Suave, classic, fluid. These are the three words that come to mind while running ones fingers over the hood to the door and reaching for the chrome door handle that is standard equipment. An abundance of chrome, inside and out makes me think of a fourth word. Sweet.

A large grille, rounded fenders, tear-drop headlights and bullet shaped tail lamps scream 1940s. The versatility gives it away as being ultra-modern. Getting situated behind the wheel sometimes spells trouble if you're short, tall, chubby, etc. This thought out and planned interior's driver's side seat not only moves forward and back, but up and down as well and an armrest that you can pull down adds to the luxury. Climate control, power window switches and stereo all are within an easy reach. Chrome even circles the gauges including the tachometer.

The rear-seat ventilation ducts are a nice touch to keep passengers in a comfortable climate zone.

Once on the road the ride is smooth and quiet. The PT Cruiser lives up to its name. Cruising for long distances at 90mph is not a problem for the 150-horsepower 2.4-litre engine. U-turns aren't generally considered fun but with this tight steering and a fabulous twist beam, tires remain on the ground.

All-season touring tires and air conditioning are also standard equipment for the Cruiser.

A smorgasbord of options are available as well as accessories including a rear air deflector made of acrylic that keeps your rear window clear by streaming air across it while the vehicle is in motion. Great idea. How about a 10-disc CD changer that promises to virtually eliminate skipping. The PT Cruiser and her snotty twin the PT Cruiser LE come in a variety of colours white, silver, shale green, aquamarine, inferno red, black, patriot blue, and deep cranberry. Colour panels that coordinate with the exterior body colour are a tribute to yesteryear models.

About a 120 cubic feet of space is offered inside the PT Cruiser. Just one of the reasons that nobody knows exactly how to categorize this vehicle. The rear seats fold completely flat. For those that want rid of the seats all together. Voila! They are gone, thanks to quick-release latches. Even the front passenger seat folds flat to accommodate objects up to eight feet long. Price unlike other trendy vehicles isn't an issue with the PT Cruiser which was brought out to be sold to the younger market. $19,000 for a base model shouldn't frighten too many drivers. This first year only 185,000 PT Cruisers are being produced in a plant in Mexico. They are building another factory in Austria to Cater to Europe's demands and there are talks about opening another plant in Illinois.

If there are any drawbacks to the PT (Personal Transportation) Cruiser it is that everyone is crossing their fingers hoping that the first production year won't be like the Neon's.