I was looking at older Mercedes convertibles, but found the cost of maintenance ( and repairs ) to be a scary proposition. I then started looking at RX8s and was on my way to test drive one when I saw the Crossfire at the same dealership. Once I drove it I was hooked. It also helped that the 6 speed manual in my car at least seems to be MUCH faster than the ( automatic trans ) RX8s I drove. I was a bit nervous that the mechanicals are primarily Mercedes, but the engine sound is sweet and the performance is pretty good too.

... and my girlfriend loves the car. That certainly helped.