There is a 2004 coupe for sale here locally that is $17,500.

It's a personal ad, not a dealer.

It's a coupe, auto, leather, heated seats, etc...no navigation.

The car is spotless, dark charcoal color with like new paint, black interior, garaged, non-smoker.

It has 24k miles on it.

The only thing wrong is it needs tires.

Any opinions on pricing?

Any common issues I should look into?

Thanks in advance - hopefully from a future crossfire owner.

SQ

 

That doesn't sound too bad. Keep in mind tires for these cars are expensive. Check tirerack.com or the like for pricing.
Since it needs new tires, you may get some more 'wiggle' room off of the asking price.

Good luck.

 

Shawn Q, You need to ask yourself, "Just what is a "fair" or equitable amount of depreciation a seller should need to absorb when they want to sell their car". Or, how much money would you be willing to lose if you had the same vehicle and wanted to sell it.
If the owner of the Crossfire that you are looking at purchased the car "new" when they first came out, then he probably paid 35K or more for it. Even if he purchased it brand new a year later, he probably still paid at least 25K.
I know we all want to get the most we can for the least amount of money out of our pockets, but at what point does it become "robbery"?
If you punch up (nadabook.com) and log in all the info, you can get a current "book" value for the car.
Speaking as a owner of a 2004 6 spd. with nearly 21K miles, I would hate to have to take $17,500 for my car, because it's worth much more to me. But if I had to sell it, and that was the "book" price for it, then I probably couldn't hope for anymore.
Any problems the car may have had, were probably taken care of a long time ago. Mine has never been back to the dealer for anything.
I use to be in the car business, and $17,500 doesn't sound like too bad of a deal. Like RPM pointed out, mention to him that you're going to have to replace the tires and maybe the seller will split the difference with ya and sell it for 17k.
Believe me, these cars are the bargain of the century, and probably the best kept secret in the automotive world.
Remember, even at 17.5, you're getting a Mercedes Benz, at a Honda price.
Good Luck.

 

Sounds like a deal, You might also need brakes, oil change etc...

These cars do net sell very well in the used market place so you might be able low ball.

Discount $1,000 off the asking price for new tires, slotted rotors and rotex gold brake pads.

BB

 

The above statement is totally irrelevant. Since when do people take into consideration what is fair to the seller and
who determines fair in a free market system? Nobody is holding a gun to the seller’s head. The seller is offering his
vehicle at a certain price he set, for whatever reason. If you as a buyer think it’s a price you want to pay after doing
your research… go for it.

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With that said, the direct answer to the question is: yes, it is a very good deal @ $17,500 even if the car needs tires.
Kelly Blue Book, a good guide to a vehicle’s value, lists the value for a '04 Crossfire as $20,180.

As for tires, Goodyear F-1 Eagles for the Crossfire sell for about $950 a set. The OEM Michelin Pilot Sport 2’s go for
$1,250 or so for a set.

If you want a Crossfire, have it checked out, get a CarFax, and if everything is good… go for it, you got a good
deal @ $17,500.

The KBB page for a private party sale of a 2004 Chrysler Crossfire in "GOOD" condition...

 

The dealer where I purchased my '06 Roadster Limited was selling the '06 coupe for $18,995. But I don't remember if that was a base model or not.
PM me if your interested and I will give you his phone number.

 

Ben47, of course you're correct. I guess I was just worrying too much about the seller, because I thought that was too low of a price. (since I own basically the same car).
In a free market system, it's every man for himself.
I suppose that's why we're paying over $3 a gal. for gas too. Supply and demand.
Nobody ever said life is fair.

 

I would say look for a lower mileage car in that price range. Almost every Crossfire you will find will be below Kelly Blue Book. When i was looking I seen a XF with 24k miles for $18,000, but decided to pass and get a XF with 5,685 for $19,500. You can get a almost new (under 5k 2004 Crossfire) for under 20k easily now, And these prices are from a dealership. Private should be even lower. I would say offer that guy $17,000 so you can offset the costs of the tires some. Than that might be worth it. Depending on how rare Crossfires are in your area you might want to take it.

 

You're just a nicer guy than I am...

 

Thanks for the info guys.

There aren't too many crossfires for sale in my area...and the majority of them are $20k+, mostly limited coupes.

I will see what this guy says about deducting the price of tires.

I'd also like to look into getting an extended service contract/warranty...any idea what these cost?

Thanks,
Shawn

 

Here are a few Crossfires that are available at the place i got mine.
http://www.blueknobauto.com/auto_detail.php3?id=31095
http://www.blueknobauto.com/auto_detail.php3?id=31852

As to an extended warranty, i recommend going here.
http://chryslerservicecontracts.com/

They sell Chryslers service contracts for $50 over dealer cost. A 7/70 max care is $1,230, with a $100 deductible.

 

Why shouldn't we take what we believe is fair for the other party into consideration? I think it is an behavior to be admired not admonished.

I am sometimes curious about XF owners on this forum and their complaints about the "low resale value" of the car and then they inform others not to pay very much for one. Isn't this like putting a dent in your own car? If I was considering buying an XF and was to read some of the stuff on our forum I might be inclined to believe it was a way over-priced piece-o-junk and move on, never knowing it is really a very fine MB product worth more than the going price. It's kinda funny blue book is overstated when we are buying but correct when we sell and when we are able to take an advantage of a situation (uninformed seller or seller in a bad bind) we have made a good deal but if it happens to us we have been screwed and taken advantage of.
Sorry I'm ranting but I believe fairness should be both ways we shouldn't complain about issues we help create. Just my .02 and it probably ain't worth .01 to most people. I now a wait my berating.

 

I got him to cover the price of tires.

It seems that these cars are one or more of the following:

A) A true bargain - a lot of car for a little bit of money.
B) Too much of a specialty item - not much demand = low prices.
C) A maintenance nightmare / lemon - not much demand, people itching to get rid of them due to problems.
D) The best used car value in a 2 seater, hands down.

From what I've read, they are pretty reliable, drive nice for a 2 seater with big wheels, get decent fuel mileage, and hold up well. So IMHO that rules out C, leaving A, B, and D as the options. It seems like it could fit all of these.

I am not sure why the price is so low on these...and am a little concerned I am missing something.

Any ideas? Or is it just the market?

Is there any weird service quirks I should look into prior to purchase? I hear oil changes are expensive, but with longer intervals. I am a cummins diesel owner, so I know all about the high oil change prices...not a big deal.

I'm about to pull the trigger...

Thanks,
Shawn

 

8.5 qts of Mobil one and $20 filter = Not a cheap oil change, but the FSS system will indicate 7-9K intervals depending on your driving habits, so thats not too bad. Otherwise, it's basic M-B type of costs.
They are a bargain basement Benz, for those astute enough to see it...You aren't missing anything, except a grin every time you turn the key...now pull the trigger and HAVE FUN!!!

 

Shawn,

Before you buy a used Crossfire with bad tires for that money, check out my post from an hour ago! I just bought a new '06 with 11 miles and full Chrysler warranty (3 years, 36K miles) for $18,800. The dealer has about 20 more of the same car - black coupes with 6-speeds.

Read my post!! It will save you some money.

I'd be glad to hear from you directly if you want to ask any more questions about my deal.

Brad (aka SPEDWAY)

 

Jeff,

I saw that.

The car I'm looking at is a limited with all of the goodies. Is your car a base model?

The one I'm looking at is also an auto (preferred).

Thanks,
Shawn

 

The Crossfire is one of the most underrated cars of date.
The original MSRP was too high for most, Chrysler did a weak job advertising them, etc. Many of these factors led to the unbelievably low prices you see today.

The only thing you're missing are the keys to your new ride.

 

LOL. You are kidding, right?

On second thought, you may have something there. There is no admonishment on my part, do what you want. In fact
I think they ought to start teaching your theory in Economics 101.

Let me see if I got it right. Someone is selling an item, be it a house, a car, or whatever. They set a price and you're
going to offer more because you think the price is too low and it is not fair to the seller?

What am I missing here?

 

What are you missing here? Well nothing maybe but I happen to still disagree with the statement above, I believe it is relevant,
A- If you don't take into consideration what you believe is a fair price to the other person how do you determine the amount you will offer?
B- I do fairly well with my version of "Economics 101" and I don't need to be unfair to do it.
I am not saying pay more than the asking price and I am not criticizing you, I just believe in being fair to everyone and humbly disagree with the assertion of fairness being irrelevant.

 

Paul,

All fairness talk aside - the seller was asking $17,500. I was willing to give this until I saw the condition of the tires. I made him aware of the tire condition, and told him tires will cost me between $1k and $1,200. He offered to split the difference and sell for $17k flat without me even asking.

I didn't 'low-ball' him, I will be giving him what he wanted. So, in reality, all of this IS irrelevant as I am not falling into the category of one who is being unfair.

I should be the rightful new owner of this car (with bald tires ) tonight.

Will post pics if I get it.

Thanks
Shawn