Crossfire

[Guest Stephen Lyons]

I had an opportunity this morning to test drive the new 2004 Crossfire, the second modern two-seater to appear bearing the Chrysler brand name (the first being, of course, the TC). While obviously a short jaunt on the highway does not allow for a full fledged evaluation, I'd like to share my initial impressions with you nonetheless.

The Crossfire struck me overall as a refined Mercedes SLK, with both good & bad qualities inherent in that. Its driving characteristics are unobjectionable & as far as I pushed it (which was not much, frankly) well-mannered & predictable. At highway speeds, wind noise is minimal, & more impressively, there was no road drumming from the low profile Michelin Pilot Sport tires, a fault that was obvious when I drove a Thunderbird prototype a couple of years back.

Despite its obvious superiority to the TC's 2.2 liter Turbo-II (a design now over two decades old) & 3.0 liter Mitsubishi-made V-6, I am not as sanguine with respect to the Mercedes-sourced, normally aspirated 3.2 liter SOHC V-6 powerplant. Its 215 horsepower seemed entirely adequate, but this modest output places the Crossfire at a disadvantage when compared to some of its obvious competitors (like the Nissan 350Z). Furthermore, it didn't seem to me that this engine revved very willingly, & as it did there was a slightly coarse quality to the way it sounded & felt. The staple of Chrysler's FWD line-up, the 2.7 liter DOHC V-6 (as installed in my Dodge Stratus), is more satisfying & spirited in how it responds to the application of some throttle. The Crossfire's five speed AutoStick automatic transmission was completely unobtrusive, however, & I was hard pressed to feel the actual shifts as they occurred.

The interior appointments are a curious mix of laudable & questionable aspects. The seat cushions certainly have more give than those of either the aforementioned SLK or Thunderbird, but the nonadjustable bolsters on the seat back definitely impinge on the comfort of a larger person like myself. I expect this pinching effect would prove a huge annoyance on longer trips. The door sills are quite high, the door panel is very close in to the driver's left side, & there is no armrest. Get used to having both hands on the telescoping steering wheel at all times, which at least is attractive & covered in leather (or a very good imitation thereof). Visibility is marginal, so you'll be needing to use the outside mirrors & pay attention to where other vehicles are in relation to yours.

Chrysler has done a fine job of integrating the texture of the hard & padded surfaces on the door panels & dashboard, but there are certainly more of those hard surfaces than in the TC. Lots of silvered bits give the interior a slightly 60's flavor, but the complicated dashboard layout betrays the Crossfire's 21st century origin. A wide silver panel down the center segues into the console. Unfortunately, the fussy nature of the many controls in this area, particularly with respect to the stereo, seems out of place for a car with pretensions of being a sporting machine. In this vein, I also find it deplorable that instrumentation is not more complete. Sophisticated automotive consumers want to know about stuff like oil pressure before an "idiot light" comes on.

The trunk is very small, so don't be expecting to take your Crossfire to the country club for a round of golf unless you've delivered your clubs there beforehand. A three piece set of custom luggage to fit the available cargo space is standard, however.

There are some "trick" items to mention. A spoiler automatically deploys at a bit over 50mph, & retracts when you slow back down below 40mph. You don't hear it go up, but you will notice as it comes back down. The ignition key is integrated with the keyless entry transmitter, and pops out switchblade-like when you press a button. The cupholder is just weird. I guess it must work, but with its narrow & unconventional appearance it doesn't look like it ought to.

The Crossfire's fully-equipped $35,570 MSRP is appealing enough, as long as dealers don't get greedy & jack that up with surcharges, a presently widespread practice that may have killed off the current incarnation of the Thunderbird. The dealership where I went was not adding onto the MSRP, but the saleman was aware of other agencies already doing so with regard to the Crossfire, sometimes to the tune of several thousand dollars. But at its MSRP, the Crossfire is certainly less expensive than the TC was in 1989-90 dollars.

I admit I'm not very sure what to make of the Crossfire. It's certainly not in its present form a sports car, nor is it spacious or comfortable enough to be considered a luxury car. I'm not even certain if it's really a bonafide grand tourer. I do think it's for the most part pretty slick. But somehow it doesn't stir my soul.

[Guest]

Stephen,

Just wanted to thank you for your insights in this forum, I have been curious about the Crossfire and enjoyed reading your take on it.

-Jordan, 89' TII