I know how your feeling about how British journalists can kill a car but the reviews i've read have been mixed (just like the journo's testing it) i don't think the X-fire will go down like the probe did.
We have an slk and the interior is well laid out ,although the control stalk does take time to get used to if like me you drive other vehicles and it is not your daily driver.
I have a 1997 Top Gear review of the SLK and the review is near identical to the X-Fire on interior,a car that started out with a waiting list of 12 months!
The X-Fire is fairly compact inside as you will have seen at the preview but not uncomfortable.
My order is still in place.
LINK: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/...emfcross23.xml

 

The close comparisson for me is the V6 TT, for an almost identical price you get a well crafted german auto, with the new DSG paddle shift thrown in. The X fire has novelty and a restricted supply on its side, if reports of standard xenon's are true the kit list will start to match the rivals at last.

But if DC lift the production to 40k units we may well get another probe!

 

I really doubt the Crossfire's going to be a Probe. That's a Ford-Mazda vehicle that's an attempt to make-an-economy-car-look-sporty-gone-bad.

Well, at least the ones here anyway.

Don't let the German-owned American brand throw you off, the Crossfire's a well crafted German auto as well.

Apart from Quattro, the choice between a TT and a Crossfire is clear. I've seen way too many TTs around the neighborhood, not to mention Lexus SC430s, G35s and Zs.

 

Mark,

Hope you didnt see the top gear review, probably the worst i have seen "ponderous steering"..."sloppy gearchange" and the photo of all the others 350Z, RX8, TT with Xenons mankes the bog standard xfire look dull.

Wonder how to get our voices heard with Chrysler UK, "XENONS AS STANDARD PLS" pls if you could confirm the 0-60....

the official times from Chrysler UK at 7.2, but in the test it beat the RX8 and TT which are 6.4 / 6.9 respectively

Can't find the article online http://www.topgear.com/ so will try and scan it at work tomorrow.

LP

 

IF this car tanks, it's coming and going will more closely resemble (in the US) the Cadillac Allante and Chrysler/Maserati TC...and the Xfire is far and away the better of these cars. I'm just talking from a marketing perspective.

IF Chrysler can add a little power for not much price, if they can make the manual transmission not feel like you're moving a hammer around in a bowl of rocks, if they replace the plastic silver console pieces with the identical bits in aluminum (although I like the plastic, but I'm a hick) and although Xenons mean nothing to me, they put Xenons in the car for those that feel that is a significant oversight, they they'll have the hit they're looking for.

They can't do a whole lot about the numb steering with a serious re-engineering.

If it's hanging it's hat on looks and exclusivity, the crown will be short lived. When the Elise gets here the Xfire will look like last year's news in terms of looks (whether you like the looks of the Elise or not, you can't not look at it), the Elise by virtue of 200 hp in a car less than 2000 lbs, geared properly according to all tests will out accelerate almost anything that can be had for under $100K (Viper excluded, Vette included).

It will bow to the Xfire in terms of amenities...there is nothing on the Elise that does not contribute to performance. Electric windows are an option because the extra weight, well, adds weight.

The Elise will list at about $3K more than the Xfire with the auto. AND dealers are commiting now in the deposit contracts to sell at MSRP.

The Xfire cannot compete as is with the performance cars in its class/price range on the basis of performance. That makes it a luxo coupe, and needs to be marketed as such.

Yes, the car gets a whole lot of attention. Had it at a cookout yesterday, consisting entirely of car nuts (it was the staff and their families of a company that puts on large car shows up and down the east coast). Everybody wanted to go look, touch, sit in, ogle.

That's a great buzz, but it will wear off in a year...both the buzz and the amount of attention. If that is why I had bought the car, I'd be regretting it a year from now.

 

kusheen:

I'm still trying to figure out why you keep thinking the Crossfire will fail. Every other post you put up compares it to the Allante. Then you start to talk about the Lotus you want. I'm sorry if you hae buyers remorse, but the Xfire is not going anywhere. You keep insisting that it's appeal will wear off--well maybe, but so will your Lotus. I mean there are tons of cars out there that are "better" (whatever that means) than the Crossfire or Lotus for that matter. I hope you will come to like your Crossfire as much as the rest of us owners do.

 

Hey Tex,

Can't speak for Kusheen but over in the UK there are many of us with deposits down on the Xfire, but most reviews have some negatives (ok i can live with that) but some are downright poor. The prices have been at the top of the promised scale but it seems to be missing equipment and have some "unusual" interior trim.

Its good to hear from real owners as to accurate 0-60 times, I'd like to hear what the autobox is like as thats my choice over the manual which i've never seen a good review of.

LP

 

I guess if you think the reviews are poor, then I would consider not buying it. Maybe you should get a Lotus like kusheen :lol: If this car had 250+ HP people would be in awe of it--that is the only key thing missing out of this car. Again if you want more HP then I'd suggest another car for you.

 

well if we all went by reviews we'd all be driving BMW's and watching Sony TV's ------> this way to be brainwashed

As i said its ajust a few points which chrysler UK could do something about, I think the HP is fine and the real 0-60 is about 6.5, the main issues are the plastic silver effect trim (easily fixed CHRYSLER UK) and giving a few more toys as standard or lowering the price.

Not really thinking of changing my mind, test drove the TT 3.2V6 this week, very nice but then i passed 3 TT's while on the test drive......they are everywhere!

LP

 

Fellow Crossfire owners, I have had my crossfire since july 4th. I have read all of the forum and derived a ton of great info about performance and fixes etc. The reviews I've read have been interesting and coments about HP, 0-60 times, top speed, kits and such. The question for a layman of performance autos is, does anyone love the crossfire as I do just because it looks great, handles well, goes where and when I want it? I realize all of these other items are obviously important, but I plan to keep this vehicle for many years, want 200k+ miles of routine repairs and reliability. Sometimes you can find alot of half empty glasses when they are really half full. Keep up the critical thinking but remember it for what it is, (at least to me), a fun, unique, reliable (time will tell), car that will undoubtly show up as a staple at car showings 30 years from now. :wink:

 

I did read a review on the WHATCAR website and they like the interior so go figure.

Click Here

I know when I get it I will forget about all the negatives so roll on November.

 

punkin:

amen...

 

I find that the seats in my Xfire are quite comfortable. The only thing about that that I don't like, is when my wife is driving I would appreciate if the passenger seat had the 6 way adjustment, like the driver's side has.
Also, friends and family who have seen my Xfire really think the interior is very nice and well laid out. No one has inferred that the interior is in any way "cheap" and some of these folks would not hesitate to say that.

 

Be reassured UK!!

Ditto to Punkin

Interior is great, seats are very comfortable, power/speed is MORE than adequate, luv the spoiler, headlights should have been X, but OK as they are, the unique design and limited production make it stand out from the rest of the best, etc. You know how the 350 and 35 look just alike!

I do have some gripes, but except for the radio screen visibility they are minor. I nearly rear-ended somebody the other day in city traffic trying to see the gol-darned station!!! :x If anybody has the direct connect to the right folks @ D-C, please share it!! I'll join the class-action on that just to convince them to offer replacements of the radio! :!:

My other "gripes" are:

no cover for the rear - if you're in an area (everywhere?) where someone might break in to steal something they can see, this is Big problem;

I wish D-C had offered the same platinum color paint I have on my 99 300M;

Blindspont, but it's Ok, too

I wish they had kept the "concept" grill and verticle headlights.

So, do I luv my X-Fire? For sure!!

BTW, saw my first dark gray Crossfire! It looks even better than my SSB! And the two-tone interior is the best.