Summer's almost here and the time is right for croooosin'. There are little sports cars, big brutes, hatchback conversions and even Minis to agonise over.

But there's nothing around quite like the Chrysler PT Cruiser Cabrio, which is either King Cool or King Crackpot, according to your point of view.

With its chunky roll-over bar, slab sides, bulky rear and rounded front screen, nothing quite divides motoring public opinion so much as the PT Cruiser.

Here's a selection of random views from a quick survey:
"It looks like it ought to be in Who Framed Roger Rabbit – too rounded to be a real convertible."
"A bit boxy - seems to be a mix of two cars put together."
"Like a 1920s car with the top cut off."
"It would look good as a little pick-up truck."
"Driving around the city, it would stand out. I like it. It's snappy."
"I didn't like the hard-top version and this is even worse. Awful."
"It's quite a nice vehicle normally but the cabrio doesn't work. It's out of proportion, unfinished."

See what I mean? Personally, I don't care what other people think - this is my kind of car. Not because it's the greatest to drive but because it dares to be different, it stands out in a crowd and it's an awful lot of fun.







Also the PT Cruiser Cabrio doesn't take itself too seriously. It is a kind of cartoon car that you write your own word bubble to.

Mine might say: "Hey dudes, why the dull set of wheels? Lighten up."

Part of the Cabrio's charm is that it doesn't try to be a sports car. Because of the slab-sided flanks, this could be a pick-up truck with the rear section converted; the roll bar hoop is very in-your-face and the hood does look a bit pram-like tucked up at the back.






But electric operation does work fast to give you open air motoring at the touch of a button and driving topless is a liberating feeling. Particularly because this a Cruiser by name and a cruiser by nature – it has that feelgood factor where you just feel like rolling along in style, enjoying the ride, with no partiular place to go. Driving for driving's sake.

One thing I forgot to mention – the Cabrio is only available as left-hand drive at the moment and the 100 or so vehicles in the UK are a taster of what is to come, with conventional right-handers arriving here next year.

Despite that, I quickly adapted and hung in there for a good motoring experience, particulaly charmed by the over-sized steering wheel, retro-gearstick and fabulous, all-leather seats.

The distintinctly American-looking hot-rod style Cruiser Cabrio is spacious and can be funky family transport where needed.

Handling has that lazy, laid-back feeling, cornering is grippy but causes some side roll. But the new 2.4-litre engine storms along delightfully, hitting 62mph in a reasonable 10.3 seconds and returns around 30mpg overall.

Despite my love affair with the Cabrio, there are some minus marks. Scuttle shake is a feature of the knobbly suspension, steering lacks some feel and a wide lock means manoeuvring can be cumbersome.

I still love it, though. PT Cruiser Cabrio fans unite – we're all right and the rest of the world must be wrong...





FACTFILE:
Model tested: Chrysler PT Cruiser Cabrio 2.4 Limited.
Price: £17,500.
Engine: four-cylinder DOHC 16v unit of 2429cc developing 143bhp @ 5500 rpm and 158 lb/ft of torque @ 4150 rpm.
CO2: 231 g/km.
Transmission: front-wheel drive via five-speed manual gearbox.
Performance: maximum speed 121mph; 0-62mph in 10.5 seconds.
Fuel tank capacity: 57 litres.
Fuel consumption: urban 20.9mpg; extra urban 37.2mpg; combined 29.1mpg.
Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles; seven years/unlimited mileage anti-corrosion; 3 years roadside assistance.