Took a little 100 mile drive to look at used Crossfires with my son. I'm hoping to bribe him with a coupe instead of the motorcycle the 18-year old ninny wants.

Anyway, saw four blacks and one white. A dealer in Grand Rapids MI had a black 2004 coupe (looked like red/black interior) for $16k in the showroom. We looked at two black 2005 base models. One with some scratched wheels and paint (40k miles for $14k) and another listed with after market wheels - but the owner did a rattle can black paint job on the stock wheels and exhaust. We ran from that car.

Saw a real nice white coupe - wheels excellent - with around 20k miles for $14k. May have to go look at that one again when the dealer is open. White is not a good color for Michigan - too easy to lose when it slides off the road in the snow, but nice if the kid goes to college in FL. A dark tint would set off the white nicely.

Last was a 2006 demo roadster with <2k miles and a stick. Shiny black and perfect. Dealer had it listed at $13k off. So I figure maybe $24k. We don't want new, black, or a roadster.

Basically we're looking for a manual coupe limited (preferably 2005) in graphite, "red", silver, or SSB. Needs to be within 200 miles of southwest Michigan which covers Detroit to Indianapolis to Chicago to Milwaukee. Mileage in the 10-20k range and a price under $14k is preferred.

No other point to this thread.

 

I hope there's a special place in hell for that guy.

 

Jeez, a father who WANTS to get his son's windows tinted.. I cannot convince my parents to let me ....

 

I am actually looking for something in the ballpark as you, except for an auto due to the wife not being able to drive a manual and she wants to be able to drive the car sometimes.

I've had an 05' limited Black/Cedar coupe since Thursday that a dealer let me take over the weekend (have to take back today). It has 38k on it and I can get it for $13,140. I'm still not sure if I want to go with it, as it has some scratches and a bit of curb rash on all of the wheels. Also it looks like it will need new front tires soon.

 

I know you're a ways out there but I have a 2004 with 5000 miles that you should check out in the for sale section. Its like new through and through.

 

Goldwing... While the Crossfire is a nice ride, it is an expensive car to maintain.

Figure on $100.00 - $120.00 dealer oil changes at 7,000 mile intervals. A set of tires will set you back anywhere from $700.00 or so for Kumho tires on the low end, to over $1,200.00 for the OEM Michelin PS2's. A good choice for replacement tires are the Goodyear F1 Eagles for $950.00. Also, don't forget Mercedes-Benz prices for parts that are not that readily available.

My point... unless your son has a good job and can afford to maintain the car himself, be prepared to foot the bills for him.

 

LOL. I've been footing the bills for the little sponge for 18 years. He's played travel hockey for 10 years and HS hockey for 3 - I could own a Viper for what I invested.

I have two Crossfires and well aware of the costs. I have a good indie that cares for my Audi and my SRT6 - I buy the Mobil1 and he supplies the filters and labor. Oil changes in the $75 range total. I don't scrimp on tires or brakes.

My son has been warned that he pays 50% of the insurance and it's liability only. He wrecks it - he pays to fix it. He's been working on an oil pipeline (Dad has friends who have connections) this summer and makes $900/week. I expect $4k from him and I pay the rest.

It's a cheap price to keep him off a motorcycle. Don't get me wrong, I've ridden since 1972 and have a '77 Goldwing in the garage. But times and traffic change - too many a-holes talking on cells and not paying attention to lights.

If he goes to college in FL in a year, tint would be nice on a white Xfire. But I'm going to keep looking because he'd rather have a 6-speed and I consider the gas mileage, the repairs, and the need to "focus" on driving a stick to be of value. Clutches ain't cheap - but torque converters cost a lot more. I also want another graphite if possible (or "red" or SSB or silver) so we have a potential parts car worst comes to worst.

 

You are a cool Dad.

My dad paid half for my first car. A 84 lebaron..... Almost as nice as a crossfire, haha..

 

Well put, radmanly.

 

True enough. But sometimes people make the mistake of purchasing an older used car because they think it will save money. While the car payment may be small or non-existent, the cost of maintaining an old car can be quite high. They typically require more than just tires and oil changes as major parts fail and require replacements. This can far exceed a monthly car payment on a much nicer new vehicle, eliminating the "savings".

For many years I drove vintage cars as daily transportation. Finally, when my Jaguar had eaten a hole through my wallet and was half-way through my a$$, I broke down and got a new vehicle and my first car payment in many years. The difference in the manageability of the cost was huge, with a better car and no more "surprises" in my monthly budget. I now reserve the domain of vintage cars to non-essential pursuits.

I don't find the Crossfire any more expensive than my other cars but then my other cars may be considered expensive to maintain (Jeep Commander Overland with HEMi; highly modified Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L). But compared to what I was spending on old cars, the Crossfire is a major bargain.

 

My wife bribed me with a Crossfire to keep me off of that new Harley Softtail Rocker that I wanted. It worked for her. At least so far. Maybe she won't notice if I keep a cover on that Rocker in the corner of the garage.

Good luck with your decision.

You may want to look online at the Tom Ahl dealership in Lima Ohio to see if he has any Crossfires that you would be interested in. Sometimes he has over 20 in stock used. I purchased my 05 roadster there. It's not too bad of a run from Holland if he has the right car.