2005 Chrysler Crossfire Review

Specifications

The Premium Sports Car Value Leader

There are few more enjoyable experiences than sharing a persons first visit to a town as overwhelmingly large and outrageously heterogeneous as Los Angeles. Such was the case during a recent trip to tinsel town, where I shared the cockpit of Chryslers new Crossfire Roadster with a first-timer from Quebec, Canada.

Hugues kept giggling, unable to hold back his exuberance, pinching himself that he was actually driving down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills with a Bvlgari store on one side and Tiffanys on the other, and then through Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard with the sun beaming down through towering palms into the cabin of our gorgeous convertible. Ive been to L.A. so many times now I had become almost complacent. My friends unbridled joy made me appreciate just how lucky I was all over again.

Remembering back to a similar feeling, which with regards to L.A. was when I was about thirteen years old and in the back of the family wagon making my first trek to every North American childs Mecca, Disneyland, I most recently felt the travel buzz of excitement about four years ago while arriving in Manhattan for the first time ever. I thought I was a mature, sophisticated businessman cum journalist, but no, I succumbed to the Big Apples overwhelming presence like a kid at his first big screen movie, jaw agape while oohing and aahing at the Chrysler building through a yellow cab window.

Like New York, L.A. has its own magic, the most plentiful being sunshine and heat. It was the ideal location to debut a car that will sell better here than anywhere else in the world. Case in point, were driving down Wilshire Ave. on the way to Santa Monica and a cool looking guy in a Saab Viggen convertible pulls up beside us and says, “When are those comin out?” I mention May and then he asks the obvious question, “How much?” I tell him the price of $35K and grinning from ear to ear he responds, “Are you serious?! Im gonna get one of those!” Sorry Saab, I didnt mean to cost you a customer.

But dont blame me; its all Chryslers fault. Theyre steadily shaking up the premium market by delivering passion-inducing styling, top-tier quality and superb performance, all for prices that cause momentary synapse short-circuits.

While the city is cool to drive through, with the sporty V6 engines sassy exhaust note bouncing off surrounding shop windows, the Crossfire Roadster was best appreciated while running through the circuitous mountain roadways that course around the outlying area. We were actually staying in Laguna Beach, about 50 miles south of L.A., a beautiful upper crust town that clings to sandy cliffs along the waterfront.

But, while enjoyable, my job here in Southern California wasnt to take in the scenery, at least not from anywhere but behind the windshield of the new Crossfire Roadster. After turning inland from the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH1) onto the 133, and driving for a few minutes past a variety of quirky shops and motels, a quick jaunt down the 405 leads to some fantastic roads.

The cars 215-hp 3.2-liter V6 delivers an impressively robust 229 lb-ft of torque from as low as 3,000 rpm, through either a standard 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic with manual mode, driving the rear wheels. While the positive shifting manual would be my choice, the automatic is well suited to the torquey engine. Its not particularly quick to shift, but its oh so smooth with perfectly set intervals and a wonderfully engaging AutoStick manual mode.

That tall torque rating puts it into the category of few, outclassing the Audi TT quattro at 207 lb-ft, BMW Z4 at 214 and Porsche Boxster at only 192. But hold on, the torque figures shown for the Audi and BMW rivals are for their much more expensive upgraded engines. Base output equals 184-hp and 175 lb-ft of torque for the Z4 and 180-hp and 173 lb-ft for the TT. The Crossfire Roadsters 215-hp and 229 lb-ft of torque is noticeably more plentiful than its base-equipped rivals, accepting the 287-hp Nissan 350Z roadster of course, with its 274 lb-ft of torque. That said the Nissan will not appeal to those who gravitate towards high-quality interiors while its ride is quite punishing. The new SLK sports more power for 2005 too, but its price point puts it into a different league altogether.

Once off the freeway, which I have to admit is a little unsettling to the Crossfire Roadsters short wheelbase due to the roadways concrete construction and continual expansion joints, my co-driver and I were off to the hills. To be fair to the Crossfire, this back-and-forth bobbing effect would happen with any short-wheelbase vehicle. On every other surface the Crossfire is one of the smoothest riding sports cars available, absorbing bumps, dips and other road imperfections with an unusual civility. Its extremely rigid body structure, incorporating a torsional stiffness of 29.2 Hz, allows Chryslers engineers to set the suspension up slightly softer than what would be necessary on a car that flexes more while still achieving the same level driving dynamic.

Therefore the civilized manners dont impinge on its cornering capabilities, making each bend and every undulation a rush of adrenaline. Chrysler drove this point home during a brief stint on an autocross course set up out of orange cones on the parking lot of a deserted fairground. They gave us a coupe and convertible for the back to back test, to help us compare differences in body flex and drivability at extreme tolerances. With instructions not to worry about tearing up the sidewalls of the tires, I set out to improve my time with each lap. I did, but more importantly I was able to detect the differences between both cars. The Roadster is set up a little softer, making up for its reduction in torsional rigidity compared to the Coupe. To be fair the Coupe is probably the most rigid car available anywhere, a good basis for setting up a performance-oriented convertible.

On the open road I felt the Roadsters ride, handling compromise was ideal for its target market. Some of its competitors deliver punishing ride quality in order to maximize road-holding capability, but not so for the Crossfire. It still maintains stunning capabilities without beating up its occupants, and like I said does a better job with this than the majority of its rivals.

The Crossfire also breaks with convention by using recirculating ball steering rather than rack-and-pinion, a system that often results in vague on-center feel and slower response to input. My experience with the Crossfire is just the opposite. The steering is direct without being nervous, and Chrysler has managed to allow a decent amount of road feel to seep through to the steering wheel. While I cant comment on how much better the Crossfire would feel with a rack, as no such animal exists, I dont have a problem with the cars unorthodox approach to turning corners.

Under the floorboards is a pretty sophisticated chassis design, featuring an independent double wishbone suspension up front and independent 5-link setup in the rear, both with coil springs and gas-charged shock absorbers. If the massive 18-inch front and 19-inch rear 7-spoke alloy wheels on P225/40 and P255/35 ZR performance tires somehow dont keep it planted to the road surface its standard Electronic Stability Program and all-speed traction control will.

But the Crossfire Roadster wasnt only designed to perform. Its also a wonderfully refined machine just like its coupe sibling. Remember, it pulls much of its underpinnings from the Mercedes-Benz SLK including some of its interior trim, such as its resurfaced center stack, heavy-duty switchgear and some componentry.

Its power actuated cloth top stows under a sculpted hard tonneau cover in a mere 22 seconds after a quick twist and tug on a center mounted handle, looking as good up as it does down. When down, its easy to see the stylish set of protective “sports bars” Chrysler incorporated into the design, both strategically positioned to create space between the hoops and occupants in case of a roll-over.

At speed the Crossfire Roadster is reasonably quiet with its top in place, isolating driver and passenger from outside influences. This tight construction should also be a benefit in rainier climates, where the sports car could work well for year round transportation.

The top features extremely high-quality cloth, but in order to save space and reduce weight no inner liner is included. While at first I was a bit surprised to see exposed painted metal on the underside of the roof, Chrysler has finished it off very well. Actually, it comes across as a bit of a mechanical design statement.

Speaking of design statements, the Crossfire Roadster comes with its own three-piece set of fitted “designer” luggage. No, Gucci isnt responsible for it nor is Louis Vuitton, but in fact Chryslers design team integrated styling cues of the car into the luggage. The largest bag features five “speed lines” stitched into its front fabric panel just below an embossed Crossfire logo and winged Chrysler nameplate, while the wheels are miniature 7-spoke alloy rims on black tire-like rubber. Even the zipper pulls are designed to look like the Crossfires side strakes. While the luggage is standard, Chrysler offers a stylish humidor that fits neatly into the center console. The automaker reports more Crossfire branded merchandise is on the way.

That trunk features a fold-down separator for when the top is lowered, leaving enough space underneath for a couple of briefcases on their sides with more room closer to the rear for a large carry-on suitcase and a few smaller bags. Technically speaking, the trunk allows for 3.6 cubic feet with the top down, and if the top is up a total of 6.5 cubic feet.

Atop the sculpted decklid is a retractable spoiler that increases in height at about 60 mph, an effective way of keeping true to the overall design while still paying attention to downforce (Audi might consider such a system for their TT). The spoiler features an integrated third taillight as well.

The Crossfire Roadster will be available in base trim for only $34,960, and as a Limited model almost fully loaded at $38,920. The optional 5-speed automatic with AutoStick manual-mode as applied to the Limited will be priced at $39,995. The only option for either model will be a navigation system at $1,200.

The cars base price point undercuts most competitive roadsters by a wide margin, with only Hondas racecar-like S2000 available for slightly less, at $32,800. Nissans 350Z roadster is priced lower too at $33,850, but the addition of an 18-inch alloy wheel and tire package (remember the Crossfire comes standard with 18-inch front and 19-inch rear) plus a few other options that come standard on the Crossfire pump up the Z350 Roadster price to $35,540 - slightly more than Chryslers roadster.

The Audi TT roadster starts out for slightly less than the 350Z roadster at $35,250, but if equipped with similar power begins at $39,500. Add on its options, some of which include a navigation system and 18-inch wheels and tires which are standard on the Crossfire Roadster (actually the Crossfire features 19-inch rims standard in the rear, with the tires 225/40ZR18 up front and 255/35ZR19 at back), and the price jumps up substantially, still with a 4-cylinder engine. Add in the V6, slightly more powerful than the Crossfires, and the price ranges from a base $42,900 to a stratospheric $49,458 - ouch! And that from a car derived from Volkswagens most basic Golf architecture - remember, the Crossfire has been created from Mercedes-Benz components.

In case the Crossfire Roadsters price point makes it appear starkly equipped compared to its competitors, a quick look at the standard features list puts the question to rest. Standard amenities that I havent covered already include power windows, speed (cruise) control, dual-zone automatic temperature control, four-wheel anti-lock brakes with brake assist, heated mirrors, a universal garage door opener, and a premium sound system.

Regarding that stereo, its not just any run of the mill premium blaster but rather Infinitys Modulus audio system featuring AM/FM/CD, plus a 240 watt digital amplifier. Its six speakers include dual subwoofers for pumping out bass-heavy dance tracks while also working well for appreciating classical or jazz.

The optional eight-way power adjustable heated leather drivers seat and four-way power heated leather passenger seat, available on the Limited model, are both wonderfully comfortable and up to the task of keeping occupants in place during aggressive maneuvers. Theyre nicely detailed with Chrysler wings in their headrests too.

On this upgraded trim level the steering wheel and door panels are leather too, while like in the base model most other surfaces are either high-quality soft-touch plastic or richly finished brushed aluminum.

Chrysler offers a nice choice of interior colors, with the Dark Slate Grey and Cedar (red) two-tone in one of my testers being a personal favorite next to its Graphite Metallic exterior paint scheme. Its six additional color choices include Aero Blue, Alabaster, Black, Blaze Red and Sapphire Silver Blue, with Classic Yellow being all-new for 2005 and only available on the Roadster. Other than the Dark Slate Grey and Cedar two-tone interior treatment, other color schemes include Dark Slate Grey, Dark Slate Grey and Vanilla two-tone, and Dark Slate Grey and Medium Slate Grey two-tone.

Options and colors aside, more roadster rivals compete directly with the convertible Crossfire than the coupe, but Chryslers premium Roadster still is priced to undercut the competition. The list includes BMWs $33,600 to $51,300 Z4, and Porsches $42,600 to $67,870 Boxster. Not to forget the Crossfires kissing cousin Mercedes-Benz SLK, it starts at $39,600 and ends up at $64,725 in 349-hp SLK32 AMG trim.

Does that SLK32 AMG horsepower sound enticing? Chrysler thought so too. New for 2005 will also be an SRT6 Crossfire Coupe and Roadster, featuring a hand-built supercharged 330-hp 3.2-liter V6 engine mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission with AutoStick manual mode, good for sub-five second runs to 60 mph. More on the SRT6 in a future review.

On a more responsible note the Crossfire Roadster boasts multi-stage driver and passenger front airbags, door-mounted thorax side airbags, the LATCH child restraint system with a passenger-side airbag deactivation switch, tire pressure monitoring system, Sentry Key vehicle immobilizer, security alarm system, quad halogen projector headlamps and tow-away protection.

So when all is said and done what do I think of Chryslers new Crossfire Roadster? Its clearly as good as any premium sports car on the market and better than some, offering top-grade build quality, enticing performance and superb styling. Chrysler tops off the entire package with a much better warranty than any of its premium competitors and a relatively low price of entry. The combination should spell out total market domination, but being a fickle target demographic the Crossfire Roadster will most likely give its owners a certain level of exclusivity. And rarity is a nice bonus that usually costs quite a bit more to secure.