Depending on how much one knows about cars, buying a new (used) one can be a hassle, especially when the budget doesn’t allow for something dreamy. But hey, we’ve all been through some tough times, so instead of presenting you something with a seven-digit (or more) price tag attached to it, we’ve decided to continue the ‘cheapest used car’ saga with yet another instalment.
It is a Chrysler PT Cruiser, and at the time of writing, it was the cheapest used car for sale on eBay that you can actually drive, though, for this much money, you should lower your expectations. You’re looking at $1,942 to make it yours, to which you will have to add another $399 for the documentation fee, the ad reveals. It is a 2001 model, with roughly 145,000 miles (233,355 km) under its belt, which has lived a long life judging by the pictures accompanying the listing.
A quick look at the images shared in the gallery above reveals the obvious scratches and dents, and some rust issues on certain panels. The interior is kind of beat up, especially the steering wheel and the driver’s seat, but at least the backseat is in decent shape, and so are the door cards. Time wasn’t on the side of this car, as it left some deep marks on it over the last two-plus decades, though we reckon that with some know-how and a minor investment, it can look a bit better.
But hey, did we just talk about the Chrysler PT Cruiser saying that it can “look better?” Our apologies for that, because this is one of the least desirable vehicles ever made. It’s not as ugly as the Fiat Multipla, but it hasn’t won any beauty pageants, and it never will. Designed to evoke the styling of vehicles made in the 1930s, this model was not only ugly but not that exciting to drive either. You see, instead of building it on a proper platform, and giving it a V8-powered variant, the automaker chose a front-wheel-drive construction instead.
Photo: eBay | projectoneauto
The PT Cruiser shared many nuts and bolts with the Dodge Neon and SRT4. Those unfortunate enough to have fallen for the ‘classic’ design had to limit their choice to a few straight-four gasoline engines, and a diesel that wasn’t offered on all markets obviously. Depending on what they settled for, customers could choose between a manual or an automatic transmission, with five and four gears respectively. Breathing air from behind the grille on the pictured one is a 2.4-liter unit, which was offered in several outputs, including one with forced induction, kicking out a little over 200 horses. Needless to say, that it didn’t break any speed records, not with the stock firepower anyway.
Now, we could babble about how no true petrolhead would ever be caught dead in a Chrysler PT Cruiser. But for a little under $2,000, excluding the documentation fee mentioned above, it’s hard to get a vehicle that runs and drives – or so the vendor claims anyway. So, if you’re going through hard times, and are looking for a set of wheels to get you to and fro, then you should at least check out the ad here. If possible, you should see it in the flesh too, before signing your name on the dotted line, preferably accompanied by a close one who knows their way around cars, as a second opinion is always welcome. Plus, you should know what parts might fail from the get-go, as that way, you would be able to negotiate better. To see it in person, you’ll have to take a trip to Carlstadt, New Jersey.
Besides this Chrysler PT Cruiser, we found other vehicles listed for grabs on eBay for roughly $2,000. A 1985 Jaguar XJ6 was among them, though in a very beat-up condition, alongside a 2004 S-Type accompanied by a salvage title. Looking for a new home were a 1989 Ford F-250, a 2004 Nissan Altima, and a 2005 Acura TSX. The latter seems worth checking out, as it was in decent condition. That is on the outside, as in the cabin, it has some serious issues with the upholstery, that is inexistent on certain parts of the front seats. Nasty stains can be seen on the backseat, and we wouldn’t call it a murder scene, but it's not far either. To take a closer look at the Acura, you will have to click on this link.
Unless you’re really fortunate, you cannot land a decent daily anymore for roughly $2,000 in this market. But if you had to lower your expectations, what model would you go for and why? For me, it’d probably be a small hatch, like the MINI Cooper, as it is relatively easy to fix, and the parts don’t cost a small fortune.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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