Seattle Used 2006 Chrysler Crossfire Limited Tacoma

Don't think I can post a link, but the car I am looking at is:
2006 LTD Coupe. 55k miles manual 6 speed. Dark red exterior, two tone gray leather interior. Car is in great condition, 1 owner, purchased initially in late summer 2007. (if you are interested or feeling super helpful, car can be found on Larson Automotive Cadillac Saab Fife (Tacoma), WA. IT IS THE ONLY X-fire in their used inventory.

They say retail value is 15,995, they are asking 13,998. Based on NADA and kbb, these numbers seem too high- I will get them to come down as much as I can. Going to dealer 9:30 am. Already test drove car today and loved it.

1) any common problems to look for (or expect in the future?

2) I noticed condensation inside rear window... Normal? If not what are potential causes and are they serious?

3) any thoughts what price I should shoot for.

I would truly appreciate any thoughts or advice. I currently own a 2003 Nissan Murano I bought off the showroom floor 8.5 years ago. It has every available factory add-on plus some aftermarket 20" wheels. The Murano forum I belong to has always been a great source of advice and information; I can only hope Crossfire owners are as eager to help newbies as we all have been with the MO (Murano).

My son is finally graduating HS and moving out, so back toa two seater - finally!

Before the MO I had a 1998 Sebring (owned 1999-2003), a 1993 Jeep Cherokee LTD (1993-1999), and before that of course my beloved Nissan Z.

X-fire seems like a better value for the $ and I think it looks way better & drives better I have also looked at the Mercedes CLK & SLK.

thanks I'm advance!

 

Sorry for the double post- I am trying to figure out delete?

Also, I do see the sticky topics for new potential owners and am reviewing them. I already know I love the x - fire, but was mostly looking for specific feedback on this car from those that know. From my experience with the MO I know each model year and trim package can have it's little quirks that make it just slightly different than the others.

Again - thanks for any advice or comments.

 

I was in your same boat right around New Years time. My problem was the car was also in Seattle, but I live in Boise. Needless to say I went up there and picked it up and haven't regretted it one bit. Mine is an '05 limited roadster with a stick. There are basically only 3 trim levels on these cars, and the only one that is majorly different is the SRT-6. I find the amenities on my limited are quite nice without being overbearing.
There seems to be a few prevalent problems with these cars, but nothing really major at all. The biggest things I seem to note on the forum (and only slightly notice on my car) are things like first gear on the transmission can sometimes be hard to get to go in to gear. The only time I notice it with mine is when its cold (25*~40*ish) and goes away when warmed up. The coupes don't have the common roadster rear window failure (mine either, fingers crossed on that one) so that is one of the problems you will never have to deal with. The Relay board tends to have a weak solder point that can cause you a no-start issue. 15 minutes and I had mine repaired thanks to a thread started by tighed(sp?). The only other real major issue that is reported a lot is tire noise. It seems like it all really depends on what tires are on it and how much tread is on them. I have Toyo Proxess 4's on my car (don't like them but its what it came with) and I don't seem to get any more tire noise than my wife's Pacifica. Surprisingly I don't get much wind noise from the convertible top either.
As far as pricing, their asking price is a bit high in my opinion. I paid $14K OTD for mine with only 67K miles. Mine DID however have a small accident which was repaired by the dealer I bought it from so that was reflected in the pricing somewhat. I drove it home to Boise the next day, got 35MPG out of it, and had a blast pretty much the whole way home.
Basically it comes down to how much do you like the car and how much are you willing to pay for it to have it. They are very fun, super reliable and not commonly seen on the roads.
Good luck and welcome to the forum!

 

Here is a list of the common problems and fixes : https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...tml#post585345

Good luck.

 

First of all, welcome to the XF forum. There are incredibly great people here and an archive of information that is priceless for any Crossfire owner.

Without seeing the car up close, I believe you could talk them down to 12K. For a car that is a Mercedes wrapped in a Chrysler skin.

Here are some points you can make with the dealer to get some leverage. Note that these items are not a huge concern but I am presenting them as you might to them:

The largest pieces of leverage you have is to prove that the car isn't scarce and in high demand. And, that this particular car has problems or reasons why it should be less.

1. The XF is a discontinued car that was the love child of two companies that don't care about it. Parts can be hard to find as well as dealer service. Mercedes parts and labor can be expensive.

2. Look under the hood. The odds are very high that a little oil is seeping from around the valve cover gaskets or more likely the breathers on the covers. This is normal for this Mercedes engine but many of us resealed them if the leakage went beyond seepage. The dealer doesn't know this. When you pop the hood, swipe your finger and show them the oil leaking out of the engine "seams". It knocks them off balance. It is very easy to fix so don't ask them to fix it because then a mechanic gets involved ;-). Tell them you can deal with it yourself but it will consume a weekend which is worth something to you.

3. Look at the Carfax and see how long it has been on the lot. Anything over 45 days and the dealer starts to worry about inventory "carry". If it is over 60 or even 90 days they are defenseless about being told that the car isn't special or priced correctly.

4. Refer to the other XFs within 50-100 miles that you are aware of that are priced as good or better. They are close enough to make them feel threatened. Ebay doesn't scare dealers.

5. These have depreciated a great deal, tell them that. The bottom is unclear (it may have passed, hard to say)

Finally, there are a ton of options to find one and if they can't make you feel great about the buy there are many others.

Question: Does the car "move" you? Does it make your heart stir when you think about how fun it would be? If so then you won't need a poll to tell you....it will make sense.


R

 

here's another one to consider ("Low mileage" but unknown) :
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...5-000-obo.html

 

I might be biased but this is a much better deal.
Of course you will have a nice long trip home with it, as it's in Canada.
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...-km-black.html OK I'll admit this is my car.

If there is humidity inside there may be a nasty problem and I would want to know where it is coming from. A rear leak could damage the air pump/ security module and they are not cheap. Nice looking car though, mileage a bit high at that price I think. But I'm might be biased.

 

I can vouch for this car and owner. I've seen it many times and it's a real beauty with only 23,000 miles too.

 

Thanks a bunch Rockster. At the dealer now taking a look. It does make my heart stir, my biggest concern is just going from an SUV to this as a daily driver.

I'll update later.

Amber

 

One more quick tip- have them include an oil change. First, you will be able to make sure it has Mobil 1 and second, they will throw it in as a trivial add in that is really worth $100 or so since synthetic is more expensive. Just make sure you see them pour it ;-)

R

 

Rockster- yes, I had that oil change idea too once I read about the expensive oil changes. Spent a couple hours at the dealer checking all the obvious. Had the mechanic - had him pull off the door seals to check got rust- not a spot! Also had him pit ut on the lift so I could walk under and look at it as well.

I offered 12,500 & 5 years oil changes. They came back with 13,300, no oil changes, 6 month powertrain warranty and all weather mats for the floor and cargo area.

I told them that was a "think about it price" and to call me in a couple weeks (car listed by dealer 12/29, so 45 day mark might bring a change of heart. Only 4 Crossfires within 100 miles so I played it cool & told them I wasn't set on the x-fire. I told them that just because there were not a lot of them available it didn't mean it was in demand - as noted by the fact that they have had so little activity they dropped the price

If it's meant to be, I'll hear from them soon. 

Thanks for the tips & I will keep you updated!

 

onehundred and Sparkle...

I'm sure it is a beautiful car, but I don't have the flexibility or time to drive more than 50 -100 miles or so. (I am also kind of partial to the red LTD and prefer not to go for the first model year if any car. I know, I know... my MO 2003 is a first model year but she is an exception and I purchased her new with 120k warranty.

Luckily I am not in a hurry, so I'm sure the perfect one will show up in the Seattle-Tacoma area for me.

The hunt continues!

 

When they throw back a counter offer it means they weren't completely disgusted with your offer. I bet if you let them stew on it for a little bit they will come down further, maybe not quite to your offer but I would be willing to bet $13K should be pretty easy for them to hit. Then its just a matter of if the price is right for you.
By the way, just so you are aware, these cars have a recommended 7500 mile oil change schedule (the car will adjust its flexible service monitor so you may even get more miles between services). For me that will probably be 2 years worth of driving, so the expensive oil change once in a blue moon doesn't bother me one way or the other. Just some more knowledge to pass on to you.

 

If you really want one there are plenty in the Northwest, that are lower miles for the same amount. Might havt transport it to a dealer or home, but Living in Boise, only cost and extra 350 dollars. Git a Roadster in Casper WY 2008 last year with only 4800 miles for 18000 (tax and lisc) included. The new car smell was worth it.

KJ

 

Yes, I think I'll be hearing from them soon! Thanks for the oil change interval info- I had read elsewhere on the forum that the intervals were longer so it is nice to know it is 7,500. I agree, a $100 change once or twice a year is not a big deal. However, might as well have the dealership throw them on if they're willing!

 

hey I live in King county on the eastside. I have a 2004 6 speed manual crossfire sitting in my garage covered with 9042 miles on it with the grey and orange seats and grey paint job. Ive been thinking about maybe selling it how much would you offer me? i can post photos if you like.

 

I live in Jersey and just bought a 2005 base model manual with 48,200 miles in perfect condition from a private seller for $7,600. Car was inspected by my autoshop and no problems at all. Deal of the century I think

 

Hmmm I would definitely love to see some pix. I had been going the dealer route since I have a vehicle to sell, but I am open to all options.

I bet that is a good looking car! I love the orange trimmed seats I've seen.

You could e-mail me the pics or post here.

As far as pricing... I can see the blue book values, but with this low mileage I would really need to take a look as I imagine you would be asking a little more than that.

Amberstream@msn.com.

Thanks,
Amber

 

I have a 2005 Limited 6 speed with 35K for sale on Ebay, if you are interested but its in jersey so you'll have to factor about 1K in shipping and
some body work to make it perfect, still wont be near 13K.

Chrysler : Crossfire Chrysler : Crossfire | eBay

that 14K price on the 06 is just silly, you can do way better.

 

Regarding dents when looking at the Crossfire: my unfortunate experience is that this car is easier to dent than others I have owned (20+) for what that is worth.