Also, there are 17,000 crossfires that will be coming to north america per year, not 10,000 as someone had suggested. I think people need to get their facts straight, before they post (no more PROMA's - Pulled Right Out Of My A** Lol)
Here is a quote from C&D.

Consider the genetics: sheetmetal conceived in Auburn Hills, Michigan; hardware conceived in Stuttgart, Germany; gestation and birth courtesy of limited-production specialist Karmann in Osnabrück, Germany. Limited in this case means 20,000 units per annum, some 17,000 of them destined for North America

 

The problem with the Crossfire = Chrysler
Ever seen the difference between bringing in your Infiniti for service vs. a Chrysler product?
Night and Day!!

Chrysler Products = Nightmares!!

 

Mightyjlr,

The first test of the G35C by R&T was a .91 skidpad so that's still on par with the Crossfire. Quite frankly I'm surprised to see it that high for the Crossfire. To put it bluntly it's a Chrysler in the end. I owned the greatest of all Chryslers, a 2002 Prowler. The car turns more heads than Pamela Anderson topless. It was the epitomy of what Chrysler could build. And it broke down time and time again. What makes it worse is the fact that Chrysler has the WORST customer service. Mercedes parts or not, you will be angry everytime you leave the dealership. They are really that bad. You also don't get a rental car. My car was in there shop for over 3 days and I didn't get jack! BTW the Crossfire does 0-60 in like 7.0 secs or something pathetic like that. The RX-8 is in 6.0 secs. I'm sorry, but buying a Chrysler is never an option again for me. I really did love that Prowler too.

 

Sexxay,
The majority of Chrysler dealers I have been to don't have great customer service. I did find one right near me, and they have really, really wonderful service. Better than Jaguar and Lexus to me personally, two companies I have a lot of experience with. It probably has something to do with them being very small, being 5 star, and only having 2 salesman. They don't sell any cars over MSRP, not even the Crossfire which is actually selling up to 10k over sticker, ridiculously enough. As for the rental car, they actually do offer a rental car now on the Crossfire and Pacifica. That is something brand new by Chrysler, just this past month. As for the 0-60 times, the Crossfire does it in 6.5 and the RX8 does it in 6.3. For the 1/4 mile they both do it in 13.8. One more interesting fact is that the Crossfire's body is stiffer than a 911 turbo.

As for reliability... good or bad, the Crossfire has the SLK's chassis, engine and tranny. It may be a little old, but it's going to be more reliable than a G35 first year production car. They've been making it for a good amount of time, and all the kinks are worked out of it. You're not going to see Crossfires on their 3rd tranny, like the G35. Obviously this is due to the G35 being a first year production car, and this is to be expected, but the argument of reliability doesn't hold up too well.

I realize that this is a G35 forum, but I wasn't expecting everyone to be so aggressive, to put it nicely. How many people here have driven the Crossfire and G35 back-to-back? I have, at a Chrysler Art of Driving Event. I drove them both on an autocross track. It was set up a little bit more for the Crossfire, as the track had a lot of turns, with no good straight-aways, so the lighter and better handling Crossfire felt nimbler. It is one of the reasons I decided on the Crossfire over the G35. Performance wasn't the only factor though... I don't need the back-seat, I have other cars for that. And I prefer the styling of the Crossfire.

The G35 is a great car. I love it. Personally, I think it is a better value than the Crossfire. Value isn't exactly what I was going for with this car, as it is my 3rd. I don't like how everyone here is making me feel like a troll, as I have been coming to and lurking on this forum for a few months now. I realize many of you may not like American cars, and I personally am not a big fan of them either. You can't sit here and deny that the Crossfire is a great car however...

http://www.crossfireforum.org

 

Then engine in the G35 is a little old in facts its roots date to 1993 with the first VQ's. It was the VQ3.0 then in 2001 if I am not mistaken the VQ3.5 was introduced in the Pathfinder and QX4 then in 2002 in the Max and Alti. So the G and the Z engine would most likely have better realiability. You may be right on the 0-60 of the Crossfire but most times I have seen are 7 flat.

 

JDMan,

Thanks for your long and details response. I went to see the Xfire yesterday, didn't test drive though. The car is better looked in photos than in person. The material is not that all luxury like I first thought. And the dealer wants $7000 more than MSRP...yikes. However, I think this would turn more heads than the G on the roads. Its styling somewhat interesting. I need to check out the RX-8 before making my decision.

 

I'm not trying to give you a biased opinion on the G35C. I'm giving you my opinion based on experience. Chrysler has some nice looking vehicles. But quality and CS ruin it for me and most people. When I bought my car they were very nice to me like they appear to be to you. Don't let it fool you. Once you're in the car they could care less about you and your car. You haven't bought the car yet so of course they are going to be nice to you. Trust me. That all changes after the purchase. But whatever, you're obviously convinced you should buy the Crossfire. So get it and quit wasting time. Personally I think the RX-8 and G35 dog the Crossfire. The Mazda 6 is a much nicer car. The Lancer Evolution will kill every one of these cars in performance. So ask yourself what you're looking for. There's plenty of good answers in this list that are honest and unbiased opinions. I don't need to drive the Crossfire to know I will never buy one. It looks nice, I'm sure it drives nice since it's a new car. Heck my Evo was great initially until about a month. Then the rough ride takes a pounding on your kidneys. Just think about it I'm sure you'll make the right decision for you.

 

Time to pick this all apart...
<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

The majority of Chrysler dealers I have been to don't have great customer service. I did find one right near me, and they have really, really wonderful service.

<hr></blockquote>
That's nice. I'm glad for you, but basically you're saying you're all set, and the rest of the world is SOL (Sh*t Outta Luck). Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the Crossfire, dude. Think about it.
<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

they actually do offer a rental car now on the Crossfire and Pacifica

<hr></blockquote>
Whooppee! You spend 35 plus grand on a vehicle, and NOW, you finally get what every other premium automaker has been offering for a decade - but you still get crappy service. Impressive.
<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

As for the 0-60 times, the Crossfire does it in 6.5 and the RX8 does it in 6.3

<hr></blockquote>
Equally impressive. The slowest 0-60 time officially recorded by a magazine for the G35 Coupe is 5.8 seconds (Motor Trend COTY writeup). So you're still looking at the back end of our beautiful G's, thankfully saving us the displeasure of gawking at that horrid AMC-reminiscent butt on the Crossfire.
<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

One more interesting fact is that the Crossfire's body is stiffer than a 911 turbo.

<hr></blockquote>
A stiff body doesn't do anything without a good suspension to back it up. Even if the entire suspension is Benz without a stitch of putrid Chrysler components (stick up for Chrysler suspensions and you've just PROVEN beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're completely clueless), I'll have a hard time believing that it'll out-handle the G35. Show me a side-by-side comparo of skidtest / slalom results, then maybe I'll listen - but even if it does handle a "touch" better, the G's considerably stronger engine will leave the Crossfire in the dust on virtually any track.
<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

You're not going to see Crossfires on their 3rd tranny, like the G35

<hr></blockquote>
Oh really? Beyond the fact that it's got CLK guts, the Crossfire is still a first year vehicle, straight from concept. Speaking of transmissions, which CLK did they pull the 6 speed manual from? Oops! Gee, that's right, Mercedes hasn't offered a manual transmission in over 20 years!! Don't be so all-fired positive that the manuals won't have their share of problems. Still, that's no problem, if you DO have a problem, you get Chrysler world-class customer service... but we have to put up with Infiniti's sub-par service (read that dripping in sarcasm, please). [img]/w3timages/icons/wink.gif[/img]
<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

The G35 is a great car. I love it. Personally, I think it is a better value than the Crossfire. Value isn't exactly what I was going for with this car, as it is my 3rd. I don't like how everyone here is making me feel like a troll, as I have been coming to and lurking on this forum for a few months now. I realize many of you may not like American cars, and I personally am not a big fan of them either. You can't sit here and deny that the Crossfire is a great car however...

<hr></blockquote>
A few points:
First, I'm not trying to make you look like a troll, but I do have to inject truth where I see either outright falsehoods, or a major bending of reality. Naturally you're going to get opinions biased towards the G35 here - we all own them! And since you prefer the Crossfire, naturally your opinion will lean that way, and you're entitled of course. But opinions still need to be grounded in reality to carry any weight - I'm just pointing out certain errors that don't jibe with reality, that's all.
As for value, you've said it all. I have nothing to add there.
American cars? Heck, most of my life I've been a devout "Buy American" kinda guy. But truth be told, there's virtually no such thing any more - and nothing put out by American car companies even comes close to offering what the G35 does in it's price range - and I mean the whole package - the power, the handling, the styling, along with 4 seats and a semi-usable trunk. If there was such a beast available, I would have surely considered it.
Is the Crossfire a great car? I'm not convinced, personally. For the same money - or less - you can get a Nissan 350Z if you're looking for a 2-seater, with more power and at least equal handling, and my personal taste (which is what looks / styling comes down to), says it's far more beautiful and exotic a piece of machinery than the Crossfire. If you want the back seat and larger trunk, you've got the G - again for the same money. And wherever you are, you get superior customer service when compared to Chrysler's industry-low rating.
Is the Crossfire a great car? Not from where I sit. Styling wise, I thought the Prowler was a far more beautiful, exotic, and appealing machine. I far prefer the look of both the G and Z comparatively. Performance-wise, the G and Z outstrip the Crossfire. No, I'm sorry, but I can't agree the Crossfire is a great car. It's a neat, rebodied Mercedes CLK with lousy customer service to go along for the ride. Hopefully that will change, I'm rooting for Chrysler to do well, simply because I DO like the style of a lot of their products, and because they're an American company (at least in part). But it doesn't compare favorably to the G35 or 350Z, IMHO.

Not a troll, not being nasty, that's just how I see it. Good luck with your Crossfire.

2003 G35 Coupe 6MT Leather
Premium, Aero
"There is no spoon"

 

The Crossfire is an interesting car, but I would never pay over MSRP. That's just money down the drain. I think they've priced it rather high to begin with, since it's not a luxury brand like the Infiniti and doesn't offer the same cachet except on the outside (if you like the looks).

Most of the numbers - size wise - are rather similiar to the Miata. Why then is it so much heavier and raised by 7 grand? Plus since I only want one car I can't give up the two back seats.

I think the average consumer who only can afford one car won't be well served by the Crossfire. If you're older with no kids and can't afford a Lexus SC430, don't like the Z or the RX8, and like unusual looking, small sporty cars, then go for it. I guess there's a demographic for it.

It may attract the same kind of person who likes the Lexus SC430 but can't afford the luxury and wants something sportier. Or it may attract people who are tired of the Miata and think it's just too small.

I just read an article in the LA Times that went over Chrysler/Daimler's problems, so bad that a regional President resigned. Mercedes has been hurting ever since the Lexus SC300 came out. 20% cheaper than the similar Merc model and Merc didn't think anyone would want the Lexus! Sheesh! And Chrysler is losing out on their usual sales of larger SUVs and crossovers to Infinit etc. The only reason they're limiting production is so they can help their dealers make money. They cut back the number of dealerships so they wouldn't keep undercutting each other on price and giving such poor customer service.

With all that in mind, the Crossfire is a step in the right direction - innovation, new design, new demographic. It's not my kind of car but I know others who really love it.

As for the RX8, I detest the angry guppy look and am really not interested in a high-revving car that has to be pushed to give what it's got.

What people who don't ultimately go for the G35 don't understand about those of us who do is that it fits our needs as if it's tailor made for us. It is so ultimately satisfying to all our senses, sight, sound, kinesthetically, not to mention our pocket books! And it satisfies our need for a little bit of luxury without sacrificing a beautiful exhaust note.

"Moderation in all things, including moderation."

 

Just thought I'd point out one more tidbit. C&D tested a 6.5 0-60 in the Crossfire. Well, C&D is well known for using ringers as are most magazine publishers. Crossfire's official website claims a 0-62mph of 7.3 secs. Do you see the difference here. Manufacturer's claim versus a publisher's testimonial. I'm willing to bet most user owned Crossfire's are running 7.0 0-60. Why would the Crossfire be faster than the SLK's with more weight?

 

Sexxay,
Thanks for your input. I, however, haven't made up my mind on what to get yet. But the decision at this point is toward the G not the Xfire. Betweeen the G and the Xfire, the G comes out on top at this point. I need to see the RX-8 to complete my research. All inputs are valuable to me Since you all seems to have more knowledge than I do when it comes to cars. Thanks

 

"The Crossfire is an interesting car, but I would never pay over MSRP. That's just money down the drain. I think they've priced it rather high to begin with, since it's not a luxury brand like the Infiniti and doesn't offer the same cachet except on the outside (if you like the looks). "

You hit the nail right on its head. 7-10K marked up seems a little stiff to me.

 

Conquie,
The Crossfire has SLK guts, not CLK. As for Mercedes not offering a manual transmission in 20 years... uhhmm I guess the manual transmission on the C-Class, and SLK don't count. If there ever is a problem with the transmission, you have a 7 year, 70,000 mile warranty...

Sexxay,
The only official numbers I have seen for the Crossfire 0-60 times from Chrysler are also 6.5 seconds. The Crossfire is also lighter than the SLK, not heavier.

http://www.crossfireforum.org

 

I find it hard to believe that a car with a 7sec 0-60 can run the 1/4 in 13.8. Where'd you get this fact?

Brian

 

crossfire is a pos, poo, american poo poo yuk yuk yuk yuk
says my little brother which i have to agree with