I suspect many of you went through the same dilemma I'm facing and I was hoping you might share how you resolved it.

I'm in my early 50s and ready to reward myself with a fun car. I have been leaning toward a used '03 BMW Z-4 or Audi TT coupe. Most reviews seem pretty complimentary of these cars.

On the other hand, it seems I can get a new 2004 Crossfire coupe (does not necessarily need to be a roadster) for less than the used BMW.

The reviews on the Crossfire are not as complimentary as the BMW, but I'm not sure if the issues mentioned are really that significant to me. Sacrificing some degree of handling in favor of a smoother ride is fine with me.

I've read the Crossfire 6 speed is 'notchy'. What does this mean in real world terms?

I'd use this car as a daily driver, and for short weekend trips.

Appreciate your thoughts on this.

Thanks!


Ed

 

I recently bought a new '04 six speed coupe and got rid of my '00 Miata (the second Miata I had owned). I find the shifter to be almost as smooth as the Miata's, which is high praise in my estimation. I am an extreemly happy camper with my Crossfire.

Pete

 

I'm going to reply very similar to a reply I put on another post with very similar question.

I can't compare the performance to the Audi TT and the BMW Z-4 because I haven't driven them. I think the bimmer is more money and there haven't been too many complimentary things to say about the TT. However, I don't think you can beat the style of the Xfire and the gawk appeal it gets.

Relative to engine performance, there are some on this forum who don't think it is fast enough but I certainly feel it is adequate for everyday driving. I have the 6spd Coupe and I find the shifter smooth and trouble free. Some on the forum have had troubles in the past.

I find the car feels great, fun to drive and very nimble. I have driven cars that feel better, better steering feel, but they have a stiffer suspension and don't ride as nice. I think the Xfire is a good compromise between comfortable ride and handling. The car is very solid. Well built.

I would not say that the car feels small. It is hard to describe the feel but I can say that the steering radius is excellent for turning in tight spots; best car I have driven in that respect.

I have owned five Corvettes (currently have an '88) and driven many different cars. I love the Xfire and drive it every day, except for winter. It currently is stored away during winter and never was my intention to drive during the winter time. I doubt it would handle very well in the snow and ice because of the very low profile tires.

Everyone is different in their sports car preference but I would say that chances are you would end up liking it. The ultimate question and my answer:

Would you buy another one and the answer is "definitely yes", however, next time it would likely be the roadster.

Hope this helps.

 

I thnk it is ironic how most people who are interested in the Crossfire, have also been interested in the TT, 350Z, RX8, and the Z4. I myself looked at all of these cars. I have the Xfire Coupe and I love it. I liked it the best after test driving. Im not out there driving it as a race car, but it has so many great qualities. I drive my car everyday and can't stay out of it on the weekends...Go drive all the cars and make your decision. It was a decision that I DO NOT REGRET MY PURCHASE FOR ONE SECOND..

 

I think that most of us on this forum will agree on one thing.. WE LOVE OUR CROSSFIRES. I believe you will as well. It's hard to see how one could go wrong with this car. It's just incredible in every respect. I never considered any of those other cars.. BMWs are nice but everyone has them. The TT is about to be replaced by a newer model so I would never buy that unless you want to be driving the "old" model in only another year. The Z looks good and is very fast, but is not on the same level of sophistication, style or quality.

 

You know, I love my car, but if I had the money, I'd have shot for a Z4. I like the styling (interior and exterior) better and it feels a little more solid.

 

Ejko:
Bought the 2004 coupe and I really love it. The 6 speed is so much fun to drive, summer or winter! Yes, I said winter! -20 and the all seasons work great. I said it before but it needs repeating. For a car that is front end heavy, it does actually move on ice! As far as the notchy shifting goes, you will find that you need a few days to get used to the throttle pause. When you do, it is a smooth as silk. You can get your cpu chipped to eliminate the pause from what I have read and it ups the hp about 5-9 but I am going purely by memory now. It is a company out of Florida if I am right. I am sure one of the guys on this froum could turn you onto the right place.
After looking at the same cars as comparables to the Xfire, I was close on the 350Z but in the end I am very happy with my choice.

 

Personally, i don't care much for the feel of BMW's, they are very stiff, the gas pedal is stiff, the steering wheel, handling etc. same with Volvo's. At least the one's i've driven. My brother has an '04 3 Series Sedan and i hate thing, i really think that BMW's are over priced. But i will say, that they are very reliable cars and are built solid. I have zero experience with Audi's

Now, our crossfire is not a loose ride in any way, shape or form, and the gas pedal is also stiff. However, take a corner going 45-55mph and the handling and the steering is incredibly smooth/no lean ,as opposed to the BMW.

Styling, hands down the Xfire is a lot better looking than the Z4 or the TT. The xfire is smooth, sexy. The Z4 looks like they put it together in pieces, very choppy, and the TT, well, it looks like a smooshed beettle. Like everyone has said, test drive each, base your decision on your driving experiences, either way, you can't go wrong with either of the 3 rides

 

Ejko:
I have the 04 6spd and I have to agree with those who say it is "notchy", not that I really mind. I find that the standard transmission is a little finicky. It is quite slow when it is cold, by that I mean it is reluctant to change gears until it gets good and warm. Even when it is all warmed up, it is not a transmission that you can really rip through the gears with. I find that I do a fair amount of double-clutching in the mornings between 1-2-3 gears.

Also, the gear ratios are quite close on this trani, so you will find that you are shifting quite a bit, especially in stop and go traffic. 2nd gear works pretty well for stop and go, if you can avoid dead stops.

Despite my comments above, I love the car, its extremely fun to drive now that I have learned the nuances of the transmission.

 

Like some of the other posts... I looked and drove the 350z, z3/4, g35,TT, rx8, and others....for a smooth GT like ride with a nice feel, I chose the Xfire.. It.s all in your personal needs. Here in upscale Kingwood TX, there is a Lexus and Bimmer on every corner, the Mazda burns oil, the golf clubs dont fit in the Z or the 350, I can't afford a 350slk, I don't fit in the TT... SO Xfire it is... Now if I can just get a 230slk donut to fit in the trunk.... ps, I drove the 6 speed and didn't like it... who needs 6 speeds in traffic... shift from 2 to 4 to 6? With as much torque as it has, I felt like I was getting a rowing workout driving in traffic.... went with the auto and much happier ( my race days are over)

 

DITTO ,DITTO ,I don't drive a stick my choice because the autostick is fine ,but I did have a track 350z and hated it and replaced it with my XF and my only regret is now i can't find any other car under $50k that I like better than my XF .Except SRT6 i still love the XF style.I will drive a new c6 soon to compare but will probably be dissappointed.I drove a XK8 yesterday and it doesn't come close to the XFs quickness.And it has a 4Liter x-8.

 

I am closer to the back end of 50 than the front end. I bought mine the day after Christmas last year for exactly the use you describe. Mine is an auto due to the city traffic commute. You can play with the slap shift feature when the desire to control the gearing strikes you. It is not as positive a control as a stick but then you don't have to mess with it in stop and go traffic either. It has been a good year and I am glad I did it.

I didn't really look at anything else. I don't like to hang with the beemer crowd and I found the TT to be ugly. It is quick enough for me and it is a real hoot on the track.

 

I have an 04 Coupe in the auto-stick and love it! Here in the part of Virginia people almost run off the road checking it out. I cannot tell you how many times people have been standing at it when I come out of a store or someplace in town. Add that to it drives and rides super and gets 28 mpg how can you go wrong. Mine is the white color which I am partial to white and I feel it looks the most expensive of all the colors but thats a matter of taste, but black would be my second choice. I am 46 and have many many nice rides but none and I mean none have drawn the attention this thing gets! I don't regret one minute picking this car.

 

I think that is a big feature of the XF. It's a brand new car with a styling all its own and it draws a lot of attention, mostly good. It's a blast to drive to boot! So it not only looks good, it FEELS good!

 

Thanks to all of you for your help and insight. What a fine group of people!

Ejko