$18,700 plus tax - what a deal!!
Has anyone figured out what mini-spare fits the bolt pattern. I would like to put one in the trunk with a custom cover to hide it.

 

Congrats and welcome.
I believe Mercedes-Benz makes a mini-spare that fits, since the Crossfire is basically a SLK32.
I think if you do a search on the forum you may bring up some information.

 

The car should have came with a "fix-a-flat" canister and air compressor to allow you to fix any flat you'd have.

I have AAA so I don't worry about fixing it and let them tow it to a tire shop.

 

the issue is not fitting the spare but fitting the flat tire after removal... only possible if you do not have a passenger...

 

What a bargain.

Welcome to the forum too!

 

Greetings,

I Just got a base 2006 six-speed coupe last weekend and I'm lovin' it!

Can you believe so much car for less than 20K ???

I'm a little puzzled with some of the reviews I've read where the clutch is criticized and the shift linkage condemned as "notchy, rubbery or long".

Are these folks driving the same car ?

My clutch is easy to use and the shifter tight and precise.

Could these guys be testing ragged-out "press fleet" cars ?

Like I said, I'm lovin' it !

Cheers,

Cincinnati Slim

 

Welcome aboard Cincy Slim, we need as many Buckeye's as we can get.

I can't say anything about the clutch, I haven't noticed anything wrong with the way mine works, and I really don't remember reading anything bad about it either. But I think most of the negative comments were made about the '04 cars shifter being notchy.
I know my '04 has always been "less smooth" to shift than my Honda's or Miata, but it's never really been that bad either.
It wasn't until I drove a good friends 05 LTD roadster, and I did notice a difference. His shifted significantly smoother than my '04. But not enough so for me to take a chance on taking my car back to a dealer where they could "really" SCREW things up.

 

the clutch is pretty good, just the pickup isn't where it feels like it should be. but i think most complaints come from the shifter, which is pretty rubbery and numb feeling. its not bad by any sense of the word, but i think compared to other two seaters (s2000, miata) its not in the same league. now at the same time, its not supposed to be the same kind of car as those two, more a competitor to the last audi tt, so i think for its class, it performs damn well.

now at $18,000 for a new crossfire, i honestly can't imagine a more complete automobile. that is beyond a steal for this great car. it has more power, better handling, a six speed, and WAY better fit and finish than any car in that price range. i mean that's cheaper than a scion tc for gods sake.

 

My last car was a '99 Mustang GT vert and it had a Motorsports HD clutch installed. That sucker was HARD to push in...

it vastly improved shifting, though.

Compared to that, the Crossfire is so-o-o easy to shift.

 

The clutch on my 2004 coupe has always felt a little heavy to me and the shifter took some getting used to. I test drove a 2006 a couple of weeks ago and the clutch effort seemed much lighter and the shifter a little more precise. Not sure if it was my imagination, or if they made some changes / adjustments to the clutch and tranny between 2004 and 2006.

 

Compared to many modern Japanese automobiles the Crossfire's shifter definitely has longer throws, and could be considered less precise for that reason alone. Combine long throws, 6 gears, and the rather numb feeling that the Crossfire's shifter exudes and your shifting precision will go down. I'm sure that with just a little bit of regular use, any driver can easily adapt to the Crossfire. And don't get me wrong... it's not a bad shifter by far... just not quite up to other cars in it's price range that are two seat sport(y) coupes.

As I driver I just prefer more feedback than any modern car will provide you with. I liked my DeLoreans so much for that reason. They had a heavy clutch, but you could feel exactly when they engaged through your toes, instead of just listening for it. Those cars didn't have any power steering either, so you could really feel in the steering wheel what was going on in the road... what texture the pavement was, what kind of traction your front tires had... all through gripping the steering wheel. I loved my shifter in the DeLoreans... the gear pattern was effortless, even if the shifter was notchy and crude by today's standards. It seems in the name of refinement, all modern performance oriented cars have just totally become injected with novocain... you just don't know what's goin on while you're driving as much.