Re: Crossfire Coupe vs other <20k coupes
I'm going on record again that my 2005 roadster has been trouble free, except for a bad tire pressure sensor and it's annoying icon. That's with 4 summers of driving and 32k miles.
As far as oil changes, Mobil1 0W-40 will cost you $6-7 a quart for 8.5 quarts, but a lot of times you can find an indie shop that will change it for a flat rate. My local guy charges $10 plus the cost of the filter and I supply the oil. Of course he works on both my Audis and 2/3 of my Crossfires. Buy a set of K&N air filters for $60+ over the internet and never worry about that again, other than cleaning.
Tires - yeah they'll be expensive. What do you expect with two different sizes. Shop well ahead of time and put them on layaway or negotiate zero interest.
Roadster - no trunk. But you can always leave the top down and stick the skiis out the back - that's what I do with my hockey sticks. Coupe - skiis will probably fit across the back and into the passenger area, but will scratch the crap out of the divider.
Winter driving...never done it. I test drove on snowy, icey roads and the ABS and ESP worked fine. But I really don't classify these are good winter drivers with their heavy front and RWD.
If you have $20k to spend, suggest you find a 2005 Crossfire for $14-16k and spend the rest on a FWD/AWD beater that you can take up the mountains for skiing. You'll thank me in the summer as you cruise those mountain roads.