I have been looking at Crossfires for months hoping to buy one someday. I think they are an innovation in style, but the price and some concerns about rear and side window visibility have made me cautious.

Apparently, most consumers feel the same since sales of Crossfires have not taken off -- at least in my area (SW Missouri). There are 3-4 Chrysler dealers in the area that have had several Crossfires sitting on their lots for around 7 months now. They are not selling and the dealers are NOT bringing in any new '05 models. I even talked to a Chrysler salesman friend who said his boss is practically giving away a SRT coupe just to get it off the lot.

Now my caution has increased. Will the Crossfire end up being dropped by Chrysler in a few years due to poor sales? Something is terribly wrong and I am curious what Chrysler is thinking about it. In contrast, the new 300 model is selling like hotcakes and I see them everywhere now.

 

I think the 04s are bottomed out in price and if you can buy one at $8-10k under msrp new that's a great BUY.And a SRT6 for nothing I'll take one .Hell I'll pay $35k for it. The Autostick will be easier to resell.

Most Crossfire owners would like DC to drop it ! Then it would become a one off Classic.

Also as a looker and everyday driver its bargain price now it's the best BANG for the $$$$$sss..What other car is out there for 25-30K ???????

 

I think the problems are on many levels.

1. Chrysler hasn't done a very good job of marketing the car.
2. They have a limited consumer base (not really a problem).
3. The Chrysler name stops some people from considering it.

The car itself is built well and the styling is exceptional.

It compares very well to the other cars in it's class.

Some remark about the lack of power but that's not an issue for me.

It has limited appeal because it's a 2 seater. Also, if you want to carry much more than a laptop in the storage area, you're screwed.

In a way, I hope Chrysler limits production - that may make the current ones more appealing since there will be fewer of them.

If you want a car that is built well, fun to drive, and turns heads then buy it.

If you are concerned primarily about re-sale value, then buy a Honda.

Dennis

 

After months of constant jibes in the UK my fellow workers and friends are finally admitting that the xfire still looks fresh and cool unlike anything else on the roads and they know i've had merc reliability and a fast car to boot!

So while they all drive round in their over priced BMW's and Porches(mostly back and forwards to the dealer!) I get a car thats over a year old and still turns heads. All i can say is go get one if you want to be an individual not a sheep!

 

wantone: Go for it! Had mine for 6 months and love it. The SRT6 isn't selling fast as it is just a little pricey and isn't availble in a standard as yet. The latter is one reason I have not moved up to the SRT6. I am not wild about the big spoiler either but I can see the reasoning for it and some quite like it. I have had a number of sports cars and I have to have the standard, so I will more than likely add a supercharger down the road to mine. As I said before, if they stop making the Xfire in a few years it just means ours will be more rare and it will always turn heads.

 

what's so bad about having a rare car? i love that idea. i have more respect for a car i see every couple hundred miles than a car that you see one of every mile (mustang's, vette's, camaro's)

 

In the automotive world, rare needs to be interpreted carefully.

As collectors our family knows a thing or two about "Rare" Limited production of a desirable model lends itself to rare. Certain options that were offered I.E. powerplant, transmission etc. on a limited quantity of cars for any given production year, may make that care rare.

Cars that are mass produced with virtually identical options as in the case of the Xfire are not rare. Poor or slow sales of a vehicle forcing the manufacturer to scale back production carries a story behind it and does not make the vehicle rare. Consumers have a long memory and are car wise. If and just if, the Xfire is not successful in it's own right, it will not earn the title of rare, it will earn the title of failure, something most car owners will not want to own and a manufacturer will live with for decades to come.

The SRT for example is marketed as a performance car with an automatic transmission. Building an SRT with automatic in my mind is ridiculous, resale on these models is going to be tough and they are going to take a big hit. Chrysler desperately needs to get a manual transmission in this vehicle and they had better do it sooner than later.

 

I agree completely. I have been sitting on the fence for a few months now regarding this car, for the reasons listed above. The car looks great, but when you're driving it, you're not "looking" at it. If you want real sports car performance, you have to pay much more money for the SRT-6, and then get crippled with an automatic transmission (one that owners here have admitted is sluggish in changing gears!!!)

The more I read, the more I lean towards other cars...like the new mustang (yes it will be very common, but outperform the crossfire all day long), or the slk350, which costs as much as an SRT-6, and has fewer horsepower, but at least is available with manual transmission.

 

1st DC might put a 6speed in the SRT but that won't make it sell better !
2nd.A new mustang might 0-60 out perform a LTD Crossfire but besides that and having a back seat it's a mass production Retro look,built to bring back Mustang buyers.
3rd ,sales across the autoworld manufactors sell more autos than manual.!Even Corvettes
4th,if the Crossfire is built for only 3-5 years and then stopped for slow sales ,I'd keep it for just because I've had a lot of cars and I still get MORE LOOKS and Thumbs UP than any other car I've had.That includes show quaity Classics I've owned.

 

Bottom Line: My little 6 speed is way too much fun to drive. Let's face it, lot of tough, ugly women out there, but I'd rather have the cutie and take her to the gym. After all, most of the folks on this forum have cuties already!

 

Oh I hope they put the 3.5 V-6 in the XFire and can drop 0-60 close to the 5.5 range put a little nicer seats and then what will people say it's too CHEAP .!

 

AUTOWEEK's TV program that airs Sundays on SPEED CHANNEL had a piece this Sunday about Chrysler cars. They listed each model wth '05 sales figures and Crossfire is up opver 300%! I don't know where they are selling them, but it sure isn't southern California. I see very, very few of them on the road. My dealer (Huntington Beach Chrysler/Jeep has had the same ones on the lot for months.

 

[QUOTE]I don't know where they are selling them, but it sure isn't southern California. I see very, very few of them on the road. My dealer (Huntington Beach Chrysler/Jeep has had the same ones on the lot for months.

davenhb,
You are correct! In 6 months in the Fountain Valley/Huntington Beach area of Southern California I have only seen a SSB Coupe (? year) on Brookhurst Street over 6 months ago and a red roadster driving south on Beach Boulevard recently! At least your dealer now finally has an SRT-6 Coupe which I test drove. No SRT-6 Roadsters have appeared there yet. Part of the reason Crossfires haven't been selling well here is that most of the dealers are adding up to $ 5000 over sticker prices to make up for the Sunday Special losses. The dealers seem to be gathering up Crossfires on their lots like colorful toys, which they don't seem anxious to sell. Chrysler 300's with Hemi's seem to be the rage here! People here see so many exotic cars that very few people seem to notice my SSB Crossfire Roadster.

 

VW Corradio Sorry if I spelled it wrong. This car was to be a successor to the scorroco (again sorry I spelled it wrong) This car is listed by Top Gear and Auto Express as a "FUTURE CLASSIC" because of its limited production run. or as the above would say "failure" to gain a fan base in its own right.

 

Lexus dealer offered me $19K trade-in for a 2005 RX330 - 19K!!!! for a 2400 mile garaged and pampered Crossfire. I walked needless to say. For some unknown reason they just are not selling, same goes for RX8's as many of those are sitting on lots also. Yes, I hope DC dumps it. I will sit mine up on blocks and revisit it in a few years.

 

I just bought my Xfire base coupe with 6-speed for $26K. I feel like I got such a bargain. Here it is a German made, Mercedes Powered vehicle for only $26K. I wanted the 6-speed coupe beacuse I like to autocross. The 6 speed was hard to find. Most of the XFire's that the dealer had were convertible with auto transmissions. To me that product seems more appealing toward women that are a-b drivers, than to a sports car enthusiats that shop for a vehicle for the driving experience. The XFire is a fantastic looking and well built vehicle. Even looking at the under chasis the whole thing is coated and aero dynamic. This car makes plenty of power and pulls right on up to 155MPH. It's not a stop light burner like a mustang, but trust me it'll run circles around a mustang at the track. Weighing in at just over 3000lbs this is one of the most thrilling vehicles I've ever driven.

I also like that the stock coupe which comes with everything but leather seats (who cares really) has matching black paint around the front windsheild. It looks so clean. This morning on of the new Cadillac XLR's (Corvette Platform) came up behind me and I thought it was a Crossfire, they look almost identicle, and I've noticed that all the hot new styles comming out of Europe also look just like the Crossfire.

In the US we typically like SUV's, (I have 2 of them) and don't care much for vehicles that are geared for top end speed (Autobahn) vs low end acceleration due to all the **** Speed Limit police we have. But I tell you that this little coupe is a hidden jewel, and is much faster than the automatics that have been rated 0-60 in the Car Mags. Automatics are always slower, due to increased weight and drivetrain power loss. Plus the 6-Speed the CrossFire is so sweet. All of my Porsche 911 friends love the CrossFire because they can relate to it.

Also another great benefit is that I went to tirerack.com and found Koni Shocks, H&R springs, and EBC Slotted roters and now I have a trully track worthy machine. Check out The SCCA.com for a local track event if you really want to appreciate your Crossfire. Often times at the Track (Texas World Speedway) the fastest cars are Spec Miata's which are way slower than just about anything, but they never hit the brakes in the corners.

I would highly recomend a Crossfire 6-Speed Coupe to any sports car enthuiast, especially if its a 2nd car for the weekend and for fun or if they are single, just like a Corvette.

I would have bought the SRT version but the Auto turned me off, when they come out with a 6-speed I may trade up otherwise my stock coupe black 6-Speed is trully on of the best vehicle values in the world. I've owned SVT's, BMW M3's and 330's and I love this car for what it is, not what I'd like it to be.

 

The Dealers in Ventura county are asking $26-27 for all 04s and they have a lot to choose from ,they're even discounting the SRT6s to invoice!!!!

 

Mine is an '05 for $26K AWESOME DEAL.... BMW/Mercedes Quality Gear for Chrysler Price and Insurance. Gotta love that.

 

Cool color choice and welcome. I think that most of the guys that complain about speed are either street racer types or road course types that want to run with the big (bigger) dogs. In its element it does fairly well. Most of the guys that have put theirs on the track have had a good time although there appears to be some issues with the SRTs. The autocross types have enjoyed some success even with autos. Have fun and try not to smile to much.

 

This appears to be a very interesting five year old thread with new relevance. Thought I'd post so it is shared anew.