Just picked up a 6-speed '05 coupe at Carmax in GA. Drove it to NC and it drove beautifully. I have a couple of questions for you vets.

What the best way to use the cup holder? It seems too stiff for the paper cups.
Where is the sensor for the temperature readout? Is that readout generally accurate?
Is the luggage I've heard about still available?
How do you get that transmission in reverse???

Thanks

 

Conrats on getting your car!!!

Can't help you with the cup holder... too busy driving.

The temp sensor is somewhere in the lower front end. It seems to be pretty accurate but reads high because of the ground heat while the car is sitting. You'll notice it drop as soon as you start moving.

Yes the luggage comes with the 05's. Check the sticker that was on the window of your car... it should list the luggage as "touring gear".

As for reverse... move the shifter as if you are putting it into 2nd gear BUT lift up on it.

Enjoy your new XF.

 

Some say the best way to use it is to glue it closed. I use mine every day with no problems, 24oz hard plastic travel mug from 7-11. But I also don't have a manual.

I find it accurate within a degree or two of what I hear on the radio.

As said, if your window sticker said "Touring Gear", you should receive lugagge (probably 2-4 weeks).

Just move it to where it says "R". :twisted:

Enjoy your ride!

 

I would try to avoid the cup holder if you can. I had to source a brushed aluminium cup for myself. Have a piccy of it in my gallery.

Still have to drive carefully if it has liquid in it though.

Some members use it for a phone holder.

 

Sticks,

Did you ever find out what the difference is, if any, between inferno red and blaze red? Practically every car site out there says blaze red for '05 except Chrysler's site and a few dealers advertise inferno red. What does your sticker say?

 

:lol: sorry i couldn't resist

 

As a conversation piece or some other intellectual curiousity.... let your imagination run wild!!

 

I discovered there is a little trick to the luggage. You have to have a salesman smart enough to order it for you. It wouldn't hurt to check. Don't bother with the 800 number DC Customer Service gives you for luggage. They have never answered the phone or returned any messages I left in the past 6 weeks.

 

My sticker lists Inferno Red as a $150 option. We will have Blaze Red and Inferno Red sitting next to each other this weekend at the Mailbu Canyon Hook-up. I'll let you know how different they are when I have seen it with my own eyes.

 

Amazing, isn't it. Yes the Carmax sticker says "Blaze Red" but the Chrysler sticker says "Inferno Red" and they charge an additional $150. If you like the color, it's worth the price. I have a PT Crusier in that color and love it.

I haven't seen a Blaze red up close but the colors are different.

 

No Joke. My experience at Carmax was great price no service (in terms of explaining how things work). So I'm driving the car home from GA and pulled into a convenience store for a drink. When I tried to backup, forget it, nothing. Leg out the door and push. :?

Not a pretty picture. I had the book, but it wasn't convenient to reach. Later I learned (from the forum and my book) that we pull up and over with the shift lever. I always pushed down and over. Well, at least reverse isn't an optional feature. :lol:

 

azbobk,

your vin# is unusual in that there are 2004 coupes numbered to at least 25,xxx. somewhere in that range the 10th character in the vin switched from 4 to 5 (i.e. from 2004 to 2005 model year). what's the 10th character in your vin? i bet they pulled a group of cars off the assembly line to make the first 05 roadsters which could explain why the numbers aren't exactly sequential. or maybe they designated a range of vin#s for the roadster and it is built on an entirely different line. i believe the production of the new slk was moved to a different area of the karmann plant which likely freed up an assembly line.

 

As the only liquid aloud in my xfire is water, the standard botteled water bottle fits quite well in the cupholder and has no chance to leak with its a screw top.

 

The 10th number is a "5".

 

LOL Sticks.....I whish I could've seen you pushing the car back....I would have sat there until midnight reading the darned book if I couldn't have figured out how it works in the new car ;-) And no I am not making fun of you....honest. I have had that R trouble once or twice with rental cars.....which I drive a lot of...back in my native germany where it seems no two cars can be made to operate the same way :twisted:
Opel used to have a small "ring" you'd pull up to free the R gate, then they switched but left the "ring" on the ****. Only it didn't move anymore......I dang near ripped the shifter out of the car until i figured it out ;-)

 

Bought my XF on July 5th. The luggage arrived via FedEx on the 16th. Now, that's a dealer on top of its game.

 

Sunny9850 (Blaze Red Coupe) and I (Inferno Red Roadster) parked our cars next to each other several times during the Malibu Hook-Up on Saturday. After careful scrutiny in varying light conditions, we concluded the only difference is the 2005 Inferno Red is a $150 option. If there is a color difference it is too slight to detect with the naked eye.

 

I double checked to make sure I wasn't dislexic when I copied the vin# and it is correct. The birthdate is 02/2004 so I think, as you suspect, it would have been one of the first roadsters built. I don't know the 10th digit right off hand but it would be interesting to know how many were built and when. I think a little resarch would br fun.