Hi, I'm looking to purchase a new car soon and stumbled across this car in my search for a new vehicle. I'm 20 yrs old and am looking for a car $25,000 and under.

I was looking at cars like the MazdaSpeed3, Turbocharged Cobalt SS (still unreleased I believe), and Subaru WRX. They are all great cars and would probably own the Xfire in a straight line but I already have a front wheel drive vehicle and would really like to get a rear wheel drive vehicle (exception being the AWD WRX). This car will supplement my garage since my current car, a Pontiac Grand Prix, only has ~81,000 miles on it I see no reason to get rid of it until it dies and my Ninja 250 gives me more speed thrills than any car could ever hope too even if it only gets to 60 in 6 seconds (slow for a bike but it's all relative =P).

I am into tuning and I imagine this car has little aftermarket support. I mainly want to tune the engine and suspension components though, I'm not into the big wings and body kits. This car would allievate any need for exterior customization anyway since I'd be the only guy with one at the light. I am worried about costs on this vehicle however, I am in college and don't have a lot of money to throw into expensive repairs and I think this car may be expensive to fix with all the MB underpinnings no? How is the reliability on these cars? What type of power have you guys gotten out of the regular Xfire?

Anyway, mainly I'm just here to see what type of purchase you guys thinks this car would be for me and whether you think it's a smart buy or not. You guys don't seem like the types to push the Xfire on me just because it's a "xfire forum" and I would like it if you could reccomend some other good RWD cars if need be.

Here is the Xfire I was looking to purchase, I'm also open to purchasing an SRT-6 but I would prefer a manual and insurance would probably be outrageous for me on one of those, although that dealership only seems to have auto Xfires but they're also cheaper than everywhere else I've looked. Also, I'll obviously check with the dealership there but what would it be possible to get the lifetime warranty if I purchased that vehicle or no?

Thanks in advance.

 

For 25K or under you can certainly score a decent SRT-6 & that will eliminate any speed issues you may have though there 't'ain't nothing wrong with the straight-up coupe or the roadster, just less power. I understand the dislike for an automatic but the auto in the SRT-6 (along with the coupe/roadster) is one heckuva transmission. Trust me, you may not miss the stick at all especially if you do a lotta city driving.
As to reliability I can only speak from my own experiences: my 2004 Coupe (for sale) has 57K on it & has taken a deer whacking last year & the ONLY thing wrong with the car is the ashtray; doesn't pop out correctly. It appears something is stuck behind it. Besides that & the normal maintenance (tires, which are expensive & oil changes) the car hasn't cost me a cent. My SRT has a few warranty things which have to be taken care of (rattling left speaker & a funky scratching sound coming from the rear brakes) but, once again, no problemo. Starts up in the coldest weather, drives like a rocket on wheels: I love both cars.......wish I could keep the Coupe (along with the missus!) but I'm just a working stiff.
Someday, maybe if the money magically appears, I'd like to mod. my car a little. Check around this forum & you'll find everything you'd ever want to know about beefing-up any Xfire. The mods. aren't necessarily inexpensive (how many are?) but they'll take you where you want to go.
Anyways........I'd have to give a huge thumbs-up for any Crossfire. They are unique, unknown & a gas to drive & own.
.......just my opinion, Big!!

 

The Crossfire is a pretty sweet ride......but it can also be a bit expensive!

Parts are not cheap.......you have to use premium fuel..Oil changes cost more than 60 bucks (if you do it yourself)....and you can expect to pay around a grand for a set of new tires!

BTW.....there's very little aftermarket for these cars!


If none of that bothers you, then by all means get the Crossfire! It's a great car......and always garners plenty of attention, even here in Detroit where they seem to be around every corner!

 

+1 on what has already been stated, go for the SRT6 if you can best bang for the buck.

 

I looked on autotrader in my area (15401 zip code) and can't seem to find any SRT-6's for under 25k and the ones I did find seem to be going for 27-30k.

So, I'll most likely have to go with a regular Xfire. As far as the regular Xfire goes can any of you tell me how the manual compares to the automatic? Reviews I saw said the Xfire was a little slugglish because of the large 19" rear wheels and if that is the case I'd rather have the extra power of the manual, obviously this would be a non-issue with the SRT-6. This same issue also makes me lean towards the coupe vs the convertible becaues of the extra weight, do you notice a significant difference between the coupe and conv. models?

Anyway, whether I find an SRT-6 or not the base Xfire for 13k-17k sure beats the hell out of driving cobalts, civics, and tiburons that all the kids here at college payed 16-20k+ for. It seems almost foolish not to buy one at these prices lol.

 

I have a 6 speed manual roadster and wouldn't trade it for anything! To me......if it's a sports car you have to row your own gears.

If you think people stare at the regular crossfire......they REALLY stare when you have the top down!

 

Like a beautiful woman..
expenive as hell and sometimes a pain in the ***,
but worth every penny, every second
(& best with the top down! woot!!)

 

The roadsters only weight ~88 lbs more than the coupes.

 

If you're going with the Limited then get the 6-speed, I absolutely love it. Insurance really isn't all that bad for these cars. I have no marks on my record and I only pay $85 a month with Geico. I can't imagine the SRT being that much more expensive, plus Geico can give you a quote in a matter of seconds.

You can find reasonably priced 350Z's for under $25K that would suit your tuning needs but they're a dime a dozen now but it really depends on what you want. I drove one and thought the clutch was WAY to heavy, heavier than the clutch in the 16 ton truck I drive almost everyday

Good luck in your search

 

dude im 18 and i just got a crossfire. i wouldnt change it for anything! its a great car and it was very well priced. i got it for 15k with only 17k miles. and hell yea it beats drivin a civic or tiburon. i love this car. and plus dud we're still young and to be rolin in this car is awesome. the chicks love it. and i cant complain about the power. like ive raced a 350z off the line and he beat me by 1.5 cars which i expected, i raced a 2007 mustang vs and beat him by 2 cars off role and line, i raced my buddy's 3000gt off the line and beat him by 1.5 cars up to 90mph. like its a great car. i have the automatic and i prefer this one. i know how to drive stick but this auto is fun to drive and it gets better gas milage. my friends dad get about 20mpg average (stick) while i get about 24-27. and he works at my school and lives about 2 min away from me so its not that big of a difference. he only uses it as a daily. but yea man. overall its a great car and youll love it.

 

I've had my new '07 Limited 6 speed for a month now (2,000 miles). Driven easy it gets 26 mpg, driven hard 22 mpg. If you can swing one brand new it would be a fabulous deal at your age ....If you're the first owner....LIFETIME POWERTRAIN WARRANTY!!! All you have to do is take it in within 60 days of each 5 year anniversary date (5-10-15-20, etc.) for a free inspection! I suspect you could pick up NEW sport model for $20K Limiteds ...a little more...I gave < $23K 12/5/07 for a Limited.

The one you posted is a good deal though...even if it's a sport (base) model.

I took mine out today & drove the crap out of it......absolutely love it!

 

The manual gets about the same, it really depends on your driving style how much you want to get our of your tank. The worst tank I've gotten was when I went to a short oval at the last get together in Orlando but I was driving in the upper RPM range so I burning fuel like no other.

The stick is still more fun to drive, unless you get hte SRT then you won't care about not having a stick cause it's ridiculously faster than the Limited

 

Oh yea...I second the motion...

 

hey bud i have the ultimate solution for you.
get a used one for $4000-5000 and put alittle extra in it and it will be worth more than original. drop a 8+more cylinder engine in that bad boy and you will have the ultimate car.

i have a guy who is selling his crossfire cheap in immaculate condition. 6 Speed manual , black exterior and two tone leather interior. gorgeous car.

516-234-2040

 

I think Youngin' has growed up by now..

 

He's probably had two wife's and four kids by now and wondering where the last seven years went.