Test drive: 2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT6 - AMG 3.2 SC

[Jesda]

I went down to Tampa for a minivacation. Did the usual eating, driving, drinking, and more eating. Helped a friend move.

Anyway, while I was there, I took his little Crossfire for a spin.

27,000 low miles and a spotless body. The cheap plastic on the center console is covered in nicks and scratches, however.

The Infinity-branded head unit looks like a K-Mart special, but it sounds pleasant and works with RDS. Unlike most Bose car audio systems, the presentation is subtle. Bass is there, but not booming, and treble is present but not screeching. Unfortunately, there's no available auxiliary input, so all you have are single CDs and AM/FM. Seems lacking for a $45k premium sports car. It would be difficult to find an aftermarket head unit that matches the rest of the bright center console.

Visibility from any direction but the front is terrible. You can't see other cars, and other cars can't really see you.

The dashboard material is some kind of awful. It feels like the sole of a cheap pair of beach sandals.

The door panels, conversely, feel nice but look cheap. The door pull and handles are REAL metal, not painted plastic, and the section surrounding the upper handle is real padded leather. The design is plain, but it works.

You could call the styling cartoonish, and you would be right. Its also childishly satisfying, like a bright yellow Hummer. I favor the looks.

The 3.2 AMG badge is optional. Ebay-optional.

19" wheels all around.

Room for only one dead hooker, but even a chubby one would fit. There's a factory subwoofer back there too.

Its 20F in St Louis and 69F in Tampa, so it seemed prudent to enjoy the bay view and guzzle down a half dozen fresh oysters at Landry's.

The seats aren't typical sports car firm. Chrysler probably anticipated selling these cars to older drivers. Ingress and egress are actually quite easy, and seats are wide and supportive. I can't tell if I'd enjoy them over a long distance, but I felt no discomfort.

So, let's talk about raw impressions.

THIS CAR SCARES THE CRAP OUT OF ME. I'm still a bit jittery after the last little car accident I had, and my distrust of other drivers is at an all-time high. In the Crossfire, you can't see back, can't see to the side, and worst of all no one can see YOU. It might be below the mirrors of vans and SUVs.

Driving through Tampa during rush hour, among the transplanted guido retards who ran south from New Jersey to escape the winter, is a hair-raising experience. People always joke about the elderly population in Florida, but I hardly notice them. Its the folks from up north who muck up the works.

Fears aside, the ride quality is shockingly decent, for what I expected. With 45-inch wheels spanning a two-inch wheelbase, I was worried about having to see the chiropractor, but I was wrong. Except for major potholes, blemishes, and expansion joints, the ride was fairly smooth. It was never supple, but it wasn't jittery either. Mercedes-Benz left the big bumps in while smoothing out the tiny ones.

That brings me to another issue, the Mercedes influence. This is, for all intents and purposes, an SLK 3.2 AMG. The interior, except for the silver plastic, is directly out of the SLK. The switches are from the SLK. The turn stalks are from the SLK. The engine and transmission are too. The difference is that it was assembled by a coachbuilder in Germany (Karmann) who attached a Chrysler-designed hatchback shell.

The Mercedes influence unfortunately introduces some flaws. The vacuum locks are faulty, there was a water leak that has been resolved, the trunk doesn't lock, and the cruise control stalk is right next to the turn stalk. This means that half the time, when attempting to use the signal, you end up hitting ACCEL. Speeding up when trying to slow down and turn is unnerving. People on the Crossfire forum have reported rust in the doors due to a flawed door seal design that retains water.

The SRT6 doesn't have the handling slop that Top Gear complained about with the base Crossfire. Cornering is firm, if somewhat daft.

Just because the SRT6 manages to avoid body roll doesn't mean it handles very well. It really, honestly does not. The Mazda Miata, which has an MSRP of just over $20k, puts you in the dead center of gravity. Balance from bumper to bumper means that you, the driver, are the pivot around which the Miata rotates.

It's a satisfying feeling, one that you will never experience in a Crossfire. Without Mazda's thorough engineering, it has to achieve the result with brute force: big, fat, wide tires. And indeed, there's enough grip to wrap its hands around the earth and squeeze all the juice out, but none of it feels natural, delicate, or interesting. Typical AMG brute over brains.

I do like the car, however. I might even love it. There's charm in its child-like stupidity. Everything from the gimmicky body to the supercharged 330hp engine say "LETS ROB A BANK AND GO TO A TITTY BAR!"

When I stomped on the throttle, the supercharger whined aggressively, the exhaust roared like an angry midget, and I chuckled like I was six years old, playing tag outside with my best pals.

I can definitely imagine myself owning this car. It would give me an excuse to buy a 454 SS:That's 7.4 liters of pure joy.

Powertrain: 5/5 The transmission behaves oddly, but not enough to interrupt the fun. Apparently this is by design. 0-60 in under 5 seconds.

Audio/Electronics: 4/5 The Infinity audio is pleasant. Not perfect, but pleasant. There aren't really any other luxuries to mention. Stuff works.

Steering/Suspension/Handling: 3/5 Rides hard without being terribly uncomfortable. Steers quickly enough but lacks feedback. Handling? Imagine a big fat guy roped to a pole, spinning in circles like a tetherball. How's that for an analogy?

Overall: 4/5 It was terribly overpriced when new, but poor resale makes it a tremendous bargain. A low-mileage SRT6 and a low-mileage Miata might be nearly the same price... something to seriously consider.
Modified by Jesda at 8:58 AM 11/23/2008

[IanS]

Great review.

Ive never dealt with the SRT6, buy the crossfires Ive been around scared me in more ways than one.

The visibility is awful, which seems to be a rolling theme with chrysler, every one of their cars I get into, I feel like Im half blind.

The interior felt very cheap to me, like the buttons might break if I pushed them, and the air vents might crumble if I twisted too much.

The way I see it, its an old mans wannabe sports car. As cheap as it may be, I personally cannot see the cost of ownership out weighing the cheap initial price tag.

Thats not even getting into the mechanical reliability. Chrysler products are dismal at best, not to mention working on them is a lesson in patience. Lastly, Chrysler's financial situation is the last nail in the coffin for me. I personally wont go anywhere near any of their products, even if it is a Mercedes/Chrysler bastard child.

My 2 cents.

[boro drift]

Thats not even getting into the mechanical reliability. Chrysler products are dismal at best, not to mention working on them is a lesson in patience. Lastly, Chrysler's financial situation is the last nail in the coffin for me. I personally wont go anywhere near any of their products, even if it is a Mercedes/Chrysler bastard child.

My 2 cents.

I agree, but, I want a Challenger SRT8 so bad I can taste it!

[IanS]

I agree, but, I want a Challenger SRT8 so bad I can taste it!

I would take a new Camaro any day of the week. Even the RS is likely to be badass.

[Jesda]

Thats not even getting into the mechanical reliability. Chrysler products are dismal at best, not to mention working on them is a lesson in patience. Lastly, Chrysler's financial situation is the last nail in the coffin for me. I personally wont go anywhere near any of their products, even if it is a Mercedes/Chrysler bastard child.

My 2 cents.

The entire problem is that it -is- a Mercedes-Benz, with MB's questionable quality. If it was mechanically and electrically a Chrysler, it would still be suspect but less expensive to repair.

[xekushnr]

Great review.

Ive never dealt with the SRT6, buy the crossfires Ive been around scared me in more ways than one.

The visibility is awful, which seems to be a rolling theme with chrysler, every one of their cars I get into, I feel like Im half blind.

I think we may be slightly biased because the cars that we drive are all glass minus the A, B, and C pillars. The visibility IS, however, extremely poor out of the Crossfire. My buddy used to drive one.

[IanS]

The entire problem is that it -is- a Mercedes-Benz, with MB's questionable quality. If it was mechanically and electrically a Chrysler, it would still be suspect but less expensive to repair.

Exactly

[gwoods]

Great review,

only one questions, what color dress did you have to wear to drive that chick car?

Seriously comparing the crossfire to a miata is a fair comparisson althought the crossfire was designed for a businessmans wife to use for botique shopping (when not in the kitchen) and the miata was designed for his daughter to drive to HS.

Bring it Charlie-O

[Urabus GodofTraction]

Great review,

only one questions, what color dress did you have to wear to drive that chick car?

Seriously comparing the crossfire to a miata is a fair comparisson althought the crossfire was designed for a businessmans wife to use for botique shopping (when not in the kitchen) and the miata was designed for his daughter to drive to HS.

Bring it Charlie-O

You saying I'm coming after you for dissing on a Miata?

I'm not. Why should I, if you don't "get" Miati you've got to be a tall, fat, quadriplegic asian woman. Ain't nothing I can do about that, and I feel sorry for you.

[MinisterofDOOM]

What on earth is the deal with that glovebox latch?! LOOK! I'M A GLOVEBOX LATCH! NOTICE ME!

[Beancooker]

Jesda, you really should apply as a test consultant for Road and Track or Car and Driver.

AWESOME review.

[Jesda]

What on earth is the deal with that glovebox latch?! LOOK! I'M A GLOVEBOX LATCH! NOTICE ME!

I think its trying to say hello.

[nsrZ32]

You mean you didn't bring it home? I'm shocked Jesda.

[NSR_s30]

I didn't think you'd have much room in a crossfire. I didn't . Cool write up man.