Howdy Folks,

I just got a 2006 base coupe w/ six-speed and just love it !

Most of the reviews I've read b*tch about the clutch ("flaccid") and the shifter ("notchy, rubbery, longish throw"). None of this really applies to my 2006. My shifter and clutch is just fine. No complaints here. I blew some 2-3d upshifts the first weekend but I just was not used to the wider gate of the six-speed. I grew up bashing detroit muscle cars w/Hurst four speeds. Good timing and brute force was the preferred method for that set-up. A modern six-speed requires a different approach but I've gotten the hang of it now.

Did they upgrade the shifter from the 2005 and earlier ?

I know DCX changed the exhaust; my car DOES NOT have a resonator.

Or maybe these car magazine guys are testing ragged-out press fleet cars which have been power-shifted to death ? Sometimes I get the feeling the car reviewers all just parrot each other's complaints...

Anybody else have a problem with the shifter/clutch because i'm totally cool with mine ?

 

I think the car reviewers who get picked to criticize the crossfire are the same guys who are used to review all the high dollar cars from europe. They've been spoiled with such toys made by porsche and ferrari, that the crossfire is just a turd to them.

But I have to agree with the clutch complaint, its always been a bit slippy and not enough grip. But that's the way the engineers designed it to be, only so it could be comfortably shifted as a daily driver and not a jerky street bruiser. Makes sense to me.

I hate car magazines and car reviewers, they never see the whole picture.

 

I suppose if your used to testing Quarter million dollar Italian exotics a Crossfire does seems pretty pedestrian. Me, I'm an old Detroit Iron Gearhead who grew up shifting truck-like shifters moving massive gears around inside the tranny. You used your whole arm and jammed 'er in like a major League pitcher burnin' in a fastball. This 'lil shifter moves with just my WRIST ACTION.

You really have to wonder about some of these car testers. Do they actually DRIVE the car or just read what everybody else says about it ? Honestly, they are sometimes so off base from my personal experience with any given car it's unreal.

Cheers,

Slim

 

Tomorrow will be one week since my '05 limited was delivered, and I have to admit that 1st gear is VERY sticky, especially when it's still cold. It seems that you can get it about half way into 1st and think your set, only to have the tranny drop out of gear when you let out on the clutch. I only had this problem on the 1st day, seem to be shifting smoother now. 1st to 2nd is a bit rough too, but 3rd and up are much smoother. I'm no car mag aficionado, my last 5 speed was a '87 Dodge daytona turbo when I was in college. That was a fun car too, but not even in the same ball park as the Crossfire.

I find myself starting in 2nd gear a lot when i'm just tooling around town...

 

Ok don't want to steal the thread, but does anyone know for sure if the exhaust has been changed in 2006?

 

Best way I can describe it, try driving a corvette, or even a f-body. The connection is 10 times better than the XF.

The XF reminds me of driving a golf.

 

sounds like you will need the dreaded 1st gear TSB update for the 1st gear synchros if it pops out of 1st while driving.

 

My 6 speed was so shitty on the 1st and 2nd gear shifts that chrysler is putting a new transmission in as we speak.

 

No problems here.

The shifter feels much better than any VW/Audi manual, that's for sure.

 

The throws are way too long. Still prefer it to an autotragic, though. It's true that the 6-speed could (and should) be a lot better. Screw the car mags, anyway. If it's not an M3 they call it garbage.

 

I have to agree about the clutch. I'm used to older detroit designs where you feel a lot more feedback thru linkages of steel or cable. The hydraulics just don't do that. The trans links are fine, better tha a Muncie, but again the feed back is softer.
Still, once I got used to it and the virtual throttle, my shifts have been getting crisp and there is no doubt, FUN!!!! The car is a joy to drive.

I spend a lot of time jamin' gears on my 95 Ram one ton. It has a five speeds with a Cummins and I get plenty of mechanical feedback there. If I really wanted it, I guess I would spend more time in the truck. I don't so there ya' go.



Real trucks have duallys, manual transmissions and say "Cummins" on the side! Everything else is just a Pee-cup.


roadster with a stick

 

Face it the shifter on the Crossfire is ****!

Edit( the shifter on my crossfire is ****)!

Mine has never jumped out of gear but the 1-2 shift is impossible until the car warms up a bit. From 3 up its ok, I wonder if it has something to do with the triple cone syncromesh on the first and second gears?

Mine has 63,000kms on it, some have said it will get better with age, we shall see.

Now that I've started I have to vent, WTF is with the dealers, they treat you like you drive a '95 rusted out dodge neon!!! I will never buy another product from this company just for this reason!!! You wonder why people buy Lexus............this is why...............I mean really, how about hello Mr. Smith how are you today.......but instead it what's up, did you buy the car here? Oh.......well will try to help you.......................YOU'LL TRY!

F&$KING DO MORE THAN THAT!!

I MADE MYSELF MAD NOW.

Well at least it looks good!

 

I don't have any issues with the gearbox in my 2005 Limited Roadster, even during several track day sessiions. And I'm coming from what is often considered one of the slickest gearboxes in the industry - a Mazda Miata. I used to blow the 2/3 upshift in that car all the time when pushing it really, really hard. I've never had that issue in the Crossfire. The 1/2 upshift in the Crossfire feels a little different than any other combination upshift, but it's not what I'd call bad. Ultimately it feels pretty darn positive, actually. I've also never had an issue getting into first when approaching a stop light, whether I wait until the car has come to a complete stop or not. Selecting reverse to exit my garage has never been an issue either.

My biggest beef is the drive by wire throttle - it just takes so damn long for the revs to come up unless you stop the thing on a downshift to rev match. I thought I'd gotten used to it after my last track experience but I guess I was just driving the car so hard then that it was actually less of an issue. Cruising Pacific Coast Highway it can be a bit of a nuisance. Again, coming out of a Miata where throttle response was immediate, this is the one quibble I have with the Crossfire. I keep waffling on purchasing a Sprint Booster, but at this time I'm leaning back toward getting one.

 

I have put about 1450 miles on my 2007 since I got it in late Feb. The shifter and clutch on mine are best described as being smooth as butter. And I come from a Miata which has one of the smoothest shifters around... I really don't know what the mag reviewers were drinking when they said the XF had a notchy or bad shifter feel.. For those that say they have issues with 1-2 shift, I have never experienced any issue, hot or cold. The shifts are smooth and all I have to do is just flick the shifter and it jumps right inot the gear I want it to.

 

I have driven over 15,000 miles in my '05 Ltd. 6spd. No problems with shifter at all. Shifts smooth and positive.

 

07 base. The shifter is certainly more spongey that what I'd like, but it's still much more positive than my Spirit's old cable shifter with polybushings. I've felt what might be considered "hard shifting" between 1st and 2nd, but my old car shifted like a dump truck, so hell if I noticed.

I wish the clutch was a tad stiffer and the traction was a bit better... but the car doesn't have near enough power to really justify it. It bogs on anything short of a *****-out launch.


The shift ball is really my only valid complaint. I can't get a grip on that thing for crap.