I restore Alfa's for a living. I say this only in that after reading some of the threads - especially 'Parts supply or lack thereof' - I gather it's not gotten any better.

Should I buy a Crossfire at some point, I'd like to get an idea as to the overall view as to whether the Crossfire experience is more positive than negative. Meaning, is the overall view that these cars 'Shall be kept running' or will in the not too distant future the orphans will die out?

I like Alfa's because they are unique and can be considered orphans - at least in the US. The newest Alfa in the US is 18 years old.

I don't mean to turn this into an Alfa discussion, just pointing out that I have some understanding of what it takes to both repair and find odd parts to keep a car going.

Should I buy a Crossfire - I assume it would be a Limited - I'd want to get a good one which for me would be a pretty decent 'investment'. I just don't want to have to walk away from it because there are some parts that have all been picked over at wrecking yards and the best you can do is buy another one for parts.

I've never owned an American car - and since the Crossfire was made in Germany, I suppose if I get one, that would still be true.

However I feel that these cars are incredibly handsome and have lots of presence.

 

For most of us, it was love at first sight for this red-headed stepchild.
For the $$$, you won't find a better looking, or performing car, and they sure attract attention.
Granted, they can be a bit persnickedy at times, with all the German engineering re-inventing an old platform, but all in all, I'd not consider any other car as a replacement.
Never had an Alfa, but did own a E type Jag once ( for a very short period ).

 

there is plenty of mechanical parts for these cars and stock (OEM) replacements...now there are 2 categories of parts people in the future will have problems finding, first body panels and missing interior parts...people who get in accidents and have to replace parts on the body will have problems finding parts cars available cause they will certainly dwindle over time...same goes for random missing interior parts...and most people who talk about a lack of parts are referring to aftermarket parts because there are only a handful of places that carry stuff to beef up and make our cars look better then OEM...

 

If you're thinking about buying one, then that means you have already been infected. No sense fighting it. The only cure is to go ahead and bite the bullit and find the color you like and enjoy it.
If you're worried about parts availability, get one of these.

MakerBot unveils its new 3D printer, the Replicator

 

As the car gets older the situation will get closer to your Alfa one, and then all it takes is money as I'm sure you know.

When Joe Blow down the street cannot afford a new fender for his Crossfire and has to sell the car it is time to buy it from him cheap. The dollar is king, always was and always will be. Mind you by then we may be using the Chinese currency but you get my point.

Tips for possible Crossfire buyers.

 

Resistance is futile.

 

Wow, I'm surprised by the number of quick replies from all of you that are mostly positive. I assume all cars today are uni-body construction in that you can no longer unbolt a fender. Of course doors, hoods, and trunk lids unbolt, but the rest are, for all intents and purposes, one part....or not? I'll just throw in that Alfa's have been built that way since 1955. So yes, I'm used to a dearth of body panel supplies.

How many were sold worldwide and just in the US? I'm purely guessing, but if it hasn't been done already, that eventually someone will have fiberglass or carbon fiber hoods made up for them by using a good, undamaged hood from which to pull a mold from. Wikipedia implies that Karmann went out of business in 2009. If so, not good timing for Crossfire owner's.

Not even being a card carrying Crossfire owner, but...might there be someone fairly high up in the Chrysler hierarchy whose baby this was? Of course, there's an entirely new head of the company (as well as Alfa). What I'm pie in the skying here is could at least some of the molds for the Crossfire be saved - unless they've all been melted down to make Toyota's?

I've yet to drive (is XF an okay shorthand?) but I'll try to do this soonish. All of the available Crossfires, at least on the Internet, are some distance away. The two nearest Chrysler dealers do Not get good reviews.

 

About 6.5 years ago, we had a well known Fiberglass Manufacturer interested in duplicating my all steel custom hood, all we needed were 10 orders. (We got eight). It would have been very simple for them to have started producing glass "stock" Crossfire hoods at that time.
A while later, another forum member built a run of custom Carbon fiber hoods, (I think about 25). They were finally all sold off.
As far as we know, nobody "High Up" in the Chrysler hierarchy gives a rats azz about anything that has to do with a Crossfire. So we figure we are all pretty much on our own.
I've had my 04 Crossfire for over 8 years, I purchased it brand new, and I have no desire to get rid of it anytime soon. Not even if I have to "HUNT" for parts to keep it running. But then I have another 2 seater sports Car (that I purchased brand new) that's been out of production for 43 years, with a uni-body, so locating parts is just 2nd. nature to me. (By the way, the 1941 Nash used uni-body construction too.

 

As I recall they sold around 60K of them here. Seems like another 20K in Europe. There might be a half dozen in Canada. Since the engine and drive train are mercedes there is no problem getting stock parts for it. The electricals are mostly Bosch. So we have no problem keeping them running. The problem is if you have an accident that bends metal, you can expect the insurance company to total your car.

They are an addiction. Great little cars and a lot of fun to drive. And for no additional cost you get this forum which can be worth exactly what you paid for it.

 

80K is a fairly good number, especially if there remains a good majority of owners who have and will remain enthusiastic over their XF's.

I pretty much figured that mechanical parts are pretty available. For those do-it-yourselfers do you get the parts from Chrysler or MB dealers?

Apparently there are two hood molds, so I'd imagine if there was enough demand that they could be dusted off and more hoods made. I'd guess that some of the carbon fiber ones - assuming the lay-ups were carefully done - went to owners who just liked the look of carbon fiber. Anyone remember the cost of the CF ones? And were they finished inside/underneath?

No one has commented on the driving experience itself. In my cursory look around the steering is criticized. I doubt much if it is drive-by-wire which is not to many people's liking. I do like rack and pinion. There seems to be a consensus that the XF is not a sports car, but a touring car. That sure works for me. The repairs on our freeways are almost as bad as not repairing them in the first place.

Being in SoCal I need to ask, how is the A/C both in working/cooling and reliability?

 

Neither...

I use oediscountparts.com

The dealers are fine for providing part numbers, but that can be found here with a brief search.

Driving experience is superb, if you're realistic with your expectations. No, it won't corner like a GT-R. But it rides better

For a grand-touring coupe, it's a superb handler. A few dozen of them were just at the Dragon, arguably one of the tightest/most dangerous mountain roads in the nation. The Crossfire is rigid, responsive, nimble, a bit numb on steering feel but not so numb as to be clueless. The steering weights up in a very linear fashion, easy to predict.

I've taken both my Limited and the SRT to the track. Again, it's not a pure sports car but it certainly doesn't embarrass itself. In fact, nearly everyone is pleasantly shocked at just how competent it is when driven hard.

The things that made you love Alfas will be the same things that make you fall in love with the Crossfire.

Quirky, polarizing, scarce to see on the roads, and a joy to drive.

 

Where did you get those numbers?
60,000 in the States and there might be 6 in Canada? I have had that many in my driveway with my one in the garage at a GTG at my house.
20,000 in Europe?
What about the rest of the world.
I know the US is the centre of the universe but give us a break here in the third world.

PS
I have decided to spell the correct way in all my posts. LOL

 

Both of these questions should no doubt be different threads...but anyway - I only vaguely remember perhaps one XF commercial and not for long. Why was there not at least a reasonable effort to market the XF? Sort of like having a kid and putting it in a room and saying, "You're on your own." Or did I miss a big advertising blitz for the XF?

While not a comparable car, and one might say that it sold itself, but BMW went all out in advertising for the 'new' Mini and still does.

What fuel injection does the XF have? No doubt Bosch but I'm wondering if it is reasonably sophisticated - though knowledge of FI is way over my head. Running down the list of frequent problems I don't recall FI as being one of them.

I'd still like to know about the A/C situation.

 

When I purchased my first XF back in 2004 the dealer told me they were having trouble selling them because of the price tag. It was simply a question of why pay $39,000.00 for a Chrysler made by Mercedes (actually Karmann) when for a few dollars more you could buy the actual MB is was built on. In my mind the MB didn't have the style that the XF has and I was sold!

The A/C in my Limited is sometimes too cold even at the lowest setting. My SRT6, well not so much but I've only had the chance to use it twice.

 

My choice would be the SRT6 but with the electric rear spoiler. However, they are more expensive and I'd hate to have to replace the supercharger - but I've always wanted a supercharged car.

Is it a lot quicker? I would assume so. I bought an '05 sales brochure on eBay and the comment is that 0 to 60 is 'about' five seconds. That Would be fun. No estimate is given for the other models.

Originally how much more expensive was the SRT6 than the Limited?

 

a few months back I had a post on, cross fires that have not had a problem, there was about 60 to 70 post on it and then it disappeared. it's almost like there are just as many cars out there that have had zero problems as there are cars that have had problem's so if you get one of the ones that don't have a problem you don't need any parts jim

 

I stand corrected. There are apparently 7 XFs in Canada. I remember 1 in South Korea. There are rather large contingents in Australia and the UK. There are also a couple in Asia and in Africa.

You won't go far wrong if you think of this car as an 03 SLK with body by Detroit. The car was born back when Mercedes owned Chrysler. When Mercedes decided to move on there was really no one that wanted to claim it. Except us. Many of us found it by accident. I never saw an ad in print or on the tube. The dealer did not even have any brochures when I bought. Chrysler dealers, for the most part, know next to nothing about it. Mercedes dealers, for the most part, will not touch it. Many use a good independent that deals with German cars.

It has good air conditioning. Lots of owners from the southern states. No complaints.

It is a better track car than I am a driver. I have hit triple digits on the back straight at Road America. Had fun with it on the Dragon a couple times. I think of it as a nice road car that is fairly competent in the twisties.

 

Agree with every word.

 

I've owned both versions... the difference is night & day.

The limited hits 60 in about 6.5 seconds... 1/4-mile in ~15 unless the track is downhill, you launch at 4,000 rpm, and bang the gears. Personally I think it's a sin to buy the Limited with anything but the manual transmission... it's the one thing that makes the car even more engaging. Best combo (IMO) would be a roadster with a stick. You forget about the car's sluggishness because you can hear the exhaust, feel the wind, and row the gears at will. It may not be faster, but it will feel faster and put a huge grin on your face. Franc had it right all along

The SRT is a beast. 0-60 in 4.8 (5.0 if left in "D") and the 1/4 mile passes by in ~13 seconds, stock. I have three mods and I'm at 12.3... yes, they're that quick.

While it's more powerful, it's less engaging as far as I'm concerned. It's about 150-200 pounds heavier, no manual trans option, and the suspension is harsher. It's a bullet, and very rare. It's the only version of the Crossfire that gets universal "respect" in the racing community (such as it is... you're still driving a stepchild).

Despite the SRT being faster, the Limited with manual trans simply has a... purity... that the SRT lacks.

Maintenance is a toss-up, SRT being slightly more expensive. The biggest difference I've realized in maintenance happens to be a direct product of me driving the car harder. More can go wrong with the SRT, but it's still one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned. Both cars fall victim to the same sensors failing. 90% of the time those fixes are cheap and easy.

Mileage is significantly better in the Limited, if that matters (it shouldn't). You will go through rear tires faster with the SRT. Creature comforts inside the car are virtually identical. The Limited has prettier interiors to pick from, if you like colors other than "gray". Braking may as well be identical between the two... The SRT has bigger brakes, but more weight to haul down.

So if you want to experience the "joy of the drive" get the Limited. When you're doing the speed limit, and rowing the gears through the back-roads, it's simply the better car. I never got bored driving mine.

If you want to buy a car for <$20,000 that will run 12's with the consistency of the German rail system, and surprise unsuspecting Mustangs, you want the SRT. That never gets boring either.

 

If you'd already driven one, we wouldn't be reading this thread. I haven't owned my SRT6 a full month yet. I'd buy it again. And again. And again.