Hey folks new to this performance car malarkey & as I haven't really been interested in sport type cars till now I have very limited knowledge in the area.
Now after having a baby boy 4 months a go my life has completely changed in the fact I don't go out much therefor spending less & lately I have got the bug for a nice looking sport type car (got a golf for practicality) & the crossfire coupe really does have an appeal for me - quick, looks great & can be picked up relatively cheap.
The thing is I have been put off somewhat by reviews/articles & people's general attitude towards them.....do you need a lot of money to own one & are they such a pain to fix as parts are so rare & expensive?.
I have saved to buy a "fun car" (going for around £4k for an 04 with around 60,000 on) worked out that I can cover insurance & tax (& maybe a service) in one go due to a yearly bonus but i'm very worried about further costs & have a gut feeling I could make a big/costly mistake?.
Any feelings on my sitution or anyone been in the same boat?....I saw one on the motorway & thought that's lovely but out my price range but checked auto trader & was surprised at the low prices, are they low for a reason?.....a costly hobby?.
With having a child I don't want to be chucking money away but at the same time, I work hard & have little time for myself so would like to enjoy it by going to work, the odd football game, country pub jaunt in a great looking little sporty number. (heart thinks crossfire but head is saying an MR2 or something?).

Thanks for listening folks & hope you can offer some clarity

 

Well doggboy,, congrats on being a daddy.... and welcome to the wealth of info on crossfires (XF)'s.... There are nothing but XF people on this forum so their input will be one-sided so to speak. If you haven't been in to sporty cars before, not sure why the XF has tripped your trigger, but it is a very fun car to own....others will chime in their opinions, but you won't get a better sports at a low price....it's too bad they are selling so cheap, because they rank right up there with most triple figure cars in a lot of catagories....good luck on your decision Dad...

 

DO NOT get a Crossfire. Worst car EVER.

 

Get one, you will be sorry if you don't. Are you worried about Mercedes quality? If so then don't buy one because that is what is under the skin.

I own two, one since new in 04. My 300C has had more minor ailments than my Crossfire.

 

hi there doggboy from a uk owner...had mine for nearly 2 years and never missed a beat, the other day in a petrol station a guy was peering at the bonnet badge to see what it was, but as i have one of andrews alternative badges on he had to ask what it was, when i told him he said he thought it was an aston martin model that he hadnt seen before.. as has been said oily bits all merc so no worries about spares there, body parts could become an issue in time just put a new set of boots all round falken fk452`s £500 fitted, oil changes expensive but easy to do yourself, bit biased but its a hell of a car for the money if you do bite the bullet theres also a great uk owners club with a good social scene and meets through the year.. check out www.ukcrossfires.co.uk/.... best of luck with the nipper ....chris

 

Thanks for the replies & best wishes, much appreciated folks....I really do have my heart set on one....as has been stated about the Aston comparison that is what peaked my interest, never been a huge petrol head but always loved the look of the Aston's be it on tv or getting the green eyed monster on the roads & I was drvng to a job one day when a xf pulled out in front and I thought what the hell is that? Gotta be Aston......low & behold the want of an xf was born lol!,
I have put aside 4k to get me one (if possible) & each year I get a bonus of at least 1k which should cover my insurance & tax near enough, factored in a yearly service which I got a quote for £220 full service (do I need to do more than that?....I work 2 mile from workplace so mileage will be minimal), got a tyre quote of £60 fronts, £90 rears each fitted and aligned.
I also have factored in a belt change which I was quoted approx £450....I'm just trying to work out figures best as possible and make a decision.
Any other factors I should be thinking of folks, need to get my mind right as the missus will be grilling me

 

Get one they are cheap at the moment, but drive one first as you may not like it. I wouldn't call it a sports car really more of a cruiser for long distance fast runs. The steering is antique and the manual gear change is iffy at best. A SRT6 is fast, normal ones are ok. 23-25mpg round town maybe 30 on a run (manual N/A). Tyres are expensive, mechanical bits don't seem too bad. Above all check for rust - this applies to Mercedes as well. I like mine but it could easily have been much better, but I guess that applies to most cars. Oh and get a soft top - much more fun!

 

Sporty, performance, handling etc...aren't a major factor, more the fact of a nice looking car that i will enjoy to drive and be proud of owning

 

I also have factored in a belt change which I was quoted approx £450 !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I assume we are talking about the serpentine belt ?

$35-$45 US and easily done yourself.........

( or for 450 pounds, I'll could probably fly over with a belt and change it for you )

 

Crossfires are a funny car. People either love them or hate them. Once you get the bug, you'll be hooked.

Here's a little list of things you want to consider about the Crossfire:

• Exclusivity. There's less than 80,000 of them worldwide - and that's all there ever will be. That's both a blessing and a curse. It's cool to stand out, be exclusive, rare, different, etc. But it has its drawbacks too. Less people are knowledgeable about the car when it comes time to repair or maintain it. Parts are more expensive, as are maintenance supplies (about double what you would expect if you were dealing with "everyday" kind of cars such as a Honda, Chevy, or Ford).
• The car is quirky. There are things that will surprise you, both good and bad. The cupholder is a famous one (it's famously bad). The bonnet support strut can pop the bonnet up completely vertical (kinda neat!). The boot is oddly shaped and it often surprises me how much I can get in there AND what won't fit back there.
• It's about 98% Mercedes and 2% Chrysler. Again, that's both good and bad. The bad part is neither organization really supports the car.
• It's a LOT of fun to drive - if you actually enjoy driving. (A coworker of mine bought one and hated it. She was overjoyed when she replaced it with a small SUV.)
• Once you own one, you'll develop a fear of backing up. (The rear visibility is awful, and at first it is alarming. But you learn to cope with patience, heavy use of side mirrors and pull-through parking! )

Anyway, there's lots to love about the car, and almost anyone here will tell you it far outweighs the quirky negatives.

 

if your talking about a cambelt its got a chain not a belt so theres £450 you saved already coming on this forum....

 

Doggboy,

You are wise to plan ahead. Your son may think so as well in a few years when you hand him the keys.

Most of us loved the look of the Crossfire on first sight; I sure did. I never hoped to have one, but general lack of interest has kept the price down. I wish the price would drop to half what I paid for mine. I might be able to buy one or two more.

Most folks seem to save their Crossfire rather than drive it. Mine had about 72,000 miles on it when I bought it, and I've put another 10,000 on it in less than a year - all pleasure driving. Tires are expensive, and if you buy the super sticky performance tires, they don't last well. The all season tires should; I put Continental DWS all-seasons on back, and will replace the fronts shortly with the same. Lots of information and opinion on tires on the forum.

One unexpected good thing - my insurance on the Crossfire Roadster is nearly the same as on the Chrysler Sebring convertible it replaced. I'm sure that is different from the SRT6.

Good luck deciding.

Michael
05 Roadster Limited, black 6spd

 

Yeah got told that by mechanic today, who told me there isn't a cambelt lol, but priced up a full service at £300 including new plugs, which seems ok?.
When buying one second hand what should I be looking for or asking seller about, in a similar vein to the usual questions you ask when purchasing a second car (cambelt change is always a favourite!)
Coming on here & having you guys give advice is a big help & much appreciated.

 

1. How often was the oil and filter changed ?
2. was Mobil1 0-40 always used.
3. how often was the air filter changed ?
4. how often was the cabin filter changed ?
5. was the serpentine belt ever changed ?
6. Check the brake rotors front & rear for discoloration / scaring.
7. check the brake pads.
8 look inside the wheels, if clean then you can be pretty sure you had a caring owner. ( if waxed, then the owner was analy retentive like me )
9. check the wiper blades.
10. look for valve cover oil leaks ( easily remedied )
11. check the plastic pan under the engine for all sorts of leaky things and missing bolts / screws.
12. is the pump in the boot ? is there an unused fix-a-flat bottle ?
13. if roadster, is there a top release tool ?
14. if roadster, check top condition along with rear window bonding.
15. how old is the battery ?

 

Cheers buddy, extremely comprehensive list there....thanks a lot, may just print it off take it with me & go here you go which have you done etc...lol when it comes to checking for signs of looked after/poor car I'm terrible, as I've stated I'm not of a mechanical nature by any means, my cracking baby boy came a long & changed my life (I feel much more happy & content now)...now I wan't a crossfire!!! Lol.
I've became the archetypal "dad" now & I like it

 

doddyboy.

Where about's do you live ?

Jon

 

you may be close to one of us and I'm sure if you are we would let you have a close up view of the car

Go for it, I got 2

 

I live in tamworth, staffs.....west mids area, Found a few good xf's on auto trader trouble is they all seem bloody miles away, lovely black 54 coupe with 85k on the clock, private plate looks in good nick for £3595 to clear....trouble is its 161 bloody miles away! Lol, a long way to travel to view something that may not be suitable

 

Yes, that's the problem with not so common cars. If you were near by, you could have a go in mine so see if you like them. I'm in Oxfordshire

Jon

 

Taking the family on a lovely day out tomorrow......crossfire viewing! got a couple local to me, out of my price range but will do good to go & see, hopefully convince the wife I'm not making another daft purchase on a whim (iPads, 3d tv's etc lol)
Shall I post up auto trader links to the couple m looking at?, see what you guys think as an overview?