I'm currently considering a Crossfire as a replacement for a 2000 Miata that I currently drive. I've been reading a lot of info here the past few days.

As I understand it, are only "5 star" Chrysler dealers permitted to sell new Crossfires? When I search Chrysler's website for dealers in my area that sell them, my only local dealer doesn't come up. I have, however, seen two Crossfires on my local dealer's lot. Neither of them have price stickers or any other info on the window. They may actually be used for all I know. Are the "5 star dealers" permitted to sell used Crossfires?

If a dealer isn't "5 star" are they still permitted to service the Crossfire for warranty or other repair issues? More importantly, are they required to honor warranty repairs on the Crossfire? The closest other dealer to me is over an hour. If I buy the car elsewhere, I just don't want the local dealer saying they won't do warranty or other work b/c they are not "5 star".

Thanks for any info. I may be making more out of this than I need to. I really like the styling and since prices have been coming down I'm really starting to seriously consider it.

 

....every dealer I came across here in Michigan was/is a five star dealer...'cause they ALL had Crossfires on hand.

Keep in mind that if you haven't signed up for a Crossfire yet, there are some great deals to be had. It's a buyer's market. One alternative that I had considered before purchasing my 2005 coupe was buying a slightly used one on e-Bay. 2004's are all over e-Bay for around 20G, and it costs $500 to ship a car across the country. Even factoring in a plane ticket to check out a prospect on the other side of the country, and hitting the "buy it now" option afterwards would put you well ahead of the game. I went with my 2005 new, because I had a trade to unload. Curiously, my trade was also a Mazda (2003 Protege5). But, a Miata is a much easier car to sell private party, especially if it has a bunch of aftermarket stuff on it. Oh yeah, and I paid $24,300 for my Base Coupe.

 

They don't have to be 5 Star Dealer to stock the Crossfire in my area. BTW, I traded out of a 2000 Miata for the Crossfire and don't regret it!

Pete

 

Thanks guys. So it sounds like any dealer may actually sell or service them. I guess it will be hit or miss from one service dept to the next as to whether they are any good just like any other chain of dealers.

PJA: So how would you compare the handling of the crossfire vs. the miata. I don't expect the crossfire to be quite as nimble and tossable as the miata.

I may watch the market on prices for a couple of months. Any word on when 2006's will hit lots? This will surely drive the 2005's lower. Also, my wife is considering trading in her 02' VW Passat wagon for a Pacifica. I would think a dealer might work with me on a simultaneous two car deal.

 

Miata vs crossfire handling?

Its like comparing a unicycle to a ten speed! a lot smoother and easier to drive fast.

 

The dealer doesn't have to be a 5 star dealer to sell Crossfires, but they do have to be Crossfire certified. It takes special tools and training to service Crossfires that the dealer probably won't have if they are not certified to sell them new. Any dealer, Chrysler or otherwise, can sell a used Crossfire.

 

Can you elaborate on the needed special tools/training? Should the dealer have some type of certificate indicating such? Thanks.

 

What I did was to talk to my dealer's service manager when I was having work done on my 300M. I asked him how many techs were trained on the Crossfire and what supply of parts and tools he had on hand. His answers were favorable. Being in CT, he can get most parts from the NJ parts depot in one day if ordered before noon. He informed me he has three techs trained on the Crossfire for drivetrain, electrical and body. One of them is his senior trouble-shooter for the dealership.

He said the common problems at that time with the Crossfire were hatch rattles which are fixed by an adjustment to the hatch stops, and door window closure issues which are fixed by an adjustment to the window. His prep techs now fully pre-adjust these on each car before the car leaves the dealership so that they do not have to come back.

I got this information before buying the Crossfire. I then asked about the Viper... He told me his team has nearly zero experience on the Viper as they only sell about 3 a year and the vipers pretty much never come back for service at the dealership. Why that is I do not know. Perhaps they are rarely if ever driven? Alot like most Vettes...

 

Art - where in Connecticut are you located? (and your dealer?)

I live in Bloomfield and work in Wethersfield...

 

The dealer is Stevens Chrysler-Dodge-Ford-Mercury in Milford.
I am in Stratford and work in Bristol (ESPN) or NYC (ABC).

Art

 

Interesting... My wife was just talking about a job at ESPN with an agency...

Maybe we should try and organize a CT Rally sometime...

 

I don't really know the specific tools required, but my salesman said that they spent $14K on the tools to become a Crossfire dealer. I don't know if that included the cost of training a tech. It also came from the salesman, so take it for what it's worth. I would think that a dealer should have some kind of paperwork or certificate showing that they have a tech who is certified to work on Crossfires. If they don't have any new ones on the lot, I'd be leery.

 

Thanks for the info. I think I'll try to contact Chrysler corporate to see what their stance on it is and whether they can give me a list of qualified/certified dealers for service work.

 

I have a friend who is a small town dealer near my town. He told me he would have to buy $9,000 worth of tools to be able to sell Crossfires. Sounds like he was wise in not doing that, since he probably wouldn't sell any anyways, because of where he is located. So needless to say, when I bought mine I couldn't get it from him but rather my local dealer.

 

To be honest with you, most of my cruising and car doings are with my Cobra replica. However, if there is a rally or get together, let me know. I know of two other Crossfires in my town. Both black coupes, also daily drivers like mine.

 

If I had a Cobra, replica or not, I'd be driving that too...

 

Hey Art, my son is with ESPN. Was in Bristol now in NYC with Cold Pizza.

 

Go to the inventory search on the Chrysler website. Click on the "Advanced Search" tab. There is an option for Crossfire under dealer services. I assume that will then only list dealers that sell Crossfires.

http://www-5.chrysler.com/vehsuite/S...u&adid=u&rid=u

 

Miata vs. Crossfire -

The Miata is lighter and feels much more nimble than the Crossfire does. The Miata also provides the driver with better steering feedback than the Crossfire does. In fact, from what I remember behind the wheel of a Miata, it communicates to you and responds to your desires in a manner that is most uncommon among inexpensive sports cars. That's why they are big fun to drive. And, aside from feel, the weight distribution and suspension design are spot-on... it's a formula that has worked extremely well not only on the road, but also at nearly every road racing course across this country. On the other hand, the Miata does not have near enough power, and it is commonly seen in the summer time.

The Crossfire, while a bit harder to see out of and less communicative with the driver, is far more composed in everyday driving. Its ride is creamy and hushed, and everything works with a velvety smoothness. There is not one economy car bone in its body, and it feels that way. On the road, the body stiffness is remarkable; the recirc ball steering gear is not. If your Miata is anything like my 2003 Protege, squeaks and rattles abound. It also lacks the kind of artistic attention to detail that you'll get in a Crossfire (and that pinched view of the road ahead makes driving the car big time fun). Add in a sweet sounding and powerful V6 that is light-years ahead of the Miata, and literally tons of grip from its huge tires, and it is easy to see that the Crossfire is gobs of fun in its own right.

I hate to look at it only as being better or worse than the Miata in certain respects, because I think if you got one, you would end up loving it for entirely different reasons than you loved your Mazda.

 

Well, I sent an email to DC corporate with these questions. They were no help at all. Unfortunately all they did was send me the following canned response: "Thank you for your recent email to DaimlerChrysler Motors. We suggest that you contact the Sales personnel at your local
DaimlerChrysler Dealership for assistance with this matter."

What do you think any sales guy is going to say if I ask him if they can properly service the car? Of course he's going to give a self serving answer. Looks like I've got no choice but to go ask a few questions at the dealer and hope they are honest with me.

Thanks for all the info you guys have provided. If I end up buying the Crossfire or have more questions, I 'll be back.