So, I noticed the Ford dealer where I just bought my '12 Focus from had a nice looking Crossfire coupe out front and I decided to stop and take a look at it. It's an '04 Limited w/ 19.5k miles, manual trans, in perfect condition inside and out. I really want a roadster but had never driven a Crossfire so I wanted to take it out to see how I liked it. My salesman threw a dealer tag on it and said, "key's in it, see ya later".

Observations: For only being a couple hundred HP, it has a lot of torque and is surprisingly quick. Hit 95 briefly on the hwy pretty quick and it seemed happy as a clam. The structure is rock solid and looking in the engine compartment it seems like there is ample room for routine maintenance and for repairs. My Focus is an easy manual to drive, the Crossfire is harder to launch smoothly and I found myself either burning rubber from a stop or lugging it and bucking off the line. I would assume I would overcome this with time. I'm 6'4 155lbs and was just at the limit of head and legroom, but was comfortable. It's low to the ground but I'm 25 so I can climb out...for now. Overall I was impressed.

Questions: When at hwy speed and coasting, there was a loud hum that came from the rear end. Once you were back under power it was quiet. Is this a common issue? Another thing I noticed is when shifting at slower speeds and when rolling up to a stop and shifting transmission clunked noticeably. Is this normal? Last thing, the shift *** was loose and felt like very cheap plastic. Are there good replacement ones?

The dealer is also a Chrysler dealer, so my salesman's going to keep and eye out for any roadsters that come in on trade. Preferably one in rougher shape that I can pick up pretty reasonable. My dad has a shop and we don't mind reconditioning cars.

Thanks