I rented one around 2000 or 2001 and was also not that impressed. Fuel economy was poor, it was slugish, and despite its acclaimed utility/versatility, it was a struggle to get the baby stroller and a weekend's worth of luggage into the back. The curved hatch really cuts into vertical storage space. I wonder if the more upright HHR is better in that regard. We also found it to have a more narrow interior than the vehicle's footprint would suggest.
Still, it is one of Chrysler's better quality vehicles according to Consumer Reports (above average), despite the many problems listed here.
I wanted to like the PT more than I did. Instead, I like the similarly sized but more modern and effficient packaging of the Mazda5.