Las Vegas NowConsumer Reports Looks at Retro Cars (Oct. 11)

Consumer Reports Looks at Retro Cars (Oct. 11)

(Oct. 11) -- When it comes to cars, retro is the rage. The 2002 Mini Coopers and Ford Thunderbirds are selling well above sticker price. They're following the lead of the New VW Beetle and the PT Cruiser. Consumer Reports took a look at the performance of all four, as well as the eye-catching styling.

The new Beetle came out first. Then the PT Cruiser, followed by the Ford Thunderbird and the latest the Mini Cooper.

"Probably the number one reaction people have, when they're getting out of their car is wondering what it is," says David Durrill of Desert BMW.

What it is a throwback to yesteryear. The Mini Cooper originally came out in 1959 and was known as the Morris Minor, the knock against it then was it was too small, and while this is small now, it actually has more room than you might expect.

"The whole interior is styled as the old mini was - door handles, speedometer in the middle, even the switches are the old toggle switches from many moons ago," says David Champion of Consumer Reports.

Other retro cars also have the curvy lines and rounded look of a bygone era. You see it in the hubcaps, in the headlights, and in the distinctive grillwork. "The styling is wonderful on these and it's personal preference in many ways, but there are compromises you make with buying a retro-style vehicle," Champion said.

For example, engineers found the Ford Thunderbird quite cramped. If you're tall, you could find your head grazing the roof. And the Thunderbird has a tendency to shake, especially on rough roads. The PT Cruiser performed quite well in Consumer Reports braking tests and fairly well in the handling tests, but in the government's front-on crash tests, the 2001 PT Cruiser rated relatively poorly. And while the new Beetle did do well in the crash tests, its reliability is below average. And its backseat only has room for two and is quite cramped. As for the Mini, it's roomier than you might expect, but it's too new to tell how reliable it will be.

There are some little annoyances including a coffee cup holder that blocks the controls and spills the coffee.

Bottom line: If you love the look of the retro vehicles, be prepared to make some compromises.

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