Chrysler Crossfire opinions? (Page 1/3) railshot JUN 06, 09:36 PM Just wondering if anyone has experience with one? I am in the market and have been fascinated with them since they first came out.. RWDPLZ JUN 06, 09:58 PM Try sitting in one. It makes the Solstice feel roomy. thesameguy JUN 07, 11:03 AM Personally, I'd probably just buy an SLK. A hand-me-down R170 with quirky styling? Pass. railshot JUN 07, 05:17 PM I actually like the Crossfires "pooping dog" look. thesameguy JUN 07, 08:07 PM The styling would be the only reason to buy it - because otherwise it's a previous-generation SLK (the Crossfire/R170 was sold while Mercedes was selling the revised R171). Mechanically and financially speaking, I can't see the wisdom in buying a Mercedes maintenance requirement with a Chrysler badge (and maybe resale value?). Don't get me wrong - I have absolutely bought cars that make no sense but I like how they look (I have a Fiero after all - HA!) - but just know what you're getting into. And it sounds like you probably do! railshot JUN 07, 08:35 PM quote Originally posted by thesameguy: The styling would be the only reason to buy it - because otherwise it's a previous-generation SLK (the Crossfire/R170 was sold while Mercedes was selling the revised R171). Mechanically and financially speaking, I can't see the wisdom in buying a Mercedes maintenance requirement with a Chrysler badge (and maybe resale value?). Don't get me wrong - I have absolutely bought cars that make no sense but I like how they look (I have a Fiero after all - HA!) - but just know what you're getting into. And it sounds like you probably do! I have been known to buy "oddities" in the past just because I find them appealing to me, and we both do have a Fiero, so that alone says a lot. heheheh. I am so unfamiliar with Mercedes, so I have to ask.... What is the difference between the R170 and the R171? Truly a newbie to this brand, so please help me out.... the only Mercedes name I can even think of is the Kompressor badge, and that is just in passing and reading a bit out of curiosity for what it was. Resale value means little to me as I buy what I am attracted to. Blacktree JUN 08, 02:05 PM quote Originally posted by railshot: I am so unfamiliar with Mercedes, so I have to ask.... What is the difference between the R170 and the R171? R170 is the first generation SLK chassis, whereas the R171 is the second. When Mercedes switched to the R171 chassis, they gave the R170 chassis design to Chrysler. So the Crossfire is basically a hand-me-down Mercedes with a body kit. Since the mechanicals are Mercedes, it will be costly to maintain. One of my coworkers had a Crossfire. I wasn't very impressed with it. It struck me as a "grandpa cruiser" pretending to be a sports car. You get the downsides of a low-slung sports car (cramped interior, harsh ride, crappy fuel economy, etc) without any of the upsides. The engine isn't very powerful, and doesn't make "sporty car" noises. The suspension was probably supposed to feel sporty, but IMO just feels overly harsh, like the suspension is over-damped. Once again, this is all subjective. You might have a completely different experience. But I would never buy one. thesameguy JUN 08, 02:17 PM quote Originally posted by Blacktree:One of my coworkers had a Crossfire. I wasn't very impressed with it. It struck me as a "grandpa cruiser" pretending to be a sports car. You get the downsides of a low-slung sports car (cramped interior, harsh ride, crappy fuel economy, etc) without any of the upsides. The engine isn't very powerful, and doesn't make "sporty car" noises. The suspension was probably supposed to feel sporty, but IMO just feels overly harsh, like the suspension is over-damped. Once again, this is all subjective. You might have a completely different experience. But I would never buy one. Prior to buying my Solstice GXP I test drove a friend's (wife's) R170 SLK320 and found it underwhelming. Cruiser is definitely apt - it was small and looked sporty but it drove a lot more SL than Miata. However, that was actually not unlike the BMW Z3 at the same, and the Z3M was fun albeit fugly, so I tried a Crossfire SRT-6 at a used car lot. It was fast but a snoozefest. I *think* it's a reasonably capable chassis, but the interior is cramped (as noted) and there is a decided disconnect between driver and car. It just felt awkward. I did end up with the Solstice, which also wasn't great, but occupied a happy space between too-slow Miata and too-buzzy S2000. If you like the styling of the Crossfire and aren't looking for a pocket rocket, you could do worse. It's *generally* reliable but mechanically costly (due to Mercedes bits) when things go wrong. It's not a weight I'd be willing to bear, but you could do worse for sure. Given that you're not looking for a small dynamic coupe, it's probably worth a test drive to see if being in one offsets the cost of owning one, and that's gonna be a very personal decision. OTOH, if you're just looking for something small and fun is on the shopping list, I'd look elsewhere - maybe even an R171 SLK... I suspect they are priced similarly to Crossfires being of similar year and similar MSRPs. railshot JUN 08, 05:18 PM Thanks for all the feedback and opinions, and if what I am reading is correct, I should really go back to lusting after a Solstice or Sky. They are on my most wanted list, and I trust my GM cars more than most I have had..... As a matter of fact, all I have are GM right now. 2011 HHR 2010 HHR 1999 S10 ZR2...… and of course, 1988 Fiero GT. So I have been swayed, back to looking for another (GM) two seater! RWDPLZ JUN 10, 03:38 PM I'd prefer a good Fiero to a Solstice/Sky, Fiero is much roomier and more practical stock to stock, the Solstice/Sky will be faster, though.