Sorry, was I trolling? I take it back! Don't answer that question and have a good weekend?!

 

LOL, you do the same sonoronos. Have a good weekend.

 

When are people on this board going to realize its not a MB its a Chrysler !!!!!!!!!!!

 

It's a Chrysler until you have to get it serviced or buy an engine part, then it's a MB..

 

Your missing the point , just because they use alot of common parts does not mean they are the same . The Crossfire 5 speed automatic is used ( upgraded & modifided)in the McLaren Mercedes SLR , does that make the Crossfire a McLaren ???? My point was you can compare all you want and put all the decals you want on it ,at trade in or selling time you going to get Chrysler $$$$$$$ not Mercedes $$$$$$$ ............................

 

So don't trade it in or sell it. Buy it knowing your getting a mercedes at chrysler prices. Thats what i did and I enjoy it.

When i look at all the parts on this car and see a three point star instead of a 5 point stars i see mercedes. I would be willing to bet that the only thing that is chrysler is what you can see from the outside. Everything is mercedes. My orginal Sticker claims that 80% of the parts in a crossfire are from germany! So it makes me smile to open my garage every morning and driving out in a debadged mercedes that looks better than 95% of mercedes and bmw's. Park a Crossfire next to any same model year mercedes under 50 grand new or used and I would put money on the crossfire getting more looks.

 

Actually, the crossfire is better than the R170 SLK.

 

Go drive up to an SLK 320, pop open the hood and doors.

Look at the interior, and the engine.

Come back and tell me it's not a Mercedes?

 

Conversely, and here's the good point, is that when you buy a Crossfire new or especially used, you pay Chrysler $$$$$ and according to Consumers Reports, even better than Mercedes reliability. Close enough for me. Use the extra savings for a jet ski and a Harley.

 

The idea in starting the thread was to explore the value in these cars, not so much to debate whether the cars are Mercedes or Chryslers.

Badge Engineering takes on many forms. We benefit from the fact that the Crossfire, while badged a Chrysler, is in fact, substantially a Mercedes-Benz product, built in a Karmann plant, where some of the worlds best cars are made. From a product value standpoint, it doesn't get much better than that. The manufacturer made no secret of this. In fact if you took away all parts not used on Mercedes cars, I suspect the car would still be driveable.

Another form of Badge Engineering that takes the concept in the other direction puts a venerable name (like "Jaguar") onto a product that in no way shares the lineage claimed. Take for example the Jaguar X-Type of recent years. Here is a car that has little to do with Jaguar, other than "benefitting" from the imitative interior styling and wannabee exterior styling cues that seek to nudge it in the direction of its pedigreed namesakes. This is a case of the manufacturer (Ford Europe) seeking to put the car (a Ford Mondeo) into a new market (North America) and sell it as something it's not.



Park a Jaguar X-Type next to an XK-8 and there is no mistaking the lack of relationship between the two. The last laugh was on all the people who bought their "Jaguar" X-Type and wander around thinking they're part of an exclusive few. I had a ride in an X-Type and saw it for what it was - a poseur vehicle. Having owned two "real" Jaguars (E-Type and XJ-6), there was no mistaking the lack of connection.



Again, we don't have that problem in the Crossfire - rather we're in "stealth mode". Interestingly, Daimler Chrysler may have shot themselves in the foot by taking the approach they did - badging it a Chrysler and hiding the Mercedes pedigree. Good for us, bad for them...

 

Very accurate and well stated observations ppro.

 

Yeah - or a few years-worth of fuel...

 

Regarding the comparison matrix a couple posts up, please advise where I can get an SRT6 with a 6-speed.

IMHO, the SLK-300 in the original post is one hideous car. Very ugly front end treatment.

I would expect a few more amenities and features for $55k compared to the $37k a Crossfire roadster cost new -- and I just saw several "new" 2007s for $23-25k yesterday in Monroe MI. That $ spread buys a lot of accessories.

If I wanted....and could afford....it all, I'd pray nightly for a Bentley Continental GT Speed. Four passengers, maximum comfort, 0-60 in 4 seconds, and 200+ mph top end. Time to abandon prayer and start buying lottery tickets again.

 

?

 

The Mercedes McLaren SLR comes with a 5 speed automatic ...................

 

The Bentley Continental is such a rip-off of the Crossfire! Look at that flip-up wing