Used Chrysler Crossfire Cars For Sale

A history lesson…

Jeremy Clarkson once said the coupe version of the Chrysler Crossfire looked like a dog doing its business. That kind of set the tone for Chrysler’s attempt at a sports car, and it wasn’t until the convertible came a couple years later that Chrysler managed to get some of the Crossfire’s reputation back.

So, what is the Crossfire? Well, it’s a sports car that is based on Mercedes’ old SLK chassis. Sounds good, right? Well, yes and no. In many ways, the Crossfire works. It’s an attractive motor with a half decent platform underneath it. But then again, it’s American, and it’s about as well-engineered as a horse and cart. 

If you love the looks, then you probably won’t mind that it’s not as technologically advanced as its rivals, but if what you want is capability and sure-footedness, then the Crossfire just won’t cut the mustard.

Bang for your buck

When the Crossfire hit the UK, it was a good £4/5k cheaper than its rivals, the Nissan 350Z and the Porsche Boxster. Whichever way you put it, that is a hell of a lot of money. So it was, as a result of its pricing, looked upon as a budget, cheap option for sports car motoring. It was the Asda Smart-Price sports car; the ‘own-brand’ range. 

So if a 350Z was just too expensive or a Porsche Boxster was just too snobby, the cheap Crossfire fitted the bill perfectly. You get climate control, traction control, air-conditioning, a 3.0-litre V6 and leather. Really, it’s just a simple sports car for nice summer days.

What you’ll pay

Prices for second-hand Crossfires are very low, which should make everyone’s wallet feel happy. You can pick up decent 2004’s for around £5,000, which, for the amount of car you get, is very attractive indeed.

What to check

Convertible models need to have working roof mechanisms. Without this, what is the point in buying a convertible? If you don’t want a car that looks like a dog excreting, then don’t opt for the coupe. 

The plastics in the interior aren’t German-quality and could have possibly worn or been scratched, so make sure everything looks fresh and well-looked after.

Parts

Parts for the Crossfire and quite easy to find and relatively cheap to buy, thanks to the Mercedes-Benz connection. As the Crossfire is basically an SLK, parts are cheap and not too hard to source.

Just remember that dealer prices are always more expensive than independent traders. 

How it drives

As much as we’d like to give the Crossfire a clean-bill of health, but we can’t. The problem starts with the SLK chassis. Mercedes didn’t make a fantastic sports car with the first SLK; as a result, the Crossfire is not a car that can do corners like a Pagani Zonda R. It’s very poor, feels soft and about as responsive as a 0.8-litre diesel. 

The 3.0-litre V6 – again, Mercedes-sourced – is decent but nothing spectacular. In modern terms, it’s shockingly underpowered and a bit of a guzzler. Neither-the-less, the Crossfire is a cheap way to get into the sports car scene, so in many ways, it’s a good option. 

Just don’t go expecting it to out-drive a Z4, out-accelerate a 350Z or out-perform an Alfa Romeo Brera. It’s a compromise, cheap and basic, and whether that tickles your pickle is what you will have to decide yourself.