Chrysler Crossfire

intrepidspirit · April 2004

Sounds like a good lease deal. I got mine with $2,200 drive off and $299/month for 39 months (12K miles/year.) And mine was a demo with 5,800 miles. The $2,200 included registration, first month's payment and tax on the capital reduction. These are normally out of pocket costs, so the actual down payment was about $1,500.

With 17K miles/year, you get 55K in total. Certainly the best part of the car at a bargain price (about $14,000)!

nissan350z · April 2004

At 17K miles a year on a leasing deal for a Crossfire is a good deal. Since I drive about 18K a year I could go for that. But I am thinking of buying my next car rather than lease again.

ruski · April 2004

are a joke

Here in Florida "around the corner" means 10 miles away. All these miles add up.

intrepidspirit · April 2004

Here in California (the freeway capital of the country), people rack up the miles, too. However, I personally drive only 8,000 miles per year because I live close to work. My wife drives about 18,000/year.

I actually tried to get the dealer to give me a better deal on a reduced mileage (10,000 miles), but the lease was an advertised special and they wouldn't budge. With my wife driving the Crossfire 3 days a week to work, we can get the mileage up to 12,000/year...

mikemajesty · April 2004

this car exciting at all to drive in the "twisties", for example, what kind of cars do you guys forsee it being able to keep up with on "drivers" roads. top gear really murdered this car with their review. i need it to be sporty or else im going to have to look elsewhere, despite the great deal.

nissan350z · April 2004

The only cars I can think of that can keep up around the Crossfire for around the same price is the 350Z and RX-8.

mikemajesty · April 2004

well just got my black 6 speed xfire today, and i have to say i love it. it seems to be built really solidly, handles really well and seems faster than 215 horses would suggest. must say im very happy with my decision.

nissan350z · April 2004

Hey Mike what kind of deal did you get with your black Crossfire buy or lease? Glad you like it so far.

mikemajesty · April 2004

ended up getting 15k a year for 300 a month with 2k down. i wasnt able to get the 17.5 because my sister, who also got an xfire yesterday, was way upside down on her car but needed to trade it in because of her payments. we got them to take 27.5 for it when edmunds tmv is 23k so i took a small hit in miles to help my sister out. but overall i still think it was a pretty good deal. got it at rusnak in pasadena, good people.

grey1988 · April 2004

Does the 300 include tax?

mikemajesty · April 2004

no, its 324 with tax.

mikemajesty · April 2004

are also offering o down, 339 a month and 12k a year, i think that is a chrysler nation wide deal right now, which is pretty sweet itself. if you live real close to work or school that is.

jpinwdc · April 2004

Has anyone checked to see if an aftermarket sunroof could be installed in the Crossfire? I'm not sure I want to pay the premium that will be tacked on the convertibles when they come out.

One dealer said it could be done with a sunroof that slides outside the roof. However, I'm concerned about the small ridge (or spine) that is in the center of the roof.

grey1988 · April 2004

How long does it take to get the Luggage? Does everyone get one? How do they send it to you? Do they send it by UPS?

qbrozen · April 2004

with such a small roof as it is, I don't see how a moonroof that slides into the roof could even be an option. So your only choices would be one that slides outside or one of those manual ones that just either tilts or pops out completely.

guru · April 2004

I'm very interested in the crossfire, but the stock tires concern me. Z rated tires are very soft, have no tread-wear warranty, and are not all-season. I'm looking for some additional information on the optional all-season continental tires, ie tread wear and ride quality.

mikemajesty · April 2004

have the all seasons. im not sure of all that info. but i can find out for you.

beside that, its 200 miles and i have to say i love this car more and more everytime time i get into it to drive. its not the fastest car out there, but its plenty fast, and the steering is vague, but the handeling is incredible. and god is it beautiful, ive gotten long hard stares from porche, mercedes and nsx owners. i think if anyone goes with the tt or rx8 over this car your crazy. yeah the tranny might be a little rubbery, but take this car out on any road against those two and i gurantee you when they are eating your dust you will stop caring about that rubbery transmission, or that long clutch throw. when did people begin being so obsessed with cars "feeling" perfect anyway? too me its all about going hard and fast, and looking damn good while you do it is a nice added bonus.
mike
black xfire
6 speed.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2004

We have Connor from TireRack on site now. You can ask him directly by going here:

Tires, Tires, Tires Forum on the Maintenance Board

Shifty the Host

ruski · April 2004

I use a Cobra detector that someone gave me as a Christmas gift. It was I think ~$70. It saved my butt a bunch of times, but a few times didn't help (one time I didn't listen to it and got pulled over as a result for doing 83 in 65, the other time a cop with a laser gun got me and my detector didn't detect it)

nissan350z · April 2004

I too use a radar in my car, and it has saved me times mostly in the slower side street. On highways if you are going too fast it is most of the time too late to slow it down in time. Think about it if you are going 90 mph or 80 mph it going to take sometime to slow down or break hard. By that time the cop should have gotten a still about speel limit. Then again I always just feel more safe with my radar than without even if it isn't a sure no ticket.

mikemajesty · April 2004

you have to go with the valentine one if your really trying to avoid tickets. its by far the best out there. i think motor trend did a test a while back and from what i remember it finished 20 points ahead of the next close. my buddy had one in his s4 and that thing saved him so so so many times, like once a week with the way he drove. it has 4 directional arrows, and reads k, ka, and x bands. i think it has a one mile radius. its pretty damn nice, pretty pricey though too. just find one on ebay.

svevar · April 2004

The new Chrysler convertibles, the Crossfire and PT Cruiser, receive positive reviews in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/automobiles/25AUTO.html?pagewan- ted=1

-- Mark

autolover · April 2004

when is the convertible going to be in dealerships and available to purchase?

ezshift5 · April 2004

..6-speed . . and "long throw clutch"....

I wonder if we can quantify this: (worse than a Honda S2000; better than a Nissan Max 6-speed?)

How about that trunk?

byxbeer · April 2004

Hi all,

I must admit that I confused about the claims of high performance for the Crossfire. I test drove one and I found the lack of low end torque to be a major issue, plus the published 0-60 time of around 6.8 seconds certainly doesn't impress. I've also test driven the RX-8 and the 350Z, and although the Crossfire LOOKS awesome it doesn't even begin to compare from a performance perspective. I'm looking at buying a coupe and I'm completely open to any suggestions anyone might have. I'd love to get the Crossfire, but the lack of power doesn't seem to be worth the hefty price tag.

Race

bigmike5 · April 2004

Read the RX-8 issues on their forum. I was considering one until the stalling issue became apparent. No one is going to always warm the car up to operating temp. to prevent stalling/flooding and a tow. Too much baggage there although I did like the test drive. I found the Xfire to be slightly faster than the 300M off the line, and handling was good, but I never really got it up much above 55 so I can't speak to the high end torque. The Crossfire SRT-6 that is coming has 330 horses, so it should be a lot faster. Course for $48K a Boxster and Z06 are probably in play. 350Z has big time tire wear problems due to the set-up of the suspension. If that is not a big issue, its supposed to be a fast puppy. 04 Vettes- see Kerbeck on the net--are available below $40K, and after 5 years of production the end of model-year cars should have no bugs by this time.

byxbeer · April 2004

Thanks for the reply bigmike. I had heard about the issues with the RX-8, but I didn't know that they were that severe. I had also heard about the 350Z tire wear issues but I thought that had been corrected in the 2004 models. Do you happen to own a Crossfire, and if so would you recommend it even though the test drive was less than inspiring? I'd love to get a Vette even though the C6 is coming out so thanks for the information about Kerbeck.

Have you perhaps heard of anyone adding some simple aftermarket items such as an enhanced intake or a supercharger to the Crossfire? I still can't figure out why the prototype had almost 275 HP and they came out with only 215 for production. Well, I'm sure it was a pure cost decision, but still. : )

qbrozen · April 2004

they're not that severe. read the forum.

bigmike5 · April 2004

I think from what I have read and recall from my 4 car rags, that the increase in hp in the SRT-6 Crossfire will be generated by supercharging the current engine. Not an expert on this, but that is what I recall. Yes, sadly, the original Xfire was supposed to get 275 hp out the gate, but DC stuck this leftover MB SLK [?] engine in it instead, apparently because the platform size was the same for both cars. Now after a number of negative reviews about the mid-range torque [I never got it up to a speed that would have given me an answer on that issue.] they up the hp to 330 and jack the price up to $48K. I test drove a red automatic last June, and it was still on the dealer's lot until a week or so ago!! [Had to have 500 test drive miles on it by then.] They initially wanted $3K over sticker, and some poor [or maybe rich] [non-permissible content removed] actually/finally gave them sticker, with a trade-in of a Pacifica with only 3K miles on it. This, despite DC's recent rollback of about $5K off the sticker to move them. [Take a look at the Carmax site and you can see lots of new Xfires in various locations around the country, well below sticker.] Their sales for the year were mid-2000's instead of the projected/expected 8K [which, by the way, the RX-8's did make]. The Crossfire board here has been kinda quiet for the last few months, but there is also a Crossfire Forum that you can check to see how the owners are doing. I met one guy last summer at the Woodward Dream Cruise event I ran for the 300M people, who owns a body shop and is kind of a collector [Prowler, new T-bird, 300M,& Crossfire] who had a new white one last summer [Whitefire] and he may still be posting there, [he didn't respond to a recent post I submitted for him here] and maybe can give you a year's worth of input from a body shop owner's perspective. There were several others long termers there. I can no longer post there from my office computer [chat] but will be getting a used laptop from my daughter in a month or two, then I will cruise back over to that site and see what's happening. I was really hoping the SRT-6 would come in near $40K, sans gouging, and then I would have seriously considered a new toy, but $48K+ is ridiculous. I also got a close-up look at the 05 Vettes at the Museum last Saturday [80 miles away - a nice cruise on an early weekend morning] and I still like the style of the 04 better, so I'm looking toward a end-of-model-year buy perhaps. At my age it could be my last new set of wheels, so what the heck, who cares if a year's worth of depreciation is lost at the end of the model year.

intrepidspirit · April 2004

I lease a Crossfire, mainly because it was offered @ $299/month. It has been a fun car to drive and definitely gets lot of looks! I have the 5-speed automatic, which gets better gas mileage than the 6-speed manual.

DC touts the Crossfire as a "sports cruiser" rather than a true sports car. It has a more refined interior than the 350Z or RX8. It's 0-60 is almost a second slower than the Z, but in testing it made up most of the shortfall in the 1/4 mile. I haven't had it over 95, but it has good high-end torque and wasted no time in reaching 95. The Crossfire surpasses both the 350Z and RX8 in handling as documented in independent testing.

My wife and I each have a 300M and we share the Crossfire. The 300M is similar in performance in that the 0-60 time of 7.6 is more than compensated for by the 50-80 acceleration time (when you really need it)!

One reason I didn't consider the RX-8 is that high-end torque is almost non-existant in the rotary engine, especially with an automatic...

AS far as "hefty price tags", since leasing my Crossfire, I have seen ads for $7,500+ off all Crossfires in stock (including rebate). This brings the auto down to about $28k and the 6-speed to about $27k.

Hope this helps...

byxbeer · April 2004

Thanks for the replies everybody. I agree that the looks of the Crossfire are stunning and that the new $299 lease is very attractive. However, many folks come back with the nonsensical argument of "Well, I don't like it because it is a Chrysler." I know that is an idiotic argument, but I'd like to get a car that has great performance and that will cause people to stare and not ridicule the brand name. At $28k this car is much more reasonable and is now inline with the Nissan and Mazda offerings. However, in addition to the performance issues I found the lack of a tilt steering wheel extremely annoying. I'm 6'5" and unfortunately it's hard for me to find a nice sports car that gives me enough leg room, hence the desire for a tilt wheel. On a side note I read that the Honda S2000 has the most leg room in the sports coupe class, but I couldn't even contort my body into that little thing. Sigh.

Given the performance issues that we've already discussed, have any taller driver on this board driven a wider range of sports cars? If so, what else would you recommend? The Crossfire, RX-8 and the 350Z all seemed to have about the same leg room (Snug and slightly cramped for my frame).

mikemajesty · April 2004

0-60. first of all, 0-60, as always said, bad measure of performance in my mind. but any ways, because that is our obsession, road and track just published it at 6.4. another thing, in the 6 speed, you have to shift at around 52 mph to go into third, so you have an extra shift compared to the 350z. if you also go to rx8club.com you will see those cars are running mid 15 quarters consistently, and the one guy to match a magazine time blew his tranny. a jic prepared rx8 did just do 77 mph in the slalom though.......
about the tranny, i would say it feels almost exactly like the old 5 speed maxima, obviously no where near as nice as the s2000, though i figure you were being fasicous with that.
byxbeer, i would say its not a high performance car if you measure it by that "edgy" s2k or second gen mr2 sense, but the handling numbers are right there with a boxter. i took a canyon run in azusa a few days ago and i have driven a modified wrx there and a rx7 there and the xfire was taking turns faster than either of those cars. on Friday me and my buddy will be going back there, he being the guy with the wrx. he now has a sti version vII suspension, so ill let you all know how that goes.
by the way, traction control sucks. i just leave mine off in anything short of a downpour, but i live in l.a., so hey i guess im spoiled. and byxbeer, if you would also like more content on the crossfire, check out crossfireforums.org, pretty new sight, but the people there are willing to help.

mikemajesty · April 2004

didnt see how tall you are. im about 6'1, and if you are getting a 6 speed, i would say dont get the xfire. as much as i love it and want to see more get sold because i like buying american cars, its really not comfortable for me. im glad i leased it because it eliminates any tempatation i would have had to go to vegas, mileage wise obviously, and now comfort wise. im young to and pretty thin, i hate how the steering wheel only telescopes.

bigmike5 · April 2004

I am only 6'0" tall and 210 pounds [with longer legs] and when I test drove the X-fire [auto.] the seats were very good and comfortable, supposedly a lift from the Viper line according to the salesman, but it was a challenge getting my thighs past steering wheel with no tilt. Once I squeezed by the wheel and into the seat I was able to adjust the seat and telescope the wheel to a position that I think was OK. At 6'5" I would guess you would have a real issue getting in, getting a comfortable position and getting enough head room.

mikemajesty · April 2004

yeah the automatic is a possibility, but i would say definately not on the maual.

bigmike5 · April 2004

My Autoweek mag had an ad for the SRT-6 on the back cover, and the suggested price of $46K and change. Ouch. They indicated that the Crossfire starts at $29K [I think it was] but as shown in the ad was $46K. Just a slight boost for the supercharged engine, eh?

mikemajesty · April 2004

i think you have to consider the same thing happens to the cts to the cts-v, 330- the m3, a4- to the s4. its more than just the supercharger, but dont forget price is driver by supply and demand, not imagination

.

richard1s · May 2004

I have owned my X-fire 5 months now and although I experienced a major issue with a hard to replace rear rim and tire, driving this car is still a thrill. However, I am disappointed with the job Daimler has done marketing and promoting the car but hey, it can't take anything away from the feeling I get when I start that drive to work every morning.

As anyone tried Meguiar's new NXT Tech Wax? I used this product and I am very pleased with the results.

FYI, today I received a recall notice from Daimler on the X-fire; something about a faulty hose placement.

ezshift5 · May 2004

..as a benchmark was a little too much, wasn't it?

If 7500+ off per 'Spirit's' Socal observation....resulting in circa 27k (6-speed), I may have to loosen up some of my Naval Reserve bread. Depends on when this trend percolates north..........ez

mikemajesty · May 2004

the s2k and xfire are completely different cars, but im tired of those types of arguments. just drive both and decide which you like more as your car for however long you plan on owning it.

lvly324 · May 2004

I just leased a 2004 Chrysler Crossfire. It looks really nice and drives pretty well. However, I am a little disappointed in the materials used in this car. Starting off with the console, plastic isn't the way to go when you are driving a car that looks that impressive on the outside. The inside should be as equally as impressive. Also the lower speaker on the door should be located elsewhere or not covered with the plastic. I have only had it for 3 weeks and already the plastic on the speaker cracked. Must be when I get out my foot turns in the direction of the speaker and hits it. Also the plastic seems to get scratched up easily in the center console. The seats should also be a bit more comfortable, especially for long trips. I would never purchase a car like this so a lease was the better choice. It's a little weird that there aren't more of these on the road. I have only seen 5 and I live in NYC. You would think there would be more. I might lease the roadster in 3 years depending on how this one lasts. So far so good, I have people ask me about the car all the time and it's a very attractive car so heads are going to turn.

saintviper · May 2004

SPEED Channel will have a test drive of the Crossfire SRT6 on tonight.

Tommy Kendal is the host. He's a former Trans Am champion and likes to wring the cars out pretty hard on the track. He's also not afraid to say what he does and doesn't like.

Mr_Shiftright · May 2004

Let us know what he says will you?

fastdriver2 · May 2004

CROSSFIRE CONVERTIBLE ON SPEED channel now- 8 PM EST!!

fastdriver

saintviper · May 2004

Well, the show turned out to be more of a Chrysler commercial than an objective test drive. Chrylser provided 2 pre-production SRT-6's and probably told Kendal to say good things as a condition of getting the cars.

Either that's the case, or they just really liked the cars. They test drove the convertible on twisty public roads and really seemed to like it. Kendal mentioned some cowel shake but said it was minor and that he had never driven a convertible without it. At one point they show the speedo at about 145mph. There was a hump in one part of the road and the driver managed to get at least 3, if not all 4 wheels off the ground for a moment. Everybody on the show seemed to really like the styling on the car, and they specifically mentioned liking the wheels.

At the track, they seemed to like the SRT-6 and drove it pretty hard. They mentioned that the car weighs only 3200lbs. While not a Lotus Elise, that does make it signifcantly lighter than many high performance cars on the market. They specifically mentioned the Corvette. The drivers did complain of pretty serious understeer. On the good side, they thought the power was very good. They were unable to induce any brake fade even after hard driving which impressed both drivers. They liked the steering feel, and the interior looks. They said the stability control was unobtrusive. The speedo on the car goes up to 200mph. They mentioned that the interior was plastic, but said it looked good.

They had a Chrysler guy on, and while he liked to say that they tried to make the car better than any other car on the market at everything it did, he was careful to include the best in class qualifier. It seems Chrysler wants to keep comparisons of this car limited to cars like the Audi TT, Z4, 350Z, and RX8, though he only mentioned the TT.

The impression I got from the show was that the SRT-6 has real performance which is enhanced by it's reasonable weight. The performance level is a notch above cars like the 350Z and RX8, and while it can't compete directly with Corvettes and Vipers, it could almost fit into that class, while providing a level of comfort and style that those cars aren't known for.

chuckhammer · June 2004

The SRT coupe is overpriced by $5k, IMHO.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2004

Here's Edmunds "first drive" on the Crossfire SRT-6

Shifty the Host

rpgolfer · June 2004

Hi gang,
I just purchased an '04 Toyota Prius. I know you don't care about Priuses but I just wanted to comment on the Crossfire. I was VERY drawn to the Xfire just on the "cool factor" alone. I did alot of research and learned about the dissatisfaction regarding the abundance of plastic, lack of trunk spare (for my golf clubs), uncomfortable seats and limited vision out the rear window. Everything in the cabin looked great and during the test drive there were lots of people checking out the car. But I opted to go for a Camry instead because I wanted a "trunk" so I could hide my clubs, a moonroof and leather. I had an opportunity to get a Prius and if you know how hard those are to come by, I jumped. Although the Prius doesn't come close to the "cool factor" and appeal of the Xfire, I get asked often about my car. (I know you don't want to hear this also, but I'm averaging 46.5 mpg) I really wanted to fall in love with the Xfire but the $35k MSRP and ever increasing shortcomings made me change my mind. I read the review about running over an obstacle and having to fork out over $1200 bucks for a tire. You've got my respect on that one. For those of you who've had the car awhile and have some miles on it, are you glad you did? Although I'll never know, I am curious to know if the car is worthy beyond its "cool factor". It's definitely one of the best looking cars out there. Good luck to you all.
Thanks,
Rich

richard1s · June 2004

I have owned my Crossfire for almost six months and I would like to respond to rpgolfer, namely because it is a question I have asked myself. I am also the same person with the $1,200 tire and wheel repair under my belt. Most people think that a car is to get from point A to point B; others (like myself) will contend that the car, is the point. For the record I have owned many cars and have been driving since 1962.

This is a fine, well built and stylish automobile. After six months, I still check it out when in it's the garage simply because it looks so darn good. I look forward to my drive to work every day and enjoy pressing it as much as highway driving in North Dallas permits. Unfortunately Chrysler has done a very,very poor job distributing, marketing and positioning this car. In the end, I'm glad I bought it for one reason. When I compare all the cars I considered before trading in my BMW on the Crossfire, a list that included the G35, 350Z, Mazda RX8, I still think I made the right choice. I am not taking anything away from any of these fine cars, but the Crossfire still feels like it is in a category all it's own. Perhaps it's for the simple reason that there just haven't been many sold! I have only seen one on the road in 6 months.

lvly324 · June 2004

Yes and No. I made a post early on when I first got the Chrysler Crossfire. Although I do enjoy driving the car, as it gets so many people's attention, I also am a little weary after an incident this past friday. As I was leaving the house I had the tire pressure warning light, and I filled the tire till the light came off. I figured the air pressure was low. I drove for 50 miles as I got to where I was going I started to hear the tire deflating. I had a huge metal peice in the tire. I tried the TIREFIT(fix a flat) and it did not work. I called the towing assistance that is offered by Chrysler and they told me that towing was not covered for a flat tire. I explained to them I had no spare and was 50 miles from home, this is at 11:00pm. They said sorry can't help. As appalled as I was I still had to go gas station to station looking for someone who had plugs. I found one place and finally got home at 2am. What lesson did I learn, DO NOT BUY A CAR WITH NO SPARE OR ONE WITHOUT RUN FLATS!!! I was able to just patch the tire for now. But after learning how much a tire cost, I was outraged. How can Chrysler expect us to get anywhere when we have a flat, they should at least give us run flat tires or towing assistance. Today I am joining AAA. Looking back would I have bought this car, NO!!! Especially since in the long run I am going to have to pay Mercedes Benz maintence for a Chyrsler Car.( I paid 120 something for an oil change)

Don't get me wrong this car is fun, but not too practical. Stick with something you can depend on, because you just never know. My next car will probably have 4 doors a trunk, and a SPARE.

Still I will enjoy it while I can.

Chrysler Crossfire

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