The one that Jezza got very wrong!?
I know this isn't Auto Trader or eBay, so you wouldn't expect to read a post about a car for sale but when an injustice has clearly been done then it needs a mention..Back in 2004 Chrysler launched a car into a market place that was dominated by two fantastic cars the Audi TT and the Porsche Boxster...others of note and great appeal included the Honda 2000, The Mercedes SLK and the evergreen Mazda MX5.
A tough market, no real room for another player, especially when it comes from America, with its wild, brash styling, big thirsty engine, cheap tacky interior and of course the enevitable cry of it won't be able to corner, the steering just won't give you the feedback, it will be void of feel, promoting a disconnection from the road, it won't compare with our European cars, America just can not build them like us! Yes, they are the normal lines quoted time and time again...And sadly, the Crossfire was no different, Yes, even TopGear and the gang, Jeremy, Richard and Captin Slow pitched it against the others, reviewed it and agreed with most of the above....however, for good measure they also added another criticism to the disbelief of many, the styling! Jeremy even went as far as suggesting its back end resembled and I quote "a dog doing its numbers two's" Wow! The Chrysler Crossfire was doomed to fail in terms of sales figures in Europe from that moment on! It lasted for just four, sweet, years 2004-2008. So were they right? was justice really done? Not on your Nelly, I don't think so, but you make your own mind up!
The Chrysler Crossfire, designed by the Americans, using a Mercedes 3.2 V6 power unit, built and assembled in Germany by Karmann. Welcome to the best value and the best looking of them all, it is like a fine wine it has matured well, it does not look its age, were many of its rivals have not stood the test of time well...park it next to them all now and gage the reaction in the car park, I have parked it next to Super Cars and come out to people taking pictures of the Crossfire and asking me "What is it?" That back end gets a lot of attention Mr Clarkson..."a dog doing its number two's" no Sir! This is a great car and a victim of a big injustice....its reliable, it's fast, it handles well, it is pretty decent on fuel especially for the size of the engine, its fun and it definitely turns heads, everywhere! The good news is many believe the Top Gear report therefore most write this off, but boy are they missing a trick here, This car represents fantastic value for money. If Top Gear was to line them up again today the verdict would be very different, hindsight is a wonderful thing. What do you think?
Repair Technician, Srixon Sports Europe Ltd
7 年Shame he wasn't impressed but to respond, I have personally owed the Audi and Porsche, also driven the others mentioned the handling is not the best of the bunch but it certainly does not wallow, as for woeful engine it beats the Audi 0-60 in 6.5 and on to 155Mph so again not really woeful. You are entitled to your opinion but let's also take a look at the facts not just hearsay. For the money it is hard to beat....I agree with the centre consol and glove box looking a little cheap but as for the rest of the interior it again compares favourably and let's remember it costs far less then the others....
Company Director
7 年A friend used to have one. The interior looked cheap. The car wallowed around corners, and the acceleration for a car with a half decent engine was woeful. It was like Chrysler had throttled (no pun intended) the engine so it wasn't as quick as the Merc. Not for me I'm afraid.