Just an old Mercedes SLK? The Chrysler Crossfire Story

[@David-xo8ci]

I daily drive my Crossfire. It's far from perfect in every way, but it's mine. When it breaks, I'm the guy that fixes it. I do the maintenance myself. I enjoy driving it, I enjoy looking at it. Sure, it's old and not up to modern standards, but it makes me happy. Isn't that what being a 'car guy' is ultimately about?

[@antonhoward7968]

Exactly my friend. There's a lot to be said for a car you can fix yourself, and doing that also means you end up bonding with the vehicle I find. It is what it is, and I like it.

[@highlypolishedturd7947]

I don't like those cars, but if it makes you happy, then yeah, enjoy it!

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Yes it is!

[@bigdogcars3277]

Fantastic!! Respect from Suffolk UK 😎✊

[@NINOBING]

Love at first sight wouldnt trade it for world

[@CrossfireRepairsByPaul]

*_The Crossfire has one of those timeless exterior design. Even today I get people asking about it and how new is it, that's why i bought mine. Fun to drive and a great car club community was created right from the get go. However, Mercedes sure did a number on the Crossfire buyers when they divorce with Chrysler. At that point, no MB dealership would work on them and Chrysler only had a handful of mechanics who were trained on these cars so owners were left to figure out how to fix and maintain these cars quick. The creation of the Crossfire Forum was the lifesaver to the ultimate survival of the car. Now, there are multiple Facebook group out there with members creating events and tech days where they help one another on maintaining and repairing these wonderful sport cars and the reason why I created a Crossfire how to chanel on KZbin_*

[@thomasharris5151]

Well said and the Crossfire us a visual work of art! Just lower it a bit and add nicer wheels the car looks just as current today. I’m a lil bias to the SRT6 coupe because I like power BUT I don’t like the big rear spoiler…

[@Wolf_Larsen]

Crossfires are turds. They even look like a dog that's laying one. So good on you for wasting your time on it, I guess

[@perderabo]

The content on this channel is so well crafted. Eloquent, informative, well edited.. just really enjoyable.

[@JTA1961]

Well put.

[@matthewstellmacher4349]

What they said! (Liking the nod to our friends in Ukraine too.) Spot on. I look forward to the latest vdeo. Thank you

[@joelkoosed902]

All except for the fact that the narrator doesn't vary his pitch -- every sentence goes up and down at the same place as the previous -- and subsequent -- sentences. This makes for a sing-song cadence, that I find quite boring; I fell asleep twice during this vid, and finally had to move on.

[@matthewstellmacher4349]

@@joelkoosed902 Really? Funny ole world eh? Pitch and cadence is just right, for my ears. Continue to be kind. Have a great day!

[@perderabo]

@@joelkoosed902 if you fell asleep twice in just 20 minutes i’d say you have some sort of sleep apnea.

[@gpaje]

I thought this car was a joke when it came out, but I recently bought one. I was looking for a manual trans car for some weekend fun. This one was lowered slightly on Eibach springs and a nice set of alloys and honestly beautiful. The specs are solid for the Crossfire, it's a 2-door, 2-seater, RWD, NA V6 with no major faults, solid 6-speed manual. It's an old German car that shouldn't cost me too much to own, with plenty of parts support. Only thing getting hard to get is any exterior parts or interior from the bulkhead back that are specific to Chrysler. I get so many positive comments from this vehicle.

[@tommurphy4307]

sounds like my '72 datsun 510 except getting just about any kind of body part or lamp assembly- good luck with that.

[@opelastraappukannanpollach6345]

Good your message

[@johnstotesbery114]

Hopefully someone will start making aftermarket body panels for these cars.@@tommurphy4307

[@willg125]

Very much an unpopular opinion, but I love the design. I've always loved unique qualities about cars, fascinated by the rotary engine, for example, and this is another great example of something unique. It may not be a great design but it definitely stands out.

[@andyrob3259]

I agree. At the time I thought it great and although dated, it's still not bad. I will admit I did work for Daimler Chrysler (and now MB) although that doesn't colour my view as there were many Chrysler vehicles that were, CRP - such as the PT Cruiser (a 3 speed auto at one point - wth).

[@picturesfromtheworld208]

Owned that car. Loved the design. Appart from the cheap plastic parts inside and the expensive tyres, I loved every second of driving it.

[@thatpeskyswan]

I always thought the Chrysler crossfire was fantastic, I remember my neighbor buying one new in 2006 in a stunning iceblue, in east Anglia we have alot of us military bases so Chrysler was a big seller, crossfire's were very common where I lived like the 300c, voyager and neon especially! I never really realised how successful they were or how much Mercedes tried to bury them 6ft under. I own a 2012 Chrysler/Lancia Delta a FCA product of course ! (Chrysler left the UK in 2014) Very good car, great build quality and a quirky factor for sure, wish they would've stuck around tho the art deco styling is really unique , much preferred it to a SLK and would love to see their vehicles today!

[@natebarry5553]

That is incredible to hear as an American, even though I dislike most American cars. One thing I loved about living in London was the LACK of those cars! 🤣 I'm now back in Chicago and you'd be surprised how many RHD imports I see from the UK. There are MGs, Defenders, Triumphs, Austin Minis, and the odd British Leyland car.

[@tommurphy4307]

...and some people thought the mid-60s chryslers were built like brick shit houses, too.

[@aaroncostello8812]

I remember my first time seeing a Crossfire. It was here in my town, at night, and I swear it was before the car had officially gone on sale. I followed it for miles just to get a better look at it. I thought it was a great looking car then, and I still do today.

[@GabrielMartinez-jt1uv]

Just an old Mercedes SLK because it has a Mercedes chassis and all of its parts and that chime the interior is much the same as the SLK

[@Commentator541]

I am drooling watching all the beautiful shots of this car. It is stunning!

[@fobbitoperator3620]

I always & still do like the Crossfire. I'll see 1 occasionally, & marvel at it's sleek shape & lines. The SRT-6 was a work of art!

[@sashadog4142]

As an American of German descent and a fan of both companies, I was excited when the "merger" occurred, but German arrogance ruined it. Daimler gutted Chrysler of it's capitol and sold off what they couldn't use. I believe that without the "merger", Chrysler would have been a stronger company and we would have gotten a better Crossfire out of it.

[@ChairmanMo]

The American automobile industry would have been better of with Ford and Chrysler becoming the big two. With them in play Congress would have let GM die in 2008, which they deserved to, GM gets carved up by Ford and Chrysler and more jobs would have been saved.

[@GermanGreetings]

I feel pity for that.

[@tylerdurden9748]

I love my '07 Limited 6 speed manual crossfire more than any other vehicle i've owned. It still turns heads every time i drive it. being a 6 speed it will drift every turn as long as you have a steady hand. I have borla exhaust, cold air intake, and the amg throttle body and let me tell you brother, that combo wakes the beast up! if you hammer down getting on to the highway you're at 110mph before you even realize it. my only complaint is the extreme lack of parts in OEM or aftermarket. oh yeah the only drink holder in the car is for a can of RedBull.

[@evanr9945]

I have one for some years as my second, 'fun' car. I wanted a car that was separated from the mass. Needed to have V6 or V8. Proven technology. And along came the Crossfire. I've since customized it - made it more '20ies, changed exhaust, K&N, maintained it well. Every time I take it out, people really like it. At first they have no clue what it is that's coming their way, especially since it doesn't look like a standard Crossfire. Sometimes people still don't when it's gone. But they still hear the deep roar for several seconds. It ticks all the boxes for me and I won't be selling this puppy any time soon, that's for sure. The bang for buck is unparalleled.

[@aindriubradleymarshall6226]

My brother had one. We went out for a meal, on leaving the restaurant he passed me the key. I drove very cautiously; on his constant urging I floored it on a straight desending road! It was amazing, around 140mph in no time......!

[@sheldonaubut]

I've owned a 2001 SLK and two 2006 Crossfires Roadsters and loved all of them. Just about every time I drive them I get comments from passers by about how awesome they look, and when I tell them it is a 16 year old car they can't believe it.

[@thomosburn8740]

I own a 2005 Crossfire and except for the expensive repair every two years (car now has 200k miles) I’ve generally enjoyed it. It also has the best sounding stock car stereo I’ve ever heard, and I’m very particular about such things.

[@tommurphy4307]

imagine how much you would appreciate a REAL audio system....

[@mr.keptitreal]

Yeah I enjoyed that stereo it was well balanced

[@nickk4304]

It’s really good for a car that’s almost 20 years old

[@thomosburn8740]

@@tommurphy4307 Hy home stereo gear is Rega, Clearaudio, McIntosh, Vandersteen, Magnepan etc. so I have known for 40 years what good hi-fi is all about.

[@thomosburn8740]

@@mr.keptitreal Exactly my point! It isn't gonna ever compete with high end home gear.

[@davidkyle5017]

Nice vid! I have had my Xfire for 16 years, its a 2005 Limited Coupe, which I bought as a 1 year old used car with only 2700 miles on it. I was going to buy a Honda s2000 but found that the xfire was a much more practical car. You can put a ton of bags in the back, golf clubs etc. It's not a sports car exactly, but has plenty of get up and go to put a smile on your face. It doesn't have rack and pinion steering but is brilliant to drive into corners. You sit just in front of the rear wheels so the driving experience is just fantastic. It uses a lot of parts from the SLK 320 and has the M112 engine, so there are parts available to make repairs. I've had some simple things to repair on this car but all in all its been amazingly reliable. Since Chrysler and Daimler broke up at the end of the production of this car, our community has never really enjoyed manufacturer support but with a great Xfire web community and the great people at the Mercedes Forums, you can get help fixing almost any issues with the car. As far as the often repeated Jeremy Clarkson quote on the Xfire styling, just consider the source. I wouldn't ever consider Clarkson a paragon of good taste. To this day I always have people come up to me wanting to talk about this car, it's been quite amusing.

[@mjh5437]

Clarkson is just an overgrown public schoolboy prat.

[@tazracing60]

I own a Roadster SRT-6 to weekend drive, and a NA 6-speed Coupe that I Autocross. Love them both. 😀👍

[@klasseact6663]

I owned one from 2005-07, a Limited model in Aero Blue w/6 spd and I like it more now then back then, it really stands out on the road today😎👍

[@MyKfactor]

Love my crossfire. 145000km and still going strong.

[@thequietcraftsman]

I had a Chrysler Crossfire stereo as a kid. The wheels held the speakers, the bumped slid out to allow a CD to be inserted, and there was a switch to turn on the headlights. Wish I hadn't gotten rid of it!

[@ajworks5958]

Yeah actually sounds cool!!

[@philbiker3]

@3:00 great summary of what brought together Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler. That partnership *should have been* an amazing success. Your video brings back the optimism that prevailed at the time. I have seen stories about what went wrong and why the partnership didn't work - but it still seems like it should have been great.

[@maconp1119]

Didn’t work because Benz was “daddy” and Chrysler was the “bottom bitch”

[@seahawker7796]

I plan on getting one soon, and I'll keep it forever. They are my favorite cars along with the SLK

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Must say it’s not a car I’ve ever been a fan of - I’ve always found Chryslers a bit chintzy for my tastes (I’m still bitter about the Chrysler/Lancia badge engineering too……) - however, you can’t deny that the Crossfire is bold, and different.

[@2Truth2you]

And a cheap 2nd hand car.

[@nakoma5]

Whose idea was it to rebadge Chryslers and Lancias, that was a sin.

[@lash9400]

@@nakoma5 I would like to see The Lancia Story featured here… I admired the brand in the 80s but I don’t know what it build’s anymore

[@scottoleson1997]

@@lash9400 I’m from the US so my Lancia knowledge is mostly from racing games, but from wiki research, the last I checked, they’ve just been making the Ypsilon for a long time.

[@Bluefire397]

Can't explain how extremely irritated I get whenever I see a Chrysler Ypsilon, sure the Lancia Ypsilon is nowhere near what they were producing at their peak but it's still a Lancia, and it's like Chrysler is just trying to wipe the name out.

[@santileonsteinberg1441]

I still love the way these look, whenever I see one in good condition I am stunned by how clean and modern the styling still is

[@BigCar2]

Yeah, still looks good.

[@Clem_Fandango11]

My wife had a manual convertible version and loved it. I thought the build quality was good and never had an issue. I Kinda liked it as well.

[@darklight6013]

I love this car; it looks like a car you would see on the streets of Gotham City.

[@rob1tnt]

Great content as always Andy!

[@BigCar2]

Glad you liked it.

[@philippedemontauvant5565]

Drove one for five years and enjoyed every second of it, especially on my trips to the French Riviera.

[@RussellGeorge67]

We were working on a job at Heathrow Airport in the early 2000s near the car hire depots. Three or four times a day one of these would come screaming past with some crazily grinning Hertz employee clinging on to the steering wheel...

[@mr.keptitreal]

I had one of these brand new off the showroom floor with the cranberry read leather. Loved it, bit got a deal on it. $0 down, $0 security deposit, 24month lease and ONLY $400 a month. Only car I ever leased and glad I did. It sank like the titanic I'm value. But I enjoyed it and it was a head turner back then. Oh I had a srt6

[@MikeArott]

Another great video, with great insight beyond the car itself. I've had a bit of soft spot for Chrysler for a long time. It was doing so well in the '90s! The takeover by Daimler should never have happened. If Lee Iacocca had made Bob Lutz, then working for Chrysler, his successor as CEO instead of Bob Eaton, maybe the "merger of equals" would have been prevented, and the Plymouth brand would still be with us, along with a very different line-up from the Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth/Jeep quartet. We'll never know. It is a source of sorrow for me that since the divorce, Chrysler has been a shadow of its former self. At least there seem to be some good things on the horizon within Stellantis. The Crossfire concept car, in my eyes, looked better than the production car. More exciting underneath as well. Daimler and Chrysler were two company too different to get along, fighting like an odd couple, to build a car that never delivered what the concept promised. It sums up the "merger" in its slow death. Perhaps its name was an omen, as it got caught in the cross-fire.

[@Pete_Finch]

I always thought the Crossfire was a good looking car, and its rarity made it even cooler. I remember a few years back an SRT-6 challenged me to a quick race in my Z06 on an empty road one night, and it performed pretty well. I gave him a big thumbs up and remember thinking "they should've made an SRT-8 version"

[@Gorilla_Jones]

Wonderful hidden gem. Have had mine since new.

[@REVERIT.]

I've owned both a manual and an automatic Crossfire. I can confirm the manual was not very nice. For me, the Crossfire is a great looking car, and it always had people asking about it. The thing that lets it down in a big way is steering feel. The recirculating ball steering from the SLK is hopeless at giving the driver any accuracy and therefore confidence. However, if you drive it more as a point and squirt car then it can be quite fun, and the v6 makes a lovely sound.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

It's got all the steering feel of a stock car.

[@bigdogcars3277]

@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 this.

[@RickPMandel]

A few things, when the "merger" of Daimler-Chrysler came together, people were wondering what the group would be called. The folks inside Chrysler said "the "Chrysler" is silent", and they were right. I was lucky enough to be one of, if not THE first person to have a Crossfire in Detroit. (Thank you Dr. Z) I loved that car! I had a few Corvettes before the Crossfire, and the Crossfire was a lot more fun. The only real downside to the car was, it could, and did get stuck in an inch of snow (not a good car to have for your main driver around Detroit) When the presenter talked about the smallness of the boot, he wasn't kidding! When the first Crossfires we sold, they came with its own set of three-piece luggage, that was designed to all fit together (It was actually decent luggage; I still have/use it) Overall, it was a great toy, if they still made them, (especially living in SC now) I'd have one in a second.

[@scottvessa7918]

I bought an 04 brand new. Never had any issues with the car at all. I liked it for it was very unique at the time. Fun to drive and always got asked about it. After 3 years sold and bought an 05 Volkswagen Phaeton. Amazing car I still miss.

[@TerrasClip]

Wow a Phaeton, ain't that an upgrade lol How long did you keep it?

[@scottvessa7918]

@@TerrasClip I had the Phaeton for 5 years. Amazing car.

[@bobcook8576]

Love it or hate it that car got your attention. Very bold lines even for today. Brings a smile to my face when I see one now. Many mopars out there that are not boring.

[@WarioSaysSo]

13:05 - Remembers me of what my grandfather (RIP) said about his opinion on the Mercedes & Chrysler merger. He was a veteran car mechanic who had been driving Mercedes cars for about 20 years straight and was specialized in Chevriolets, Dodges and Chryslers among others. His opinion (who I did not understand at the time) was that the merger was a catastrophe from the day the merger was signed. He understood early on that the companies & car culture was just to wide appart and he could see that there would be a lot of challanges that the company(ies) would not be on the same lines in building cars or run a company. Now as an adult, with all the facts in front of me through various books and sources covering the ill-fated merger, I'm impressed how he could understand all that despite not being that political and more just your "practical Joe" kind of man. Impressed how near no one else around had same opinion(s), but he stood his ground and would years later be proven fully right

[@fasthracing]

I had an 06 Drop head. Drove it down to Monaco from Manchester (England) it got as many looks as some of the much flasher stuff. Have to say I really liked the car. Tempted by an SRT one in the future.

[@tommyolsen8224]

We had a SLK R170 for 7 years , miss it alot! Allways liked the Crossfire to , But its very hard to find in Norway

[@aardvarkbiscuit2677]

I still drive a R170. Lovely daily driver.

[@ericgeorge5483]

I love the fact that the styling of the Crosfire was "different" Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson described the looks from the back as like a dog having a dump. I can see his point. I actually like the styling though and its a great alternative to the SLK of the day!

[@nygelmiller5293]

To Eric George from Nygel Miller. The motoring programme that has proved durable and professional over the time, is FIFTH GEAR, and not TOP GEAR, or it's offensive juvenile presenters! Like a dog from the back, having a dump? I'd say actually, that IS an accurate description - of Jeremy Clarkson himself!

[@AR_4Foglio]

Jeremy Clarkson always been a hater of american cars. If you notice, mostly all Porsche cars looks like a dog taking a dump as well. So, what's the point! For me, after almost 20 years it still looks way better than many newer cars out there!

[@ericgeorge5483]

@@nygelmiller5293 So you don't like him then?

[@fobbitoperator3620]

Clarkson was a bit of a "yobbish fellow," when it came to his unique descriptions of unique cars.

[@Brascofarian]

Yeah, I imagine that one joke cost Chrysler a lot of sales. Once it's pointed out you can't help seeing it.

[@gpaje]

Just the clarify, the 6-Speed Manual was actually sourced from Mercedes and built in Germany as well, but it was used primarily in Jeeps first. It would eventually be used in some Mercedes ML applications.

[@RockandrollNegro]

The NSG370 used in the Crossfire is an odd duck. It was originally a Getrag design developed for Mercedes Unimog trucks, and Daimler didn't want to share it with BMW, so they purchased the design to manufacture it themselves in Stuttgart. And then... they decided they didn't really like it all that much, so they kicked it over to Chrysler, because fuck Chrysler, right? That pretty much sums up the entire Daimler-Chrysler merger. "Hey, we wanted your Jeep Division. We don't want to pump any money into Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler, Eagle or Mitsubishi, so we're killing Plymouth and Eagle, and Mitsubishi can go to hell. We'll spin Ram off on its own so we can kill Dodge, and when people stop buying the PT Cruiser, we'll kill Chrysler. Then it will be Daimler/Jeep-Ram. Until all this is finished, the only parts and components available to you will be chassis and drivetrains handed over from your sister brands. Here's this shitty six speed we don't like, go nuts! Guten tag, scheißekopft!"

[@gpaje]

@@RockandrollNegro Now it's being prized by AMG owners wanting to do a manual conversion because it's designed to bolt right up to a M112/M113 bell house and can handle the power.

[@Holeyguagaamoley]

Waiting for this, I love mine and have had it since 2005, use it only in the summer ( convertible ) and have had nothing go wrong with it. Perfect little roadster.

[@JakobKsGarage]

Wasn't it Chrysler who also bought Rootes Group UK and Simca Talbot France? Which also both ended going nowhere in quite a few years. Their european adventures in last century always ended i a lot of loss. Oh, and couldn't they just have taken the legendary 1980ies E class extendable wiper and made it park in the middle? That would have been awesome!

[@jackdough8164]

Yea they did. I used to have the dodge omni which I think was a rebadged Talbot. Was a pretty decent little car and was comfy for long trips.

[@fosterfuchs]

@@jackdough8164 Indeed. In Europe it was known as the Simca, then Talbot, Horizon. Just like the Plymouth version of the Omni. I was born and raised in Germany. My dad always bought cars from the same dealership. As a child, I wondered why the brand changed from Simca to Talbot to Peugeot over time. When I came to the United States, I found out about the Chrysler bankruptcy and that they sold their European operation. That was my lightbulb moment with regards to this topic.

[@Richard4point6]

Rootes Group...I was a victim...

[@LEgoiste]

The Crossfire design draws heavily from the 95 concept Chrysler Atlantic with it's central spine line going through the car both externally and internally. The Atlantic itself was inspired by the art deco style of the Bugatti Atlantique. As a follow on I didn't know about the 4 door saloon I always assumed it was the Chrysler Firepower concept. Great video, I loved my Sapphire Silver Blue convertible always put a smile on my face when you say behind the wheel and heard that heavy thunk of the door closing, the seating position being nice and low. Happy days, sold it on only because I got a new job with a company car. Would gladly have kept it for my Son's to drive. Always got lots of attention as know one knew what it was.

[@tommessner3502]

I have an SRT6. 0-60 in under 5 sec. because of the Supercharger. Awesome car. A real sleeper. People are shocked when you run away from them with this car. And the value is increasing.

[@KaiTolvanen]

I have 2005 CrossFire SRT6, and it´s amazing car, enough power and toque...and its look great...it is no mass product...it is unique car...i love it...352hp...

[@penzlic]

Detroits' retro craze in early 00's is some of the greatest retro deco designs I've ever seen

[@antonhoward7968]

I really quite like these things It's no thoroughbred, but a smart and different boulevard cruiser and I think they are quite cool. It very rare for a production version to look better than a concept, but to my eye, the production version has better overall proportions, and the sweep of the rear side window is a vast improvement. Shame they strayed so far away from the concept interior but those are the realities of platform sharing and costs, but the Crossfire has a much more inspiring interior than Mercedes SLK. I really don't need a road car that can lap the ring in 8 minutes, if I wanted to drive fast then Id do a track day, so if it's not the last word in performance and handling, does it really matter as long as it's fun to drive. I certainly see me spending time with one soon, and I'd contend that it may become a modern classic.

[@petergamache5368]

If anything, the front-end of the prototype Crossfire looks like it was stolen wholesale to become the Cadillac CTS-V.

[@the123king]

Funnily enough, there's a Crossfire parked up a few roads away from me. Much like the PT Cruiser, Chevy SSR, and Plymouth Prowler, they were quite controversial in styling, but i like the lot of them.

[@the123king]

The Crossfire has quite a nice MGB-esque shape to it, with the long bonnet and curvy "fastback" rear end

[@aak247]

Your videos always make my day! Thank you, sir!

[@Remfire1107]

Love my 2005, not good in snow, or ice, but fun to drive, with a cross country once in a while. See no reason to sell, still enjoying the body style.

[@MrRea112]

Chrysler Group’s head of styling at the time, Thomas Gale is probably one of the most underrated stylists ever. Every car that came from the Group made me want one! Sadly woeful quality, some engineering bloopers and poor manufacturing (an American blight) hung over those brands and Daimler’s dead hand over the company killed the creative drive that defined the Group at the time effectively dooming its future growth. I don’t believe it ever returned

[@JustJay1281]

totally agree, the biggest issue with (US) big three, they are plagued by either bad timing (usually too late), and/or poor cost cutting choices. GM and Chrysler have had some amazing cars that flopped due to timing or cost cutting choices.

[@marcryvon]

@@JustJay1281 Those were the days of the Bean Counters domination. It changed quite drastically today but at Chrysler...

[@tommurphy4307]

@@JustJay1281 if they would only STOP MAKING JUNK we would be a lot better off. something never heard in a nissan or toyota service drive- "don't park it in the garage until after we do the warranty work."

[@philpatterson7085]

@@tommurphy4307 cough, uncontrolled acceleration, cough

[@KB-bh9hp]

@@tommurphy4307 I mean, from a reliability standpoint, I'll take some American cars, like many ford's, over most Nissans all day long. Chrysler isn't great, but the other American brands are pretty good now. They followed a similar path to Kia/Hyundai imo.

[@matewansid]

I purchased a Crossfire while they were practically giving them away. First and probably last brand new car I've ever purchased! The Chrysler service departments literally hated the car and clearly had no idea what they were doing when it came time to do even basic service. Fortunately the on-line Mercedes community was very helpful. I'm 6'4" and never really fit into the car well. The massive bulkhead behind the seats prevented me from actually adjusting things to be comfortable driving the thing for more than two hours at a time. But I LOVED the way it drove. Fantastic cornering once I installed B.F.Goodrich performance tires. A Magnaflow exhaust made the engine sound really sweet too. I replaced the restrictive airbox/engine cover with am AMG spec Mercedes intake which was a simple bolt-on and produced good power too. I enjoyed driving that little beast for five years and got a nice price when I sold it to a petite young woman who fit the little coupe perfectly !

[@larryfromwisconsin9970]

My sister still daily drives her Crossfire. Recently the computer went out. The Chrysler Dealer wouldn't fix it and the Mercedes Dealer wouldn't either. She finally got it fixed at an independent shop.

[@LEgoiste]

I had similar with mine, it was an easy fix that I found on a US owners site, just needed old solder removing and resolder in place....done. Mine kept cutting out and would not restart.

[@jochenpeiper6797]

@@LEgoiste bro , i bought a NEW Crossfire in 2004 , TOTALED it in 06 lol ( not MY fault !! ) bought another NEW one in 06 , still have it and love it , 80,ooo mile just started doing what you said , cuts OFF while driving , sometimes restarts sometimes doesnt !! sometimes restarts 24 hours later , any specifics on which solder and where or website info would be greatly appreciated

[@LEgoiste]

@@jochenpeiper6797 Sure it's the RCM, RELAY CONTROL MODULE . If I recall correctly it's encased in a black box, just take it out clear off the old solder and resolder. Honestly couldn't be easier and the problem went away, apparently Chrysler dealerships back then charged the earth and still never fixed it. Like I said it was on a post on the Crossfire owners site. Good Luck and enjoy!

[@jochenpeiper6797]

@@LEgoiste thanks man , took the Crossfire to local shop here on Padre Island , that has a good reputation , they said it was not '' throwing a code '' and were not sure where to go from there !!!! wish i had my 1973 Lotus Europa BACK !!! had NO COMPUTER and ran FINE !!!

[@glennpowell3444]

And here is me at a certain age lusting over a mk1 Granada 3 litre ghia coupe in green thesedays.They were the car I wanted as a kid when I grew up.A mk2 2.8 ghia comes a close second.

[@antonhoward7968]

My mate had metallic red 2,8i Granada Ghia as his first car at 17 in about 1983, excellent fun.

[@Iamtheliquor]

I loved how this car looks. I’ve never owned nor driven one though. I did have a Chrysler 300 hire car for a week in the states

[@mik300z]

There was one in my village in Ireland, always got a 'not sure should I like it' look outside the local shop- very eccentric car 😊 and the owner was probably too.

[@dynaflow666]

Bought one new in 2005 for approx. 14.000 € under the list price. It was a coupe with AT and painted in sapphire silver blue. And it was a great fun machine - pretty fast and and a true eye-catcher on the road. Anyway, not all people liked the desgin and many referred to it as the "pooping dog" due to the rear end. Sold it in 2010 for a new Chrysler 300C Touring, which also was a great car.

[@Ametisti]

I've always liked the Crossfire, it's a nice looking thing. It's a pity they didn't manage to try cramming in a V8 for the SRT.

[@willadams9001]

This is an interesting video for those of us who heard Jeremy Clarkson’s opinion back in the day

[@shaydevlin5557]

Dog dragging it’s arse if I remember rightly?

[@ekgcanadianenthusiast9961]

@@shaydevlin5557 chyrsler and mercedes just could not work together .i mean this car is the example because this was a good car and slk was also not sporty instead more like a baby sl

[@willadams9001]

@@shaydevlin5557 lol that’s the one!

[@mattmason7554]

Timeless. Still look awesome. Have a srt myself. Incredible performance for cheap used. A blast to drive. Lots of gremlins though..

[@joshbacon8241]

*”It looks like a dog doing a poo…”* _- Jeremy Clarkson on the Crossfire’s styling, Top Gear (S3 E9)_

[@shaydevlin5557]

He had such an influence on how people thought of cars in the past

[@ekgcanadianenthusiast9961]

@@shaydevlin5557 agreed

[@nigellamaccini6091]

PMSL its does!

[@GryphLane]

@@shaydevlin5557 He wasn't wrong in this case, though!

[@rickyg1247]

I like the styling but know what he means - I would have been kinder and said a cowering dog😂

[@PearComputingDevices]

While I never thought the "merger of equals" was very equal or a good idea, it didn't take long before my thoughts had been solidified. What's left of Chrysler is kind of a joke. I thought the whole idea was foolish. Sure, ok with the right chemistry it could have worked well. But this is Daimler we are talking about here and this mess could be easily blamed on them. But I mainly blame Bob Eaton for even considering the idea. Eaton being no Iacocca.. at all. In many ways he doomed the brand to stagnation and later Fiat solidified it. If it wasn't for Jeep, Chrysler would be dead.

[@dts3747]

Eaton then obama

[@AndySnap]

Not just the Crossfire, this video is like gazing back to a time when car designs tried to be interesting, different and eye-catching. What a shame so many journos' and car buyers are mesmerised by certain German car badges, and their very dull looking grey/black cars these days. I applaud Crossfire owners!!

[@MrR2185]

Chrysler has generally made amazing concept cars over the years and I applaud them for bringing many of them to production.....Viper, PT Cruiser(yes it was a daring move at the time), Prowler. Most car companies do not do that. I hope they keep doing that in the future.

[@plymouth491]

Those days are gone. That Chrysler Corporation is dead.

[@Rob_Dekker]

To me this was the spiritual successor to the Volkswagen Corrado VR6: Both were build by Karmann. Both have an adjustable rear spoiler. Both have a 6 cylinder engine. (different config though) Both are a coupe. I almost bought one after I sold my Corrado, but it was too expensive at time.

[@lecram2183]

Minor correction: Actually, the 6-speed manual is not a Chrysler part. It’s the standard Mercedes gearbox you could also get in the SLK 320 (however most of them were ordered with the optional 5-speed automatic, the manuals are pretty rare). But thanks for another very interesting episode! I’ve always liked the Crossfire‘s exterior design. So much sharper then the SLK‘s and a true eye-catcher. Unfortunately the recirculating ball steering box taken from the SLK (or W202 chassis respectively) and the interior trim with so much cheesy silver plastic was a bit of a disappointment.

[@paultasker7788]

That doesn't surprise me either as Mercedes was never known for good manual boxes.

[@mattdebyl8806]

@@paultasker7788 If I recall correctly it's a light truck gearbox that was used extensively in the TJ and JK Wrangler.

[@carlosandleon]

Silver plastic is fancy af

[@honkhonkler7732]

Most disastrous merger in automotive history. Chrysler was on top of the world in the 1990s and they had hit after hit on their hands. They also had the coolest cars on the road between the tough looking '94 Ram, as well as the Viper and Prowler. The Neon meanwhile was quick for its time and its DOHC 2.0L engine is still class competitive in power output to this day. I would've loved to see what they could have done on their own instead of dying on the vine and being starved of resources by Daimler, being given decade old leftover scraps.

[@Sanpedranoazul]

Your reviews are so informative and very professional, thank you!

[@anthonydexter262]

I'm still convinced they took the back end design from the chevrolet cheetah 🐆, I bought a great one for my good lady last year with 26k.... its beautiful

[@Lot76CARS]

Great summary of this ill fated marriage. The crossfire here in the UK is in the bargain basement as a used car (as indeed is the SLK) but both will probably be appreciated (eventually) for what they were, innovative coupes/convertibles born of a short lived married and never to be repeated.

[@ubayyd]

Great car and a greater video .

[@RERM001]

I always liked the Crossfire, slick design and athletic performance. Too bad Daimler couldn't understand what a joint venture should be.

[@bigdogcars3277]

I have a black 2003 with fabricated sports exhaust and a remap. Here in UK a lot of people do not know what it is. Its a bloody hoot of a car. I had a 230SLK but this feels completely different. Its raw and like a mini muscle car. Its manual, light, and although around a modest 230bhp it goes pretty fast. I have had it over 4 years and its on 125k miles but i have no intention of ever selling it. I didnt buy it for anyone else i brought it for me. I really love these forgotten cars and they represent great value.

[@Dap-Racing]

another fantastic video sir

[@seanhershey3390]

There's a few in my town.... always cool to see...

[@-POISON-]

Always loved the roadster. Those lines just make sense. I imagine an SRT6 would have been really fun.

[@baronvonjo1929]

The Crossfire looks great. Now is Chrysler a mainstream brand or is it a premium brand in between like what Buick dies and what Mercury tried to do. I also find Mazda to be slowly entering this segment.

[@TheNormanbro]

I love that car! Its design is amazing! I just look at some of them on used market and it is shocked me... Their prices start from 330.000 Lira, which is around 22.000$. * Currently minimum wage is 4700 lira in Turkey.

[@floydlarken3148]

My brother just bought one for 18,000 US and it’s the SRT with 28,000 miles on it. It’s black and it’s a convertible, beautiful!

[@lordmellis7135]

I remember visiting the MBUK warehouse just after the Daimler Chrysler 'divorce'. It's safe to say the people of MB didn't view the marriage with much fondness

[@monk3yboy69]

Indeed. The darkest years in MB history I would say. The crap they produced….

[@bryanm.4869]

@@monk3yboy69 At least they were more reliable than today.

[@mertcalc3259]

@@monk3yboy69 do you say W211 E-Class crap? Think again

[@markjames9205]

I always liked these. Future collector car?

[@chaswd3790]

The Supercharged SRT6 version is very special. Very quick even today. Very rare and a sleeper of note.

[@Bod8998]

Excellent excellent excellent as usual quality channel

[@patrickracer43]

I don't know why they just didn't attempt to just make a Chrysler version of the Dodge Viper Edit: seriously, that's what GM did with the Cadillac SLR, which was literally a Chevrolet Corvette cosplaying as a Cadillac

[@Mik3y2087]

They came out with the Chrysler Firepower concept based on the Viper. It had the 6.4 Hemi. The Mercedes SLS is said to have been created from the Viper. Apparently Mercedes didn’t want Chrysler to succeed. Look at the Chrysler ME-412 prototype. That thing would’ve been a beast but Mercedes released the SLR MCLaren instead. I also read that Mercedes had majority control over the merged companies.

[@shannondudley3757]

I really enjoy your well researched, straight forward videos Sir. All power to you.

[@Midtable1881]

As James May said, It’s the all-American roadster! (Expect for the bits that aren’t)

[@BazColne]

The Crossfire really was mouthwateringly beautiful.

[@battlecad6175]

I really appreciate this wonderful channel and all your great work so much. 🤩 Can't thank you enough. 🙂 Love and my best regards from the "Harz Mountains" in Germany... stay safe! ✌️ 🇺🇦

[@bxmachine]

I always remember the Clarkson description. Something about a squatting dog.......

[@mci6718]

A very factual video which I cannot stop watching. It is a shame Chrysler now sticks to boring minivans and SUVs rather than exotic cars.

[@bidensucks6792]

Iv got one and love it! It's an 04 with 68k on it, white on red with manual transmission. Iv had it sense 2015, for it's 20th it will be getting new speakers, shocks and struts and a handful of minor body work. It had been a long time since I've had a car I was attached to.

[@busterhymen6224]

My 05 limited couple has 308 thousand miles. If you have one drive it!

[@LacayoDe]

I had both the crossfire and the SLK230.. kept the SLK 230 but it gets significantly less looks! It’s 2022 I still enjoy my 1998 SLK230 especially in summer . Thanks a lot for the video I clicked very quickly

[@peterjohnston4051]

Excellent chronology.

[@harrisonthorburn7415]

The Daimler/Chrysler merger always seemed like a great idea, terribly executed to me. Had they run the company as one global entity with singular visions for the brands and actually improved the Chrysler quality, instead of churning out sadness piles like the Caliber and the Compass, they may have eventually worked out the culture stuff and have a really great company today. It’s sad to see Chrysler be basically a minivan brand only today.

[@andyrob3259]

The issue were the Americans that still thought they were in total control and never had to answer to anyone, ignored instructions or requests and that MB would just give them an open cheque book.

[@mafiousbj]

Imagine making a spicy version of your sports coupe with over 100 HP more than the base version and just offering it with an automatic gearbox...really astonishing.

[@robertward8035]

I owed a blue convertible standard transmission version for 15 years. I regret selling it. I loved this car. It's a shame Chrysler and Mercedes didn't continue that direction. The Crossfire was great on trips, around town, or putting the top down on a spring day, driving the "blossom trail" outside Fresno, or up the road to Yosemite for the day. One of my favorite over 50 years driving.