Originally Posted by blacklimitedcoupe
In the newest issue of Consumer Reports, titled New Car Preview 2007, they have a small paragraph and description of the Crossfire. This is what they say:
With an outdated steering system, the handling feels neither precise nor sporty. there's too much wind noise.
How can they say that the Crossfire's handling is not precise or sporty? Mine handles excellent!!
Blacklimitedcoupe, I know just what your talking about, and I fully agree with ya.
Every magazine and TV roadtester inevitably bad-mouthed the archaic recirculating ball steering of the Crossfire. Yet according to a roadtest review published in Road & Track's Oct. 05 issue, the XF went thru a slalom course faster than alot of other pretty good handling & high priced "sporting" machinery. (All with "rack & pinion" steering I might add) just to mention a few:
MPH
69.6 --------------------- '04 Crossfire
69.6 --------------------- Mercedes SLR McLaren
69.5 --------------------- Ford GT
69.5 --------------------- Mini Cooper S
68.6 --------------------- Lamborghini Gallardo
68.6 --------------------- Porsche Boxter
68.4 --------------------- RX-8
67.9 --------------------- Miata
67.8 --------------------- Porsche 911 Turbo
67.4 --------------------- BMW Z4 3.0i
67.3 --------------------- BMW M3 Comp Cpe
67.3--------------------- 350Z
66.7 --------------------- Audi TT 3.2 Quattro DSG
Alot of testers like to say it's just not as "tossable" as it would be with a rack & pinion steering. Well if going thru a bunch of closely spaced pylons at nearly 70 mph without knocking any of them over doesn't mean a car is tossable and precise, then I don't know what does. But personally I feel that for 99% of the Crossfire owners out there that will never see the "business" end of a race track, I think it's steering works fine.
Plus I feel this is one of the "quietest" cars I've had the pleasure to own.