Thanks for all your replays. I should have joined long ago as it is much more fun to actually have a post. There are acouple of things I would like to add to my first post. The car is a lease return, my friend has a buy out of approx 12499 + taxes, fees, ect. It really needs tires, the fronts are so so and the backs are terrible. He figures that if he turns it it the dealer will try to put it on the lot for 14K or so ???? So the option is for him to buy the car at the buyout price and then I can get it from him and avoid paying more at the dealer. Make sense?
Another considereation and I am arguing with myself (wonder who wins that argument). is the practical side. While I am older,my wife and I have been blessed with a granddaughter, she's 6, beautiful and smart (apparently didn"t get much from me). She has been with us for 3years + and we are looking at having her for a long time. We didn't think we would be in this situtation but...I guess it's not uncommon.
So while I love the XF I am wondering if a 2 seater is what I really need to have. Maybe a four seater convertible? Don't mean to bring up other cars here, not sure what the protocal might be.
Thanks for you advice and time.

mike.e

 

Mike,
On your first point, if you like the car (yes it needs new tires, but you know the dealer probably wouldn't put new tires on it), the $12.5k price is a heck of a deal and I would snag it up quickly.

On your second point, I have two kids myself, but we still have a "family" vehicle that seats five. The Crossfire, for me anyways, is more of a "hobby" if you will. I never bought it with the intention of it being a family vehicle, but more for having a blast every time that I drive it.

 

$13k for a 2006 roadster sounds dang reasonable. I looked at a couple 2007s with ~30k miles for $16-17k a few weekends ago. Figure on $1000 for new rubber. Girls love convertibles. My 18 year old daughter has her eye on my roadster and already staked her claim for when I die. She'll just have to wait 20-30 more years, I hope.

 

Yeah, That sounds like a great deal! Just verify that the electrical system works.
And tires ain't cheap! The $1000 is for the 2 back tires to replace every 20-25K miles. The front tires, not as often and not as expensive.
Good luck and have fun!
Melanie

 

Check into the Hankooks that have been posted in a few sections. They are getting good reviews and run about $500 for the rears and $300 for the fronts in a larger than stock size. PS - I have 35k on the crummy oem Contis with decent tread still remaining.

 

The price isa steal. even if the tires were flat. Unless there are other issues with the car. You know the lessee so that is a plus if they took care of it.
You can get allfor generals for under $750. A decent tire. I have them.

As to the practical side there really is none. The Crossie is likely the most impractical car since the MG midget. Except that it is far more reliable. And faster. Much faster.

If this is to be your only car, I would not recommend it. The coupe might work until your grandaughter was a little older, say 10, because she could climb in the back. But the roadster can't even haul a decent supply of beer and pizzas.

2006 is a curious year. Actually, none were supposed to be sold in the US. But many ended up on storage lots stateside where they sat for about a year until Chrysler began dumping them on dealers in mid 2007

There are two issues of concern. The top will be a bit weathered from a year in the sun and parking lot lime dust. Dust which will have etched all the glass a bit.

But I have one and found it to be a joy and I'm glad I bought it.

If you can get past the "practical" test, go for it. Roasters rock!

roadster with a stick

 

I'm curious....You got the car, didn't you?

I've got a 2006 Roadster, and its an automatic w/the added feature of shifting gears, too - (sorry everybody.... ...I had to)- and its been a great car! No problems with it, not as fast as what I had before, but no complaints.

I get a whole grocery buggy of food bags into the trunk with the top up and more; and the with the top down I get 1-2 large bags of dog food, several 12-can boxes of sodas, and a groceris in it, too. That's more than most other sports cars can handle with the top up!

You should get the car and worry about driving your child around as time goes by. You'll have opportunity to have larger cars to transport the child later. How often do you have this chance for a Roadster?

(My dad had a '65 Spitfire for 10 yrs and my mother a stationwagon. He never got anything else until the Spitfire finally gave out in '76.)

Let me know what you decide!
melanie

 

Just for reference, I picked my '06 Roadster at the end of April this year, paid $13800 at a Denver dealer asking $16999 for it. It had 26,300 miles when I got it, just shy of turn ing 30,000 on it now... it's been fun to drive!!

 

Picked up my 2007 Roadster about the same time....have had a blast....
this evening it was almost perfect...little wind....about 78 degrees....low humidity and cruising down the asphalt through the flint hills of Kansas..could see about 25 miles in either direction...