started off looking at 350z/RX8's for a 2 door coop but have just realised these look far better value for money and they look great as well,hence my question.I also have a Chrysler dealer just down the road.
What are they like on petrol ( driven carefully )I know they are 3.2 V6 so its not going to be fantastic but are we talking RX8 type thirst?
Would prefer a manual to an automatic, are manual gearboxes/clutch a generic problem or as reliable as most modern cars?
Is the engine a Chrysler unit or a M-B derivative?
Have picked up some useful inf from the forum but would appreciate any /all inf on the above,thanks.

 

No question about it. Get a Crossfire and watch the heads turn. Its nearly all Merc anyway including the engine.


Good luck
Jon

 

The engine in the N/A XFire is pure Mercedes Benz as is most of the under carriage. Fuel mileage depends mostly on your stye of driving. Most members report anywhere from an average of 20 to 30 miles per gallon. Modern car ??? Ah...Yep !!! Most everything you would expect from a Mercedes/Chrysler hybrid !
BTW, you will find most any answer to any question regarding this lil beast we have all grown to Luv, make good use of the Search Function !
Welcome to our lil slice of the Internet !

 

Hi, and welcome. I started out looking for something else, like a Mustang GT, or maybe the new Challenger, when one day I came across a XF in a dealership, a 2008 for 23K. That was a heckuva discount, and then I started researching and what I found is that the Cross is the best kept secret out there. I was told it handled in snow like a pig on skates, and the dealer actually dissuaded me from buying the one on the floor! I did alot of research, and eventually found my 2006 Alabaster coupe with only 10K for 14,9. I love this car.

My gas mileage in city commutes has consistently been about 22. The looks I get, the fun I have driving this is far in excess in value of what I paid for it. It handles just fine in snow and slush with the proper tires, but you do have to plan a route to make sure you don't get stuck at a stop on a hill-just like any rear drive, or sports car would do on the ice. I am one of many who has sincere admiration for this car. And I don't think, for basically a two seater, you will find a better car for twice as much as you'll pay for a Cross. They're that good. Mark

 

As good as they look?

Actually better. I get 27 MPG high way and 22 city with my manual.

More grins per mile than any car I ever owned. From me and those on the curb.

Parking can be a problem as sometimes a crowd gathers and you have to ask them to leave.



roadster with a stick

 

Buy one much better looking than the Datsun or the Mazda.


Norrie.

 

thanks for all the advice,and from both sides of the pond which was a pleasant surprise.Prior to taking early retirement back in 2000 I was a frequent visitor to the States and seeing some of those place names brought back a lot of pleasant memories.
I think I am sold !
A couple of questions I have not seen any reference to
-does the xf have a proper spare wheel or is it one of these run flat abominations with an aerosol can to get you home;
-not that familiar with V6's so am wondering if there are cambelt /auxiliary
belt changes to worry about as on most 4 pot engines?
A lot of the engine consumables seem to be M-B 320SLK items which looks to be good from a cost perspective.

 

not this datsun

 

When you see our American friends quoting their gas mileage, don't forget that a US gallon is smaller than an Imperial gallon.

1 US gallon = 0.83267384 Imperial gallons

So, if my maths (or math if you are American!) is right, as an example...

27 miles per US gallon = 32.4256614 miles per Imperial gallon

Sure beats that Mazda RX-8!!!

 

thanks smithy. I had overlooked that ,32mpg from a v6 3.2 makes it even better.

 

The Crossfire dosen't have a spare wheel at all just a compressor and a can of puncture repair.
As for cam belts it has chains so no worry about changing them for a long time.
They can be expensive to service as it uses fully synthetic oil (8 Litres) it has 12 spark plugs 2 per cylinder and the fuel filters, air filters etc are also expensive.
However you only change the plugs once every five years along with the coolant and I think that the air and fuel filters get done every four years.
Tyres are also expensive but if you shop around you can get them cheap enough and they last fairly well.
As for MPG I get around 23 MPG and have had worse but if your doing motorway driving I would expect high 20's.
The thing is you can buy them so cheap now so the money you save will make up for running costs.
Nearly forgot I would buy an auto over a manual as the manual boxes aren't very good.

Just buy one I'm sure you wont regret it.


Norrie.

 

thanks norrie.
Shame about the spare wheel,I guess its the way of the things now ( and cheaper!)
Wasn't even considering an automatic but will keep an open mind on this.

 

I wouldn't have considered an auto either but I read so many things on here about the manual jumping out of first gear or difficult to engage reverse etc.
I also spoke to the Merc dealer who said he wouldn't have an auto on the forecourt as they are rubbish.
The thing is with most manufacturers the auto's are slower than the manual and have worse fuel consumption however with Crossfire the fuel consumption and performance are almost identical.
Plus it's a tiptronic.


Norrie.

 

I ended up with an auto and Im glad I did, its still drives like a sports car should and you can go tip-tronic if you wish. 0 to 60 is no different between the two. Manual boxes are a bit notchy but the car was about £1300 cheaper than auto when new. Fuel MPG for my auto is 27 which is what it says in the book for mixed driving, and I got 35 mpg on 350 mile run at 70mph on cruise control.

 

are all the auto's tiptronic ?

 

Yes it's standard equipment from the MBenz SLK320. This gives a choice of Auto in Sports or Winter mode, with the addded option to control gear changes manually (tiptronic) by moving the gearlever from side to side. It's sophisticated but bulletproof and guaranteed for life.

 

trying to figure out why some (apparently standard ) models have got a
go-faster wing on the boot lid.
Is this a steal/add on from the SRT version ?
P
ps hope this does not read like I am being provocative to people who have these wings on their cars-each to their own

 

All Xfires have a rear wing as standard - the SRT has a large fixed wing, and the others have an automatic wing which goes up at 60mph and drops down again at 40mph

 

I am not aware of jumping manual trannies but I was one that was considering an automatic although I love Manual trannies and am delighted that I did eventually go with the Manual Trannie.

The germans make great transmissions and so I am pretty happy with mine.

Not an issue in my opinion . I think that you will find even more issues with the Auto's out there. NOt to mention the one listed on the forum that just went into the shop for tranny issues.

 

THere are two ways to look at it. No wheel or a free pump with goop!