Interesting choices. I can see the Pacifica and PT Cruiser, but the Magnum is a surprise. Looks like Chrysler is adopting GM's "we'd rather kill it than fix it" approach. If the Pacifica was leaned out and made to be more sleek, instead of the big heavy pig it is now, it would sell much better. The PT could be updated and still maintain a retro theme and would be a big hit with the boy racer crowd. The Magnum needs a sleeker design and a more practical storage area. And Chrysler...please get rid of those weird hood strakes on all the products.

Looks like Chrysler is adopting GM's "we'd rather kill it than fix it" approach.

Yes, and look how much better GM is doing recently. This brings to mind the phrase "Beating a dead horse".

The PT could be updated and still maintain a retro theme and would be a big hit with the boy racer crowd.

I don't know where you live, but no American compact is a hit with the "boy racer" crowd, despite the fluff you see from the Shrinking 3 at SEMA and their incompetent marketing ploys.

The magnum and pt cruiser!!!!! Thats CRAZY!!!!! those are among the
the 7 chrysler that I like and the magnum can't die that is the only decent
station wagon in the USA!!!!! it is the only decent one actually.
The pt cruiser can be redesigned all you have to do is get a caliber and retrofy it.

Why the hell are they getting rid of the Magnum? I almost bought one a couple years ago (the wait was too long at the time) and I see at least two every day on my way to and from work.

You missed the point, Noya...American car companies don't try to update cars that lose their appeal, they allow the design to die on the vine, resulting in tarnished nameplates that can't be resurrected easily (witness: the Ford Taurus). The jury is still out on whether GM has learned this lesson.

Regarding the "boy racer" crowd... get off the computer and take a look out the window once in a while. There are plenty of tricked-out Cavaliers, Cobalts, etc. My point was that the American car companies have to get back to constant improvement of product, not abandonment...the buyers will come (even the boy-racers).

This is a day to remember and cherish. Our collective eyes will no longer be assaulted by the horror that is the PT cruiser (at least new ones). The peasants rejoice.

Station Wagon? Do you want it to die quicker? We call them "hatchbacks" now to avoid the "mom-mover-of-the-seventies" tag.

The Magnum was a bad idea to start, mainly due to the HEMI engine. Hatchbacks are popular with young people because they have a lot of the interior storage capacity of an SUV but get the gas mileage and driving characteristics of a car.

The Pacifica was one of the first Crossover vehicles it seems, but those vehicles are kind of a mystery sale. They do not get the mileage of hatchback cars, but they do not have the towing capacity of SUVs. More or less, they are the new mom-mobile: you get to step up into the car and feel more secure than you are due to a higher bumper. Nevermind most large German Sedans like the 5 series or even the new Pontiac G8 would rip right through most Crossovers (and still probably get better in town gas mileage, provided they are not driven like a bat out of hell).

The Dakota is a sad kill, but one that has to happen. It really invented, to a lot of people, the mid-size truck category, and a Mid-Size truck is all most suburban dads need. But because Dodge had to go put a Hemi in the RAM and Ford pumped its F-150 so much, most are now stuck with full-size gas guzzlers that do about as much work as their more economic mid-size little brothers should be doing.

Hopefully the Dakota can come back with a new power plant and transmission, oh hell lets give it a new platform altogether, and get Suburbanites into trucks that suit them for once!

You'll see these for a while. Ever hear of a sales bank? Chrysler's had one for decades. There are lots of these there.

Chrysler is making correct choices by killing these off and really reevaluating their product line. The Pacifica never really fit. It was to heavy, too underpowered,too expensive and suffered from poor gas mileage. (Not really the selling point of the car...Minivans offer more space and better mileage comparatively) The PT Cruiser was the darling of the automotive press when introduced, but has been plaqued by reliability problems, low resale value, and based on a 95' Neon platform. The Magnum is an anamoly. I liked it at first, but the appeal quickly waned and as gas prices rose the car quickly went off my radar.

I agree with the previous post, that the mid-size truck is about perfect for most homeowners needs. It is a shame to kill off the Dakota. But the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma offer better resale, power, and perceive quality than the Dodge.

I thought the Magnum was a good idea that missed the target.
It has a really high load floor and there isn't really all that much space back there.
But what do I know, I actually like wagons and pine for them.
I wish honda would bring back the accord wagon and put a turbo diesel in it.

I can understand the PT cruiser, but I actually did like the magnum a lot (just about the only american car that was in my listing of cars to consider... wagon lover here :D perfect for the beach). Ah well, maybe they'll revamp it and release a new model that's more appropriately targeted.

The engine killed the Magnum. Should have been a V6 at the most. Other than that, I could fit a couple of dead bodies in the back and still have room....um....I meant instruments and equipment. :-D

longdxcommuter, the PT Cruiser is plagued by reliability problems?? Where's your data because I've sure never seen any that says that. The PT Cruiser has really been a very reliable vehicle. The original version may be getting long in the tooth now, but I don't understand dropping future models -- it makes no sense. Every other car maker seems to be scrambling to make their own PT cruiser -- the new Scion Xb, the Matrix and Vibe, Chevy HHR, Element, etc -- practically every company is trying to take their compact car platform, convert into tall wagon designed to carry lots of stuff, sporting some kind of stylistic affectation or at least heavy targeted marketing in order to make it seem "cool" to some demographic of the buying public.

how typical for Chrysler. They stop when the job is half-way done.

Trimming the fat might help them with their expenses, but I don't think they will just get rid of car lines. I expect to see some job losses after this, can't have these guys hanging around with no cars to build.

Chrysler needs a new neon, with a better looking exterior. Everyone is building small cars, and there is a lot of buzz in the small car market. Chrysler is a little late with their small suv idea.

A revamped interior in all of their cars is a must.

If they could go diesel in some of their mid sized, and larger cars and vans, I think they could make some headway in the market.

As an owner of a 2005 Magnum R/T, this doesn't suprise me. It's always been an odd duck. I love mine, mostly because it's rather unique. At first I wanted a 300C, but EVERYONE had one, so then I realized I could get the same exact car for less by buying a Magnum. I took it a step further and did the 300C front end conversion. It's nice to know that mine will be even more rare than usual. I wonder if they will also kill off the 300C Touring (300C wagon in Europe).

The only parts of the PT cruiser that is from the Neon is the HVAC control stack. The engine is a 2.4L out of the Sebring, Cirrus and Minivan's. The rest of it is PT.

Adapting the Neon's chassis for use in the PT was not cost effective so Brian Nesbitt , The chief designer of the PT came up with a new chassis.

As for reliablility issues, Consumer Reports and My own PT GT say otherwise.

Those that are the new owners of Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep are going to do what I hoped they would do: Stop making so many models that cross over. I love the Dodge Magnum, but at a business standpoint, it shares the basic construction of the Dodge Charger, the upcoming Dodge Challenger, and the Chrysler 300, but falls behind in sales. Even with the 2008 facelift it received, it's just too many models. The Jeep Compass and Patriot should have never been made, along with the redesigned Chrysler Sebring sedan and Dodge Avenger (formerly Dodge Stratus). The upcoming Dodge Journey will fill the vacant Dodge Caravan, (another mistake), since the 2008 Dodge van is a GRAND CARAVAN now. The Dodge Nitro is a corporate twin to the Jeep Liberty. The Chrysler Aspen is a clone of the Dodge Durango, (get rid of them, please). The PT Cruiser was left out all night with Ford's Taurus, neglected and abandoned far too long to help..and don't get me started on Generic..Geriatric...I mean General Motors...

Mark wrote:

The PT Cruiser was left out all night with Ford's Taurus, neglected and abandoned far too long to help

They did this because they were too busy praying at the alter of the SUV. The profit margins just couldn't be ignored! So lets let what was once a good vehicle die on the vine and we will catch up later! not.

Why does this not suprise me... the models that nothing ever goes wrong with they're going to get rid of... but they're goign to keep the models with higher failure rates....

As a very happy, satisfied owner of a very reliable 2003 PT Cruiser, I really don't find it a surprise to see them cut the PT. Mine is 4.5 years old and runs like a top, is comfortable and can haul a 56" DLP Projectioin TV in the box with no problems. I can cruise at 75 or 80 for hundreds of miles, be comfortable and still get good gas mileage. The rub is that mine is a 2003 Model. When I put it in for regular maintenance, they loaned me a 2006 model (this was a couple years ago when 2006's were new) and it was the MOST uncomfortable car I have ever sat in. While it's performance was still good, my 44 mile commute was torture. I can't image riding say from Philadelphia to the casino in Connecticut as I do regularly in my 2003. Chrysler killed this one themselves. I knew then my 2003 was the only one I'd own because if it ain't comfortable, it's not worth buying. The Pacifica really doesn't surprise me, nor the Magnum because it was aimed at to narrow a market. I never really cared for the Dakota so no feelings either way there. As for the Sebring, Chryler did the same thing with it that they did with the Cruiser, they shrunk it down til it was an ugly uncomfortable imitation. And while I am at it, the Cruiser Convertible was not Chrysler's best idea either. It is fine as long as the top is down I guess, but ugly as dirt with it up.

I'm with you DAD!! I have an '02 Cruiser and I just LOVE it. I've had more fun with this car than any I've ever owned. I was actually thinking about buying a Pacifica, because I like the look of them, but now I'm glad I didn't. When I bought the Cruiser, I made sure it was LOADED, so it's super comfortable. Southern California is the perfect place to have a convertible car of ANY kind, but the Cruiser convertibles look "chopped" and awful! I do feel bad for the employees that may get let go, though. My cousin works at the Toledo plant and she just bought a new house, so this wouldn't be a good time for her if she loses her job...

Lets get to the real issue. It is not the products but the way they are sold. The antiquatied system of the Manufacturer developing products that the dealer is forced to sell must go away. In addition, the antiquated system of the dealer putting numbers on a paper, going back and forth behind a closed mystery door must go away. Instead, the Companies and dealers are going to have to learn what the market wants, develop it and then support it. In addition, the dealers will have to learn how to deal with people. I dont buy cars any more frequently that I have to because of having to deal with stupid, rude and beligerant car sales people. If Chrysler cant succeed with vehicles like the Pacifica and Dakota, they deserve to die. Chysler has been a leader for years in new ideas and yet they just expect the product to live on its original idea forever. If the refined, marketed and sold the products properly, we would not even be having this discussion. They would rule the auto world.

I cant believe theyre getting rid of the pacifica i own an 06 and i love it its very reliable ive never had any problem with it. its super comfortable and it hanldles very well. i finally found a car i actually like and they get rid of it