Somewhere in internet land there is a Crossfire review that noted that a German magazine thought the Crossfire was better than the SLK 320. The interiors are almost identical and the Crossfire has been hinted at as having a better suspension, braking, handling, etc.

The SRT-6 is, of course, the AMG SLK 32 under the skin with additional tweaks by SRT. I would think the 6 would edge out the 32 in braking and handling as well. The only downside to the 6 is a stiffer suspension.

The Crossfire is not a reskinned SLK but rather a conglomeration of various Mercedes models with some modifications to the parts, though the majority of the car has been lifted from the SLK. A simple look at the larger wheel size should make it plain that the original SLK suspension components could not work as is.

I have the SRT-6 and my car has been extremely unreliable. But my car is one of the earlier ones and the 6s seem to have more problems in general than the NA Crossfires. Not all 6 owners have had the problems I've had and there are NA Crossfire owners who have gone 40, 50, 60 thousand or more miles with no or only a couple of very minor problems. Overall reliability will not be an issue though if you do get a Crossfire you may want to also get an extended warranty because when something does break, it will be expensive to repair. In spite of my problems with my car I am very happy with it and think it's the best car I've ever had.

Far more important than reliability is maintenance competence of your local Chrysler dealer. Mercedes dealers will not touch Crossfires when under the original warranty and many forum members have reported unsatisfactory experiences with their Chrysler dealers. Be sure there is a dealer, or a mechanic, near you that is competent enough to work on the Crossfire. This is the number one complaint against the car and having good mechanical service available eliminates 90% of the headaches with the Crossfire. This forum can certainly give you a dealer recommendation or a dealer to avoid.

I think you'll find the NA Crossfire to be a tad lacking in straight line performance. The car will get up to speed and chug along at 140 all day without a whimper. It just won't give you whiplash when doing so. Aftermarket parts are scarce and not too cheap but that is changing and the aftermarket companies listed earlier are now getting out some serious performance stuff. The NA Crossfire handling and braking is nothing to sneeze and though some have criticized the steering as being a little numb (it's recirculating ball), I like it because it does an excellent job of dampening all the bangs and jolts. This is important to me considering the stiff suspension and low profile tires.

The SRT-6 takes the Crossfire on a whole different level, along with insurance, maintenance, and ticket potential. Unfortunately it is auto only but if you have to absolutely have an auto, this is the one to get. Do see if you can take a 6 for a drive. The increased horsepower and SRT enhancements may outweigh the lack of a manual for you.

Are you interested in a coupe or roadster?