I bought my car brand new in 2005 (a 2005 base coupe). Everywhere I went everyone asked me about it. It was a fresh new look that stood out in the crowd. I got thumbs up left and right. It was my daily driver for 4 years to work. I put 56K miles on it. The past year and a half has been slow. It has become a garage queen. I drive way too many miles so I only drive it on the weekends.... which is less often than I would like. I try to drive it at least twice a month but lately it has been more like once a month. Here is the story...

I took it out this weekend for a long drive. I probably put a couple hundred miles on it. What an amazing car! The most unappreciated vehicle by the public. If people only knew what it felt like to drive I would guess the car value would be much higher. What a fine machine Chrysler built! It is funny how you really learn to appreciate it more when you don't drive it everyday. You almost forget what it feels like to run through the gears.... how responsive the gas pedal is and how smooth it will go at 100+ MPH. The car rides like a dream! A little bouncy but that is the best part.

Will the public ever realize what a jewel this car is?

Just sharing my thoughts and excitement from this past weekend. I guess I get so caught up in life that I need to make a better effort to get it out of the garage. A car like this should not sit for so long. It is my fault! I need to spend more time enjoying the finer things in life.

 

You will find many here in agreement with your observations.

Here is my peculiar and tangental view on the subject.

I have owned many cars and amoung them , many Benzes. I cannot tell you the number of times I put a Benze aside for a sleek new model of a "domestic" car with plans to sell the Benz.

Yet each time I got in the clunky old Benz, I wondered why I wanted to sell it. They just have a "feel" about them that led to the common phrase, "own one and you will know."

Well, just under the skin, the Crossie is a Benz. There is no getting around it.

"own one and you will know."

roadster with a stick

 

To answer your question, probably not. But isn't that the best part?

I too drive another car during the week and don't get the Crossfire out except for special occasions or the rare weekend outing. I had an interesting conversation with my softball coach two weeks ago. He told me that my Crossfire was a "*****" car. I looked at him and said... have you ever riden in it? He said he doesn't have to to know it's a ***** car. Fast forward to yesterday, when I showed up in my 07 Miata. Coach asked me where the Crossfire was, I replied, in the garage at home. He then told me how much he like the Mazda over the Chrysler... I was flabbergasted. The SRT-6 is a ***** car, but the MX-5 isn't?
Sigh... Truck people

 

Too funny. I had a guy in training tell me Crossfires were a *** car. I just laughed.

Truck people.

 

As juvenile as it sounds.....Whatever.

 

I to have a Miata, 04 Mazadaspeed, as my daily driver and drive my XF on special weekends. Most of my co-workers think the Miata is the better car, but then they drive SUVs! The LA auto world is in a sorry state.

 

I honestly had a gas station cashier ask if the car was a Rolls Royce. As you can imagine, I totally blanked for a few seconds...then said it was a Crossfire and off I went. Strange people.

 

Its funny that after 5 years and being on here, you would make a statement like that knowing full well the car was assembled by Karmann in Germany and is something like 80-90% Mercedes. Hell, the chrylser logo has a benz star inprinted into the back

For what its worth, I enjoy mine everyday.

 

Mine is on a boat on the way here and I really can not wait to get behind the wheel of it again. Had it for 2 years now and it is still a highlight of my day to take it for a spin.

 

You know something.... I have owned my car 6 years. I bought it brand new and paid a heavy price for it at the time. I know what is under the skin.... I knew what it was even before I bought it 6 years ago. It is actually what attracted my attention to buying the car in the first place.

No need to analyze my every word and take it literally... you know the point I was trying to make

 

I've got to tell you I share your feelings exactly, styling made me stop and check the car out at the Chrysler dealer, but the test drive got me hook, line and sinker. when I bought mine I had every intention of keeping the miles low and enjoying it forever, well I realized real quick that enjoying it meant driving it and so I have, 78,000 miles later we are enjoying it as much as ever. My wife and I started out calling it our "vacation car" and we have taken it on several trips, but I got to tell you our Sunday drives seem like mini vacations, and they even get better when we can meet up with some of our "Crossfire friends".
We were out for the evening in it this past weekend and Peggy said "I am sure going to miss this car when it is gone" I said where do you think it is going? she said " Well it will wear out sometime"... but you know what I really don't see that happening at least if I have anything to say about it. sure it will have a lot more miles on it than I wanted but we will have enjoyed them all.
I have had a lot of cars over the years and a lot I wish I had back again, but you know what I was ready to get rid of them when I let them go, so far I can't see myself letting go of "Our little black car"

 

No need for your usual, 'let's talk down to the people who bought their cars second hand'. I have spent more in mods for my cars than most people have spent on their cars . And for the record, we bought a limited roadster brand new in 2005 and since it seems to matter to you, we paid a lot for it too

 

................................
No need for your usual, 'let's talk down to the people who modify their cars'. I have spent more on new cars than most people have spent modifying their cars . And for the record, I purchased a 2004 Crossfire brand new in 2005 and since it seems to matter to you, I have not modified it much at all.

 

Sometimes you just have to push the buttons, huh? Throw a little gas on the fire, eh?

Whatever it takes to help you sleep at night

 

Dave' just been cranky lately. I think, after all these years, he is finally getting old.


roadster with a stick

 

Just got back from the dump, aka the recycling depot and two middle aged employees came over and oohed over the car. They thought it was new, but I said it was a 2004 and I was scrapping it. They really liked it.

 

What's life without a little humor now and then?

 

Anyone that has been here less than 7 years is a NEWB. I talk down to all y'all. Well, except when I see you in person, then I tend to be fairly polite.

I loved when some old guy asked me what kind of Cadillac it was. I think he meant it in a nice way but the question left me speechless. How does this car remind someone of a big 4 door sedan wart hog?

 

Or even this.

2006 Cadillac XLRv Sports Car

 

Actually, I think we all are going to be driving an "Unknown" car for quite some time to come. Not that's there is anything wrong with that. I mean driving a car that still turns as many heads now as it did over 7 years ago is pretty cool. Talk about getting our money's worth in that "new car smell" department.
As good as these cars are, it's not really going to change the perception the "general" public has of them, simply because it never did anything significant in the automotive world to make them stand out, (besides looking like a Million Bucks)!
Driving an unknown car does have its perks. Trust me, I know, I've owned a car for over 40 years that is still virtually unknown to some automotive enthusiasts, even to this day.
Only in the last few years has it been receiving some long over due recognition, but it's not unusual to still hear people have misconceptions about it, and it wouldn't surprise me to see the very same thing happen to the Crossfire in the future.
So don't be upset 20 years from now when you're at a car show for "Dinosaurs" displaying your pride and joy, and some self proclaimed "expert" comes up to you and says. "Hey, nice Chrysler, I always loved that hood. Our next door neighbor had one of those when I was kid, and he would put the top down and me and his son would jump in the back seat and go for ice cream".