Rick,
I don't know where they get 5.5 sec for the Forrester XT. Motorweek
has the XT at 6.2 seconds, and the PT Cruiser at 6.7 seconds.
http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2210a.shtml
http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2250.shtml

The Forrester was tested with a 5-speed manual transmission, and the PT
Cruiser was tested with an automatic transmission. A manual
transmission should take at least 1/2 second (maybe 1 second) off the
PT Cruiser's time, bringing it down to about 5.7-6.2 seconds. Those
times were all for the older 220 HP engine. The newly tuned 230 HP
engine should brings the PT Cruiser GT on par with the Forrester XT.

They both have 230 HP, but the PT Cruiser hase 245 ft-lb of torque to
the Forrester XTs 235 ft-lb. The PT cruiser GT weighs 3152 lbs. The
Forrester is at 3315 lbs.

Of course, the PT Cruiser costs about $6,000 less than the Forrester
XT, but the Forrester has All Wheel Drive.

I will concede that the PT would not leave the Forrester XT in the
dust. I was thinking of the standard Forrester.