Not really a sport-utility or minivan, the PT Cruiser has been well received by our staff. It offers versatility and eye-catching styling not found among compact cars. Its only drawback is tepid acceleration. The loaded Volkswagen Passat also makes it to the Best Buy list this year, despite relatively high prices.

Recommended choices include the vanilla Mazda 626 and the all-wheel drive Subaru Outback/Legacy. Both offer roomy alternatives at fair prices.

Generating huge buzz long before it hit the streets, the PT Cruiser drew nearly 145,000 calendar-year sales in 2001, up 57.3 percent from debut 2000. Chrysler increased output at the PT's Mexican assembly plant to keep up, but has lately resorted to incentives, as the once red-hot sales pace has cooled somewhat. Many dealers have been offering their own discounts too.

But like Volkswagen with its New Beetle, Chrysler plans to keep PT sales cooking by serving up new variations in coming months. Following the new Dream Cruiser and "Woodie" limited editions is the 2003 PT Turbo, due later in 2002. It packs 215 horsepower, up 65 from regular PTs, plus firmer suspension, standard 17-inch wheels, performance tires, bigger brakes, body-color bumpers, and unique seats with longer cushions and more prominent side bolsters. There's still a choice of manual or automatic transmissions, but the latter includes Chrysler's AutoStick manual-shift feature. Chrysler claims 0-60 mph at 7.5 sec, which compares with the 8.9 sec we clocked with a five-speed non-turbo model. Pricing isn't available yet, but insider guesstimates speak of $25,000 to start.

The turbo engine should be the only choice for the recently announced Cruiser convertible that bows in early 2004, likely as an '05 model. Based on a well-received concept seen at the 2000 New York Auto Show, the drop-top PT will offer seating for four beneath a fixed "hoop" bridging the passenger compartment to restore some of the body rigidity that's always lost when a fixed-roof car is "decaptitated." The top will likely be manual (and bulky), and the reconfigured body won't have the cargo space or versatility of the PT wagon, but convertibles have never been about practicality anyway. We'll have more details as they become available, so keep checking back with us.

Another spin-off, a two-door panel wagon, is still said to be under consideration, though it's not official yet. However, the PT Cruiser's basic design should see no fundamental through the 2007 season, after which the crystal ball goes dark.