Review written on 6/1929.
We have eagerly awaited the arrival of the Philadelphia Motors Turtle. The day has finally come. We're looking forward to taking this Minivan out for a drive. After our recent reviews of the Heythrop, any test drive to make us forget it is welcomed! The real question bouncing around the office is if the Turtle is better than the Cicala. You'll have to read to find out.

Our first test is always on the track. It is here where we can measure the performance of the Philadelphia Motors Turtle without getting a speeding ticket! And that's good because we would rack up the tickets in this Minivan. Not for going too fast, but for going too slow! The Turtle is slower than grandma's mobility scooter. You seriously might as well walk. The 9 hp @ 1371RPMs 570 cc V4 engine should be used in a lawn mower. Not in a car. The Turtle lugs it self to a horrible top speed of 32 mph. And strains to hit Not Applicable. The 28 lb-ft of torque can tow around 690 lbs. Which is great if you want to hitch up your son's little red wagon to haul around town. It is amazing they even allow this vehicle to drive on the roads. All in all we hate this car performance on the track. On the track testing the Philadelphia Motors Turtle did have some slight issues. Of course it was not designed to be a track car. But as a Minivan it should have better handling than it does. In most cases in the real world this shouldn't be any problem. But it is still sub-par at best.

When we got to interior testing on the Philadelphia Motors Turtle we found it to be below average. While you wouldn't want to use this vehicle on a road trip, it is comfortable enough for short rides and tiny commutes.

Getting into the Philadelphia Motors Turtle can be quite a bit of a pain. Even an amoeba would be claustrophobic in the confines of the Turtle. With only 41 cu-ft of cargo and passenger space, there is absolutely no place to put anything. Want a to take a suit case? Strap it to the roof. Want to take a child to school? Strap him to the roof. Want a soda... you guessed it. Strap it to the roof! One has to imagine Philadelphia Motors owns a roof rack company somewhere.

It may not be much in this day and age, but the Philadelphia Motors Turtle is above its class average when we looked at the physical quality of the machine. While other manufacturers cut corners, Philadelphia Motors looks to keep their image and public perception high. They do a good job at that with the Turtle.

The Philadelphia Motors Turtle is not a particularly reliable car. In fact, it is quite downright bad. We suffered a catastrophic brake failure in just a couple of days testing a new car. While this might be a fluke, we wouldn't bet on it from the complaints we've heard.

Are gas prices too high now? What will they be like 10 years from now? What about 50 years from now? Does it matter? If you drive a Philadelphia Motors Turtle it doesn't. The Turtle only uses 19.0 mpg. Which means it rarely needs refuelling and when it does, it's cheap!

With some focus on safety, Philadelphia Motors Turtle has been able to outshine most in its class. It almost makes you believe the marketing hype that Philadelphia Motors does actually believe in the safety and security of your family.

Thirty years from now folks will nostalgically look back on this generation of Minivan. Except, Philadelphia Motors Turtle will be one of the ones they're not fond of, if they can even remember it at all. Will it suit you fine now? Sure. But we wouldn't recommend it if over other options out there.