Hi, I am a US Service Member serving in Korea till December. When I get back I am using a large portion of the money I am saving to put down on a car.

Now, I have a budget of $23,000, and I am considering several cars. One is the Crossfire.

I drove one a couple years back, and I loved it. But what do you guys think. I am leaning towards a brand new Mustang. But I found that in the used car market, Crossfire are going for about the same price, well equipped with 25-35k miles on them.

My main hang up, is would this car make a good daily driver? how many of you guys use this as a DD?

One more thing, comparing the mustang to the crossfire, beyond the fact one is a mercedes under disguise, and one is made by ford...That the crossfire is almost a status vehicle, due to its niche market, and price (30k to start I believe.)

 

I've owned two Mustangs before the Crossfire and considered a 2005 stang when I bought the Crossfire. They are both good as daily drivers - the 6 cyl engine in the Crossfire would give better gas mileage, and will go faster, but the Mustang will take it off the line. It depends on what you like better. Personally, I'd love to be able to buy one of each, but since I can't, I'll stick with the Crossfire... I think it is a much better handling car, more fun to drive and UNIQUE - there are more Mustangs on the road than ever - you'll get more "looks" in the Crossfire.

 

I also looked at new mustangs, but they were way too common for me. And the interior is super plain, even if you equip it nicely. I love the rarity of my Xfire. I also drive mine everyday, and I have to say, its way better then any other car I've had before. And for your prices, are you talking about a SRT-6, or non SRT, because you can get a fairly new non SRT for under 20k, I for mine with 5,685 miles for $19,500.

 

I've used my Crossfire as my daily driver for the past 3 years up here in Ohio and have about 32K miles on it with no issues. The only time it stays home is when we get more than an inch or two of snow.

Life is too short to drive a boring car. Plus, mustangs are a dime a dozen.

 

For around 25k, you can pick up a used SRT6 coupe. Then you will have the looks of the Crossfire and more HP than a stock Mustang GT.

 

u can buy a base model for 18.7k new ... 20k if you do not look around ... limited can be had for 22 - 25k... srt with less than 10k miles can be had for 23 - 25k...

i'd say you are getting plenty more for your money here... remember the mustang may cost plenty new but when the new model comes out it will plummet like the rest of them... and then all you are left with is a ford pony that seems all too common... but with the crossfire you will be left with looks that will not stop attracting eyes for years to come and a very reliable engine (power mattering on which model you get... the na 3.2 is plenty powerful but not enough for a speed demon... the supercharged 3.2 is the way to go for that hands down)...

 

The prices are low like others hasve said. The SRT6 has a lot of power too. Its an awesome car and very exclusive.

 

Thanks for serving our country! You might also want to look at the thread I started in the coupe section. It is called Xfire's Best Features. I am sure you will find tons of reasons in there to get an Xfire! I have an SRT-6 coupe. The power is unreal. The engine is 330 hp AMG Supercharged! This is a proven engine!

 

I guess it all depends upon what you really want. In my mind the Crossfire and the Mustang are not similar cars in the least. The Crossfire is American/German designed European semi-exotic sports car that can be had at a very reasonable price. A Mustang is simply the latest iteration of an American pony car, and not badly done. I know it was just my personal preference, but I didn't even consider a Mustang when I shopped for the Crossfire. I was looking more at BMW Z3/4s. Mercedes SLKs and the occasional Porsche Boxster. Too me, in value, performance and style/design the Crossfire won out over them hands down. Clearly I was shopping content rather than badging.

Do I like my Crossfire Coupe? I absolutely love it, as much as my XKE. Would I trade my 2004 Crossfire with 16K miles even up for a new Mustang? Not a chance. (Unless of course it would be to sell it and buy another Crossfire and keep the profit).

 

I would have to agree with the posters here. SRT6 if you can find one within your budget. Power and handling beyond a mustang.

Downside... only 2 seats.

Upsides... read the features thread here.

As to daily driving I'll say this: I've been daily driving mine since I bought it last year. Love it... even on crappy California roads. Even took a 2,000 mile (each way) trip to see my folks back east. Never got back cramps, just leg cramps after sitting for 3 hours straight. Learn to take a 10 minute break every 2 hours and you'll be just fine on a long road trip in these cars.

 

Yeah the SRT has all the cool AMG parts on it too, I dare you to find any model Mercedes AMG under $30,000. It's the best deal around.

 

Buy this for $23,900.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=290092022003

 

The SRT-6 For $23,900 is a great price. It even says that the spare has never been used.

 

Downside to the SRT-6 is the Auto tranny, if it had a manual I would have splurged (maybe) but 215 hp is enough to suit anyone's "pick-up" needs. Yeah the SRT is the better engine but I hate the hassle of auto tranny's (unless you don't intend to keep the car for it's life). The Crossfire is one to hold onto, especially the SRT's since they are so few. If you've got the $$$ get the SRT. If you're looking for a good DD any of them will do, but a good "DD" (designated driver) would be any of them, but it's you and the driver.

Downside
- Limited: HP
- SRT: Manual Tranny

Upside:
Both: Exclusivity and the best deal of a car out there right now for the money.

 

First off, thanks for serving our country.

By the time you get back you'll not have to spend all of that money on a Crossfire, the market is full of them and you'll be able to find exactly what you want as far as color, trans, etc. I bet you'll be able to get an 05' w/ lower mileage for about $17-20K, no problem, trust me. I'm getting rid of my car this Monday and the dealership (Bavarian BMW in Shelby Township Michigan) is giving me $16.8 for my car and its only got 16.5K!


As far as a daily driver goes, well it depends on a couple things. One is where you live. I never drove my car in the snow because I have another car, a reliable beater car, so you must think about that first. Even with snow tires its been stated here before in anything above a couple inches, forget it! The next thing is your height. I'm 5'6" so getting in and out of the car isn't that much of a problem although it did take some getting used to. So as long as you don't mind "sliding into the car", thats also not a problem. Another thing to think about is maintenance. The oil changes are pretty expensive, but when you consider how long you can go on one of them it even out, so don't let that bother you really. Tires for the car aren't as expensive as you might think, even though they're 18/19's, the prices are coming down. The fact that the car is essentially a M-B is great and should be a plus when thinking about the car. The Mustang is a great car as well and I actually ordered one before I got the Crossfire. I ended up with the Crossfire because Ford screwed many of us around when they first came out, so I took the Crossfire. Its been a great car in the almost 2 years I've owned it needing only one recall, very minor thing with fan relay and it had the fogs replaced under warranty due to new styled ones through the dealership, both free of course. If I were you I'd take both cars for a test drive because they both offer something completely different. The Mustang is a muscle car and handles like it and the Crossfire is a grand touring car that can carve up the back roads VERY well. In addition to that I can honestly say I've been on many trips in my Crossfire, Chicago twice, Tennessee twice and WV and the car is GREAT on gas. I get anywhere from 28-33 mpg on the freeway, something to think about.


Again, good luck with your car and thanks again for your service, its MUCH appreciated!

 

that is a awesome deal... but what spare hehehe that's the funny part of it all.

 

As above first Thank You for protecting us.
Next there are a lot of numbers thrown around that may and may not always be available so check the internet prices and then with all the dealer's in your area and beat them up for the price. As for a daily driver it is all up to YOU, after you test drive one you will know. The car is very dependable and gets good fuel mileage unless you have a fun foot.
Remember, you got a good deal on a car when you are glad you bought it every time you get in it. Make your deal and don't worry what someone else says or does. I did a year ago and am still glad I bought it.

 

Thanks for standing up for us.

The Crossfire has more WOW factor than anything other than the Ford GT. Seriously. People still stop me in parking lots and compliment me on the car.

It's a fine daily driver if you don't have heavy snow in your area. It has been my only ride for three years in the northeast Ohio snowbelt where temperatures have gone from -10F to 102F and it hasn't failed to start or overheated in heavy traffic.

If you own a house you need to be aware that things like Step2 mailboxes and snow shovels won't fit into it.

The most important thing is to find a dealer that will work on the car and knows what they are doing. I got a "Monday" car and an incompetent/uncaring dealer so my experience has been unhappy.