My lease just ended on my RX8... I have been shopping around, g35c , 335c , 350z but something about the unique design of the crossfire coupe seems to be swaying me in that direction...

Now for medical reasons I can not drive standard so any car I get with have to be Automatic...

I found an amazing deal on a loaded '04 white automatic coupe with very low KM... The seller is only holding it for me until Monday...

So guys you have one day to sell me on why I should get the Crossfire, or why I should not.

Also the seller does not have the custom luggage set that I have read comes stock with the car, anyone know how much the dealer charges for the set?

Also mine being an '04 my bumper to bumper warranty should be up soon, I think the seller said 3 year bumper to bumper 6 year power train and major components... is that right?

Lastly, how costly is the up keep on this car, services , maintenance etc...

Thanks for the advise!

 

That is a loaded question. If you have to be talked into to buying the car don't do it, you won't be happy with it. If you like the performance, styling and handling of the car exactly the way it is, and the fact that it is a Mercedes Benz then by all means get the car. However, if you are buying it thinking that you're going to do a bunch of modifications on it then it's the wrong car for you. Like I mentioned earlier the car is a Mercedes and comes with all the quirks and idiosyncrasies of MB products. Any European sports car is expensive to own and maintain, the fluids and filters cost more. You may also discover many of the Dodge/Chrysler dealerships are not well adept at providing quality service for these cars. I plan on keeping the car and once it is off warranty will seek an independent mechanic that specializes in MB products. Overall the quality of the car is good as is the reliability. Among all our members only a few have experienced real mechanical or electrical issues. Most of the issues I believe are quality issues with the service received from some of the dealerships. The car is soon go out of production which will also impact DC service and over time making the need to find a good independent MB mechanics a necessity. By the way the luggage is excellent and can be bought on eBay occasionally. I too considered buying the RX8 and 350Z when we bought the Crossfire, but preferred the style and handling of the Crossfire over the others and so far have not regretted my decision.

 

Idaho pretty much summed it up. You have to buy the car for what it is. It never has been and never will be the best at any one thing. It just does a lot of stuff very well, and some would say that the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. There are not a whole lot of Crossfires out there which is both a good and a bad thing. Good in the fact that is a very unique ride and you will get a lot of looks and questions from complete strangers, and bad in the fact that there is not a whole lot of aftermarket/performance parts and what is out there is pricey.

 

Price an '04 Benz SLK 320 with similar mileage. Different style, badge and no folding hardtop, but otherwise the same car. If the Xfire style appeals to you, you are getting a great car along with it. No dragstrip or racetrack performance, but around town it's more than enough to thrill. The downside is that you'll have to get used to strangers saying, "Nice car."

 

I think the crossfire coupe is probably one of the finest cars to buy.

I am not an owner of a crossfire but rather a C5 Z06.

Sure I dig my corvette more than driving the crossfire but as far as being one of the best buys in luxury sport coupes. The crossfire it is it.

Good luck and its a great drive. I truly enjoyed the driving experience in the crossfire. I believe it to be the best buy in the luxury sports car market.

I say go for it!

JMO

JB

 

If you live in the Atlanta area, I advise you NOT to buy the car. I love driving one of the rarest late model year cars on the road, and I'm afraid I'll get less attention if you're driving your alabaster white coupe around town.

If you do not live in the Atlanta area, you're crazy not to buy the crossfire. It's half the price of the G35c, still cheaper than the 350Z, but looks better than both of them combined.

It won't burn oil like your RX8, and should be a lot less thirsty at the pump, too.

 

Good comments by all so far. It does make me a little anxious that they are going out of production. That could be good or bad. I think a Prowler would still bring a good price, for example.
I personally have owned Porsche 944, BMW M Roadster, '98 Vette, Toyota Supra, and a few other nice cars but NONE of them have gotten the comments of my Crossfire. Lets face it, us Car Guys love to have people admire and comment on our cars.
I have had very few issues with my '04, which now has 19K miles. Still has original tires! Good Luck.

 

I really enjoyed the sightlines out the windows especially the side windows.

The chopped roof style of the coupe was really cool.

One of my favorite drives.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

JB

 

Even though I'm leasing my car and will be turning it in I think its a solid car and its done everything I've asked of it. Depending on where you live, its going to stand out in the crowd too. Compared to your RX8 it gets WAAAAAAY better gas mileage! I just got back from the border of Tenn/N.C. and here's a breakdown of the mileage on certain stretches of the trip, 27.8, 31.5, 33.0 and 31.7. In mixed driving I get 22.5 and I "drive" the car. Meaning I wind it out a bit more because of my muffler, so again, better than the advertised rating of 25 or 26 hwy mpg. Another thing to keep in mind that 80% of the car is M-B, was assembled in Germany and is rock solid IMO. I wish I could keep the car and put it to the side to drive every so often, its just "one of those kinda cars". Good luck in whatever you do and remember the forum if you do buy the car, everyone here is great!

 

I just went from a 2003 350Z to a 2004 coupe limited. I am very happy with the switch so far. Here's my comparo:

Z: more torque, better communication in steering, better composure in handling, feels a little more solid structurally, better shift action
crossfire: much smoother and polished engine, nicer interior, more unique styling.

the engine alone makes me happy I made the switch, drive the Z and the crossfire back to back and take them both to 4,000 rpm and you will know exactly what I mean.