game, so naturally anyone who joins here will like sporty cars.
 
nd 4 holden spd
But it is, after all, a small people mover. There's not meant to be anything sporty about it, and this is a site dedicated to a racing game, so naturally anyone who joins here will like sporty cars.
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Except it is a bit sporty, even more so with the turbo.
 
Joey D
Except it is a bit sporty, even more so with the turbo.
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If you say so, I doubt I shall ever drive one.
 


I nominate the Buick Enclave, not only does it drive exceptionally well for a vehicle of its size, but interior and exterior design not only exclipses anything to come out of Buick since the 50's, it does so to the competition as well.👍
 
Even if the PT Cruiser 'isn't all that bad' - is that a recommendation to vote it as the best a nation has to offer?

Would it even get voted as Austria's best car?
 
nd 4 holden spd
But it is, after all, a small people mover. There's not meant to be anything sporty about it, and this is a site dedicated to a racing game, so naturally anyone who joins here will like sporty cars.
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It's site about a driving game so naturally anyone who joins here will like cars full stop. Personally I love fast cars, but that doesn't mean I can't see merit in more basic cars either.

I argued the case pretty strongly for the original Ford Ka in the new Ka thread, and so did a lot of other people. I wouldn't say the Ka is that sporty. It's "just" a cheap city car. But that doesn't mean it's any less worthy of discussion on here than a Nissan GT-R or a Bugatti Veyron. Same goes for the PT.

TheCracker
Even if the PT Cruiser 'isn't all that bad' - is that a recommendation to vote it as the best a nation has to offer?
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Given that we as a forum are a predictable lot when it comes to picking cars we like, I could pick the PT safe in the knowledge that everyone else would nominate the Viper, the Corvette, the Camaro, the Mustang some bland big saloons etc. Thus I was happy to nominate something a little more down to Earth.

Also, and as I mentioned earlier, America's record with small cars is particularly poor, and I've nominated an example of a good American small car. Do you see any other rival nominations in this category? Whatever I was going to pick in this thread, I was going to pick a small car and I think I've picked the best of the bunch.
 
It's really not as good as it once was, though. If this were a few years ago, I might take your word for it, as it was still decent, but the recent redesign hasn't helped, and, arguably, it's most direct competitor, the HHR, is a better car allround, being more solid, having a better engine range, and a FAR better interior. Not to mention, the HHR just got a sporting version while the PT lost it's.

The PT is due to be replaced or eliminated entirely in 2-3 years. I guess it helps that it's unique packaging and avaliable diesel engine are unique to Europe, but the HHR is twice as good on this side of the pond.

Chrysler products seem to have a warmer reception overall over there, which I find odd, given the higher standards you guys usually hold.
 
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okay, so the world is having a huge showdown of the greatest cars. each country gets one representative. and we send the PT Cruiser?

anyway: something from GM.
 
Why not? It still looks awesome.
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Jim Prower
It's really not as good as it once was, though. If this were a few years ago, I might take your word for it, as it was still decent, but the recent redesign hasn't helped, and, arguably, it's most direct competitor, the HHR, is a better car allround, being more solid, having a better engine range, and a FAR better interior. Not to mention, the HHR just got a sporting version while the PT lost it's.

The PT is due to be replaced or eliminated entirely in 2-3 years. I guess it helps that it's unique packaging and avaliable diesel engine are unique to Europe, but the HHR is twice as good on this side of the pond.
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I did consider the HHR. Saw loads while I was out there, they seem to be the "new PT", but given my European tendencies it looked a fair bit bigger than what I'd call a "small car". I'd quite like to have a drive in one though. Design wise I prefer the PT's interior though. And not sure what the build quality is like in the HHR but the PT didn't seem too bad to me. And I kinda prefer the facelifted Cruiser to the old one, both on the inside and out.

The diesel and manual transmission option are a good call for Europe. I don't know how well/badly they're selling but they're so much more interested than the other mini MPVs they're competing against.

I'm surprised they're letting the PT live another 3 years in all honesty, I bought a copy of Car and Driver last year that was announcing it was to be killed off, so I assumed it would have disappeared by the end of this year.

I was actually a bit disappointed Chevy had discontinued the SSR, they always looked quite funky.

Oh, and HHR panel van? Very, very cool. They should bring that over here, small businesses would snap them up because they'd be great for covering in signwriting and attracting attention.

Chrysler products seem to have a warmer reception overall over there, which I find odd, given the higher standards you guys usually hold.
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That's because we've had the 300C, which is a good car, and we've had the PT Cruiser for ages, which is another good car. We even had the Neon, which wasn't that good but was popular because the price was pretty competitive and old people loved it.

Next to that, Chevy's range of re-badged Daewoos, and Dodge's Journey, Caliber, Avenger and Nitro (of which I've only ever seen Calibers on the road - the rest just aren't selling) don't stand a chance. The fact that the Caliber isn't a patch on the PT despite it's relative youth is particularly bad.
 
You've got a point there...The Caliber looks terrible, feels terrible inside, and drives either incredibly boring or like a cross between a 147 GTA, an Astra VXR, and a early '90s Saab turbo. (SRT-4) At least the structure is solid, (5-star crash test by US gov't) and the mechanicals should be fairly reliable, (other than Chrysler's typical automatic tranny problems.) It's just not sorted, though, which is surprising considering that archetecture is shared with the quite sorted Mitsubishi Lancer.

I can hope that the PT's replacement will be at least as good as the car was when new. I think the Caliber platform has potential, there, if they don't try and build the car for as cheaply as possible.
 
The main trouble with the Caliber, in fact any Dodge sold in the UK at the moment, is that it's very obviously built down to a price. I wanted to like the Avenger so badly but then read all the reviews saying that it was distinctly average. The Caliber could have been the same. I actually wanted to rent on on holiday last year but they'd all been taken, so I was left with the PT. Given the reviews they've both got I think I was left with the better option!

I'd look forward to seeing what a next-gen PT was like. Like you say, as long as they don't try and build it as cheaply as possible it could have real potential.
 
Danachronism
Why not? It still looks awesome.
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Either your eyes are wrong'uns or you definition of 'awesome' is different to mine.

All i see is an awful pastiche of a 50's hotrod, which if painted black would be indistinguishable to a London Taxi Cab. ;)
 
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Not seeing it. I think it looks pretty good in black.
 
:lol: and :irked: in equal measure.
 
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