Hey,
I currently own a 2000 Subaru Impreza RS with 2005 WRX motorswap, it's very very fast but very unreliable and it was been giving my idle issues, etc.. recently and I just don't want to throw anymore money at it.

When I found out the Chrysler Crossfires were at a pretty cheap price, it caught my eye instantly. I found an 04 Black crossfire with Black leather interior, 44k miles and only $11k!!! (from a used car dealer).
I haven't test drove it out anything yet, but that will be my next step.

My main concern is buying this car and regretting it since I love my car so much right now ( even though its a pain in the *** ).
Are these cars fast at all? What are the comparable too?
I test drove an RX8 yesterday, and it was realllllly slow, I hope the Crossfire isn't like this.

Reliability...
I know it's mercedes built, but that concerns me because Mercedes Benz's have always been notorious for their pricey and frequent services.
How many miles with this car run too with proper maintaince? (and a few auto X's =) )

Overall Performance...
I really have'nt seen many performance/sports cars from chrysler, how do these things handle,brake, etc..?
Do these cars take most of their genetics from Mercedes?

Moving from a really quick and nimble Subaru too a more luxury sport chrysler is going to be a big change.

Main reason I'm looking to buy a new car is because I'm looking for a reliable way of going to and from school and work. I'm turning 20 soon and I'd like to leave my stupid speeding days back in the past, I've done pretty good for the past year or so but theres always that moment where you need a rush of speed and I really hope this cars delivers.
Sorry for the long post, but any comments or suggestions about the Crossfire would be great.

-Matt


Edit: Title was suppose to be "Thinking" instead of "Think"

 

Keep in mind stock Crossfires only have 215hp and 230lb/ft torque. They do 0-60 in 6.5 seconds... so you'll probably be pretty disappointed versus your Subaru. If you want blazing performance look into the Crossfire SRT-6. 330hp and 0-60 in 4.9 seconds. What I think you WILL like about the Crossfire is the handling and ride... you just can't unstick their traction no matter how hard you try. They ride pretty decently for such a great handling car too. Another thing you'll be surprised about is the quality of materials used/build quality of the cars. Go sit in one and take a test drive, and you'll be amazed at what you're getting for the price. The cars are close to 90% Mercedes just as an FYI. All I did with mine was change it's oil every 8,000 miles. Keep in mind you have to use synthetic oil, and lots of it... so the oil changes are pricey (I paid $90 for mine). But they're mostly offset by the fact you don't have to get your oil changed nearly as often as most cars. I just lost my Crossfire to a flood last week, and started looking around to see what else I could get in my price range. After seeing that my $17,000 budget would mainly get me crappy used American cars, I came running back to the Crossfire. I'm just waiting for my insurance company to settle up with me, then hopefully I'll get another Crossfire ASAP.

 

Thanks, I think that's the funniest thing I've read on the internet in awhile!

http://www.motortrend.com/features/p...ord/index.html

I would think a base crossfire would easily be faster than a stock RS, but slightly slower than the WRX swap. SRT-6 would easily stomp either in stock form. Great car for the price that they're actually selling for right now and I'm assuming that if you're doing engine swaps, oil changes shouldn't be a problem. They're not cheap for 8+ quarts of oil, but they only come every 7000 miles.

I haven't had to change anything else on my SRT-6 yet, but I would imagine prices for brakes, tires, etc. would be much cheaper on the "rally" car.

I would try and find one that's still under warranty for a few grand more in case any initial problems pop-up.

Enjoy!

 

I used to have a WRX (actually a Saab 9-2x Aero- same thing, different face) with AccessPort Stage II. Of course the Crossfire is going to be slower than the boosted 2.0, but many other things are better on the Crossfire. Just the overall feeling of quality is better- no "tinny" sound when you shut the doors, no cheap plasticy surfaces, etc. The performance is still good, and handling is much better than a stock WRX. Another nice thing is that you don't see that many Crossfires on the road, and it LOOKS like a sports car. Good luck with your search!

 

Quality is def. something I'm looking for in my next car, since I'm sick and tired of all the small annoying things that are wrong with my car, dings, dents, crappy windows, rough idle, and all other random noises and what not.

I'm gonna try and take a test drive in one this saturday for a better feel of everything. I've always loved the looks of this cars because of the sports car like design that draws many eyes, although I am used to drawing many eyes in with a white sports sedan (mainly teenagers, etc..). I'm sure a slightly modified Crossfire would draw the same amount of attention if not more than my current car.

I feel that the Crossfire might even be a better Auto-X car, better low end torque and better handling (I have minimal suspension mods down to my car). Gas mileage is another plus.
How are these cars for long distance trips?
How about city/traffic driving?
Is there a passthrough to the drunk from the cabin?

Another random question, What is the lug pattern for the wheels and what sized wheels are in the back (stock).

Autox1024.jpg

 

I've taken an XF on a 1200 mile trip with no issues. I got an average of 29MPG on that trip.
I enjoy driving my XF in town as I love the sound of the stock engine going through the gears from a stop.
With the coupe, you can reach back into backend as there is nothing blocking it. I would want to try to find something while driving.

It's a five bolt wheel with 18" in front and 19" in the back for stock wheels.

 

5x112mm, SRT6 for a little more change and you'll be glad you did. Better check your insurance though on both.

 

Is the car fast? A 6-speed NA is capable of 0-60 in 6.5, with a 14.6 @95 (best i've seen in a magazine) 1/4 mile. Your car should be around 5.7 to 60 and 14.4 1/4 mile only because of the AWD. From a roll the crossfire should be faster, as it has a higher trap speed in the 1/4. It won't feel like a turbo car, as it will have a different powerband. The scoobaru pulls harder at higher rpm due to the turbo, where the chrysler will have a more consistant pull due to the 2 extra cylinders. Subaru makes 227 hp and 217 tq, crossfire makes 219hp and 229 tq. At WOT (from a roll at least) it should feel pretty close to what you're driving now. As far as handling, they should be pretty close, from what I've seen the crossfire may have a little more grip. I read the '00 RS pulls .82 in the skidpad, crossfire pulls .89 (I've seen as high as 1.13 using my G-Tech). Braking is excellent, reliability seems to be great. There are a few simple modifications that every here seems to love, one that I could see you liking is the sprint booster. It doesn't make the car faster, but the gas pedal will feel more like a turbo car with it. TEST DRIVE THE DAMN THING!!!!!!

 

To an 8 year old Subaru? No comparison.

XF impresses women and makes you feel special. A subaru makes you feel like you drive a subaru.

 

I'm sure power output on a Crossfire can be easily improved with intake and exhaust because of it's already large engine size. But, it sounds as if it is already a fairly quick car. My car is actually more like 230-240 hp to all four wheels with its mods (300-320ish at the crank i would estimate), and only weighs in at 2750 lbs. 0-60 in under 4.5 and similiar swaps have down the 1/4 mile in 12.7-13.0 , its pretty fast I must say.. lol

Any idea of how much these things weigh in at with the mercedes benz chassis?
I'm really glad to know these cars are majority mercedes, ensuring that it is very very high quality.

How would you best classify this car?
Grand touring? Luxury Sport? Sports coupe?
Car seems very comparable to the SLK 320, anyone here know anything behind that?

 

around 3050 to 3150 lbs, depending on options and whether or not you have a supercharger.

The XF Coupe is a "Sports Car" that feels like a "Grand Tourer".

It's just not massive enough to be a Grand Tourer, but it's so peaceful to drive it feels like one.

 

"Is there a passthrough to the drunk from the cabin?" - Most Crossfire owners keep the drunk in the passenger seat where they can rub her leg.

Coupla other things to keep in mind -
* the car's not impervious to dings, so mind where you park (these attract POS cars)
* if you live where there is snow/ice, it ain't an AWD
* there are limited performance mods for the normally aspirated engine, but it still putts along happily at 120-140 mph
* German cars like regular maintenance and if you don't abuse them, they'll run a long time
* you'll pick up more women with an Xfire than with a herd of Subiedoos

I just turned 30k with my roadster and all I do is change the oil. Still using OEM tires with plenty of tread, which is unusual per the forum.

 

Actually, Subaru as a brand is very popular with Lesbian women, so it also impresses women!

Seriously though, there is no comparision between an Impreza and a Crossfire. If you save up for an SRT-6 you will be very surprised!

 

I understand the SRT-6 is very fast, but I could never do an automatic, personal thing...

Also, is there a specific aftermarket company for the Crossfire? Where to buy?
Example:
Subaru=Cobb
Honda=Mugen
etc...

 

There is TVT, needswings, brabus and kleeman (for a $10k supercharger) but they don't have as large a selection as say mugen, cobb or nismo. The crossfire seems to be a difficult car to tune, but advancements are being made. One of our members (Chuck Norris) is fitting an eaton m90 blower on his, so there is hope for cheaper forced induction in the near future. Another member (HDDP) transplanted an tuned srt-6 motor into a 6-speed NA. It wasn't cheap but it makes serious power.

 

When I am considering the purchase of a new (to me) product, I find that the owners manual provides the answers to all my questions and the answers to questions I didn't know I had. In this age of pervasive information, we are fortunate that these materials are at our click and call:


Crossfire Manual
(Right Click and Save As... To your hard drive, then go open it)

 

Somewhere in internet land there is a Crossfire review that noted that a German magazine thought the Crossfire was better than the SLK 320. The interiors are almost identical and the Crossfire has been hinted at as having a better suspension, braking, handling, etc.

The SRT-6 is, of course, the AMG SLK 32 under the skin with additional tweaks by SRT. I would think the 6 would edge out the 32 in braking and handling as well. The only downside to the 6 is a stiffer suspension.

The Crossfire is not a reskinned SLK but rather a conglomeration of various Mercedes models with some modifications to the parts, though the majority of the car has been lifted from the SLK. A simple look at the larger wheel size should make it plain that the original SLK suspension components could not work as is.

I have the SRT-6 and my car has been extremely unreliable. But my car is one of the earlier ones and the 6s seem to have more problems in general than the NA Crossfires. Not all 6 owners have had the problems I've had and there are NA Crossfire owners who have gone 40, 50, 60 thousand or more miles with no or only a couple of very minor problems. Overall reliability will not be an issue though if you do get a Crossfire you may want to also get an extended warranty because when something does break, it will be expensive to repair. In spite of my problems with my car I am very happy with it and think it's the best car I've ever had.

Far more important than reliability is maintenance competence of your local Chrysler dealer. Mercedes dealers will not touch Crossfires when under the original warranty and many forum members have reported unsatisfactory experiences with their Chrysler dealers. Be sure there is a dealer, or a mechanic, near you that is competent enough to work on the Crossfire. This is the number one complaint against the car and having good mechanical service available eliminates 90% of the headaches with the Crossfire. This forum can certainly give you a dealer recommendation or a dealer to avoid.

I think you'll find the NA Crossfire to be a tad lacking in straight line performance. The car will get up to speed and chug along at 140 all day without a whimper. It just won't give you whiplash when doing so. Aftermarket parts are scarce and not too cheap but that is changing and the aftermarket companies listed earlier are now getting out some serious performance stuff. The NA Crossfire handling and braking is nothing to sneeze and though some have criticized the steering as being a little numb (it's recirculating ball), I like it because it does an excellent job of dampening all the bangs and jolts. This is important to me considering the stiff suspension and low profile tires.

The SRT-6 takes the Crossfire on a whole different level, along with insurance, maintenance, and ticket potential. Unfortunately it is auto only but if you have to absolutely have an auto, this is the one to get. Do see if you can take a 6 for a drive. The increased horsepower and SRT enhancements may outweigh the lack of a manual for you.

Are you interested in a coupe or roadster?

 

The post prior to this gives excellent advice and insight.

One point I would suggest is locale-specific though is the claim that Mercedes dealers won't touch in-warrantee vehicles. Except for providing warrantee service (which they don't provide - it's a Chrysler product) my Mercedes dealer doesn't even blink at working on my car. They treat me like all the other Benz owners and give the red carpet treatment. I submit if you are not getting good service from the first Mercedes dealer you visit, try another. They can handle just about all of the drive train issues, probably more competently than the average Chrysler shop (just for sheer experience) and certainly any general mechanical issues - all cars at some level are "just cars". For Chrysler-specific things, you're "stuck" with Chrysler which isn't all bad - again - depends on where you live and which shop you choose. I did some shopping to find the dealer that works best for me - and I'm lucky - the Benz and Chrysler dealers are just down the street from each other.