Hello everyone..I'm a new member to the site. I currently own a 01 spa yellow honda s2000. Because of reasons I mention in the s2000 thread below I'm thinking of selling the car. Anyways I've been intereted in the Crossfire and im just wondering if there are any xfire owners here you came from an s2k?? Below is what peeps thought of my plan on s2ki.com(my username on their is "VaragS"). I'd appreciate any input from you guys. Just wanted to hear your end of the story. Please try to read my posts to understand my situation.



http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php...#entry13555456

 

There's a lot of misinformation in that thread, and bias. Of course, there's always bias in car forums, no the point of excessiveness. You'll find it here to, but in favor of what you want.

Here's my story:
I never cared about cars until I first saw the Audi TT. Its gorgeous and unique styling won my heart. I didn't know anything about performance (for which it often got reamed by reviewers and biased internet forum dwellers). I had to have one, so I saved up my pennies and 18 months later had one. I lvoed it, loved it, loved it, and it turned heads like you wouldn't believe. And then I had kids. The TT had to go.

The TT was replaced with a Charger Daytona. Great family car, gobs of power, and it turned heads. But it was lacking in something - that feeling of integration that you get with the road when driving a small sports coupe or roadster. That feeling of being one with the car and the road, where power is not so important as road grip and handling in the curves.

I had loved the appearance of the Crossfire since I first saw pictures of the concept vehicle at the European auto show. I finally had an opportunity to rent one in '06, and I took it through the curves of El Dorado in CA. I thought it handled great, especially forgiving and easy to predict its behavior. I was very pleased by my rapid adaptation to the car. And...duh...it turned heads (you seeing a theme now?). I had to have one.

I finally obtained some extra cash this year and found myself able to acquire a Crossfire in additional to the Charger. I had originally planned on getting a used model with 50K+ miles on it, because I had set a price limit of $12. That plan was tossed when I saw how cheap Crossfires were going in the market. I ended up getting one with 21K miles for $14.5K.

So now that you know my story, here are my responses to your questions and points made in the thread.

1. It is not crappy American engineering. Everything under the skin is German.
2. You correct about reliability. Although I tend to despise Consumer Reports for perceived bias against American and German cars, they did rank the '05 and later Xfire as one of the more reliable used cars on the market in this year's auto issue. However, all your replacement parts are German, so indeed repairs could be expensive.
3. The market is great for Crossfire buyers right now, because it does seem no one wants one. I tend to agree with "The Vanishing Boy"; it's the American nameplate that does it. People tend to be very image concious and vain, and shy away from spending $35K on a car with a Chrysler badge on it when they could spend the same amount and have all their friends "ooh" and "ahhh" over a Mercedes, Audi, or BMW badge.
4. I don't think you'll be happy in a Z. I like the Z. I think its a great looking car, but it is one the big side for sport coupes. Having never driven an S2000 myself, and can't really speak for you, but the S2000 is small, like the miata, the Crossfire, and the Z4. I think you'd find that the same sensation of "car/road integration" may be lost in the Z.
5. I like the transmission. Solid snap shifts, but occasionally difficult to shift into 1st.
6. It is a unique car with genuinely different and characteristic styling. I know the miata gets high marks every year from Car&Driver for performance and value, but whenver I look at it, I yawn. Just looking at the Crossfire excites me.

Bottom line is, why are you asking? Why do you need convincing/persuading/disuading? It's your car, you are the one who has to drive it. Go rent one. Go for a test drive. If you like how it looks, handles, feels, and most importantly you like how it makes YOU feel, then get one. Who cares what a bunch of internet forum dwellers thinks?

 

+1. agreed.

 

X2 on R/TOMMY/B comments, very thoughtful post!

A couple of additional thoughts. I traded a MiniCooper S, which I had loved.
BUT, I really was taken with the styling of the XFire roadster. We bought the car ( 06 base roadster with SE pkg) and have loved it. 8 months later I have not had a single problem, I like driving the car as well as I had liked the Mini, it's different not better or worse.

I think the bottom line is that you have to drive the car, see if you like it. It's your car payment not the kibitzers...

 

Thank you for pointing me to the Rice-burner S2000 forum. I needed a good laugh this morning

I won't comment on the ignorance of those comments I read.

I have driven over 19,000 miles on my XFire and loved every minute of it. It is a great car, made by Karmann, and built basically from the Mercedes SLK320 parts bin.

Run, don't walk, to buy a Crossfire and you will catch what we call "permagrin" from owning and driving this fine automobile.

 

I'll speak on the Crossfire Coupe (not the Roadster):

The Crossfire is very, very different from the S2K.

1. You will do most of your driving at under 3000 rpm. At times, you will start off and find yourself cruising along at 1000 rpm.
2. You will run out of revs fast. On the S2000, you can just sit on the accelerator and let the revs climb.
3. The XF's shifter has a much longer throw than the S2000.
4. You can't mod the XF as much as the S2000.
5. The XF is approximately 22.21908x quieter than the S2000.
6. The XF feels more planted, secure, and refined than the S2000.
7. The XF feels huge on the inside compared to the S2000. It's wider, longer, and taller.

Basically, the S2000 feels like a buzzy, rattly go kart. The Crossfire is much more refined, quiet, luxurious, etc.

At 120mph, I would much rather be in the Crossfire than the S2000.

You get better fuel mileage out of the 18V 3.2L V6 in the XF than you do out of the 2.0/2.2L 16V I4 in the S2000. I still can't figure that one out.

By the way, a bunch of us have raced the XF on road courses (myself included) and don't believe what people tell you, even the non-srt XF is plenty fast.

 

First let me say I love Hondas, I've owned more than a dozen of them but never a S2k. I simply didn't fit in it. I'm surprised that you "lunched" the motor in yours, I've had Hondas with over 250k myself.
I too really enjoyed reading some of the comments on the S2k forum. It always amazes me how people love to give advice about cars when they really have no actual experience with the car in question.
There is no way an S2k is "stiffer" than a Crossfire. The XF coupe is suppose to be stiffer than a 911. Nuff said.
The S2k shifter is far better than the Crossfires, but basically the XF is only troublesome between 1st. and 2nd. and not all the time. Usually after it warms up it's fine. (and it's a Mercedes tranny, not Chrysler)
The Limited Crossfires handle just as well as the SRTs, the SRTs only ride a little stiffer and feel a little more stable. According to a road test published by Road & Track magazine 10/05 issue:
Skidpad g, S2k=0.91, XF Limited=0.89, SRT6 Roadster=0.84.
Slalom mph: S2k=69.7, XF Limited=69.7
Braking 60-0: S2k=115', XF Limited=114'
Braking 80-0: S2k=206', XF Limited=199'
About the only place you will notice a big difference is in the 1/4 mile, where a "stock" S2k is about 1 sec. quicker vs a 6spd Crossfire.
All I can tell ya is, owning a Viper GTS (which is nearly 3 sec. faster in the 1/4 mile) and a Miata, that after purchasing my Crossfire coupe 6 speed, I quite driving the other two cars. The Crossfire meets all of my needs.
Putting it simply, there is no better "Sports Car Bargain" on the market.

 

I have driven the Xfire....and like i said i was not nearly as addicted/excited as I was driving the s2k for the first time. I do believe no matter what that the s2k is a better sports/drivers car. But I am very intrigued by the styling of the crossfire and am starting to believe the s2k is beginning to be somewhat outdated. Also at 130k miles(however only 50k on the engine) it is starting to give me problems. It sounds to me that getting the xfire would be a solution to my needs not necessarily the better car. Idk maybe im crazy haha

Love hearin your thoughts on this one..keep em comin!

Thanks for reading

 

Really? In what ways?

 

Welcome to the forum! As someone who was recently shopping for a new ride, and ultimately settled on a Crossfire SRT-6 this past Saturday, I'll relate my thoughts on what I test drove. I was coming from a Red 2000 Trans Am. All the cars I was testing were low-mileage, used, 2004 to 2006 models.

Nissan Z Roadster: Composed and quick, if a bit large feeling for a 2-seater, nice exhaust note. I felt that it was a little too disconnected from the road and there was too little usable storage space.

G35 Coupe: Luxurious, fast, a great straight-line performer that felt a little heavy in turns. If I were looking for a 4-seater, this would have been given the nod.

S2000 Roadster: Crazy fun and fast at higher RPMs, loves to be wound out, a demon in the corners, very nice looking. It was also a buzzy, noisy, jittery driving experience around town, sounds like a sport bike, lacks low-end cajones. Would be fun as a 2nd car, couldn't live with the lack of manners as a daily driver.

BMW Z4 Roadster: Nice car overall. Fast, comfortable, and a lot of fun. Not a fan of the styling. Just a personal preference. Also expensive, the storage space is slim, and the exhaust note will put a baby to sleep.

Porsche Boxter: Considered, but the one I was test driving was sold before I got there. It wasn't an S, so I likely wouldn't have bought it.

Crossfire Limited Roadster: Faster than the 215hp would indicate, body is ridiculously stiff, no cowl shake, way more fun to toss around than I was expecting, stunning looks. The windshield was too low for my tastes, and the trunk opening was too small. Felt a bit sluggish off the line, yet fast at speed. I honestly expected to be bored...definitely not bored.

Crossfire Coupe SRT-6: By far the fastest car I tested, handles like a race car, able to take sharp turns at ungodly speeds without so much as a squeal or chirp. The ride is VERY stiff, but overall performance is refined. You don't even hear the supercharger, just the V8-like rumble of the exhaust.

It came down to the Z, the Crossfire Roadster, and the Crossfire SRT Coupe. I went with the SRT. I have always loved the look of the Crossfire and it was the only car I tested that was faster than the Trans Am throughout the entire power band. Another requirement, being that I play ice hockey in up to 2 leagues, was that a hockey bag and a few sticks fit in, which the SRT was able to accommodate.

I picked up a 2005 Sapphire Silver SRT-6 Coupe NAV with 2,800 miles on it for under $23k. The original sticker was for $46,800 including destination. You think an S2000 gets noticed? People will just stop when you park and start asking questions. Part of the rare-nature, regardless of the reason, is that you hardly ever see Crossfires on the road. A lot of people think it is some supercar or concept.

The moral of the story though, is to get out there and take a lot of test drives. Find out what you like, what you're comfortable with, and go for it. Most of the comments regarding the Crossfire in the S2000 forum are laughable and grossly misinformed. If you're concerned with performance, test drive an SRT-6 if you can find one. It'll absolutely flog any stock s2000.

 

I own both an '04 Coupe & the SRT & wouldn't have wasted my money on either unless I was convinced these cars are the steal of the decade.
....and the boys over in the 2000 forun are indeed haplessly misinformed. Both cars handle like dreams around turns even with no rack & pinion. You won't be missing any cornering capabilities between the 2000 & the Xfire!
In addition to all the fine points listed above above this car boasts a 5 star crash rating, has front & side airbags for both passenger & driver & stops on a dime, in fact the SRT can stop so fast it's scary.
My '04 Coupe has 57K on it & other than for tires & oil changes I've not spent a dime on repairs. The SRT (27K) has been in for a radio replacement under warranty, that's it! I drive/have driven both cars 100 miles a day back & forth to work on empty rural roads & feel perfectly confident that either car will get me there & back in perfect condition.
If you decide to go with the Xfire you will have made an excellent choice simply because there isn't anything else like it on the road for the price you'll pay!
Good luck!
P.S. Buy one & then inform your fellow S2000 forum members to do a little reading; maybe even watch a few Youtube videos minus the idiot in England who came up with the dog crapping comment.

 

Me thinks moosehead9oc is just stirring da poop.

The one thing that struck me as an interesting point on the xfire when I was looking to buy was there were so many members on this forum who owned two xfires or sold one to get another.

That speaks volumes on what type of car the xfire is.

 

x 2

for "moosehead9oc", that means I agree!

 

You mean it's not ???

Just get one. It's the best deal out there and you will love it !!

 

Along the same lines, I was very impressed with how many people who had their Crossfires "Lemon Lawed" turned right around and replaced them with another one. I guess the old adage. "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me", doesn't apply hear. At least not when you have a car that creates such a loyal following of owners.

 

I bought one in january and it was totaled in march. Bought another one in march haha. I definately like the second one better than the first.

 

I'd put my Crossfire up against anything on the road, no other car gets more attention on the road. It's very reliable, and its a great car. Ultimately you have to decide, but don't go by what that blog says, they sound like a bunch of sissys who have never even driven a Crossfire, or raced one and got beat.

 

Hi Moosehead90c and welcome to the forum. By the way, what is your first name? My name is Neal. Anyways, I've owned many cars since 1971, and driven my cousin's S2000, and my SRT6 is by far the best one I've ever owned. Talk about rarity, less than 3000 were made and only sold for the American public in 2005. I've never seen one in person and when I found this one for sale in Georgia w/Nav for only $20,998 and 2300 miles, I had it shipped to Orlando right away 2 months ago. And this was before driving any type of Crossfire. Once I got behind the wheel and tested her out, I was addicted. The handling, power, and exhaust note all together keeps me smiling forever. It just feels like a solid, quality built machine. And it's the closest I've ever been to owning a Mercedes since the entire drive train and brakes is 100% German. And of course they were the only Chryslers built there. My wife is actually getting jealous since I'm spending more time with the car than I do her! The only other car that I might prefer over this one, is an SRT6 roadster. Would like to drive with the top down every once in awhile. So good luck on whatever decisions you make.

 

I used to think this until I moved to Raleigh, NC, a few motnhs ago. There are tons of Crossfires around here. I usually see 2 per day! It's making me feel like a Mustang owner !

 

Those Crossfire skidpad numbers seem low.