How Chrysler turned the SLK into a mini muscle car - REVIEW/ CHRYSLER CROSSFIRE (Road and Track)

[@davidkosach3095]

I have an 05 crossfire and my steering wheel adjusts. There is a hidden lever in the steering column. If you put summer tires on it, the car sticks to the road big time!! It will corner way better and faster!! They cost about $150-200 each.

[@PianoUniverse]

Had my 2004 for just about 20 years. 96k and still love it.

[@carmanick]

Oh wow, was that from new? Just.goes to show how good and special the Crossfire is, for you to keep that long but to still love it after all that time. It's just one of those unusual one offs in the car world. Perhaps the best Chrysler product we ever got in Europe

[@PianoUniverse]

I bought it new in 2005 as a left over 25k. @@carmanick

[@joeyallcock1011]

@@carmanick i have both 2door Black on Black 2004 Crossfire~full service history~has everything! i'm fitting her with a new waterpump today! also my other chrysler is my 2 Door Black on Black 2.4litre PT'Van" it's a 2005 PT Cruiser~GT*they look sportier due to roof spoiler also on my 2door Panel van conversion has shaved door locks+ handles inside back all redone after door seats trim delete to make it nice agsin.☆joedog☆

[@casualworgen]

@@PianoUniverse I got mine with 29k original miles it’s now at 53

[@PianoUniverse]

@@carmanick New leftover in 2005.

[@kickboxer050779]

I've got a 2006 crossfire and it's a awesome car to drive sounds amazing and everyone looks at it and says to me "Nice car" Future Classic In my eyes!

[@carmanick]

@@kickboxer050779 brilliant. Absolutely agree, although can't say I got the same admiration! Glad you enjoy yours and hope you continue to. Thanks for watching and commenting

[@donwand8623]

I've had my 2004 for 5 years now. Brilliant condition with a recent driveshaft replacement and a headliner fall left to redo, less than 9000km only summer driven. Love love love it, will never give it up.

[@carmanick]

I can see why you'd have it for so long and love it! It's a properly special car, nothing else like it! I no longer have mine, as I wasn't using it so much with having a little one. But glad there's passionate owners out there, appreciating the Crossfire for what it is! Hopefully your headlining repair isn't too much, I hear it's a common problem. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@joeyallcock1011]

dont replace liner just peel fabric get carpet spray glue retrim with fabric of ur choice mine now has a black acoustic fabric.looks stock so only you and me know its been re-done.☆joedog☆

[@casualworgen]

@@carmanick People that don’t own one don’t understand. They also have less repair expenses 🤣 😂

[@douglascyr7627]

I have a 2005 limited auto and love driving it. Since it had mercedes mechanicals the steering was made for high speed cruising and have a dampened feel of the road. When taking a corner it is flat and tight. Overall a great handling car.

[@carmanick]

Thanks for watching and commenting. I thought it handled rather well, particular on track, it was just the steering I wasn't quite in tune with, particularly compared to cars like the Mazda RX8 I use to own. But regardless, very underrated car and so negatively reviewed, and it's really unfair. Such a special feeling car that took mercedes mechanicals and added some magic

[@douglascyr7627]

@@carmanick I owned an RX-8 as well. Great feedback in the steering, however the lack of torque made coming out of corners painfully slow. Don't get me started on the engine in the RX-8. Absolutely garbage. Overall I find the Crossfire to be a much more enjoyable ride. Giving up very little.

[@bruceferrell3394]

I have a black 2004 . It is very quick and glues itself around the curves in the road. The biggest issue I've had with it was a sticky key . Other than that , it's been bullet proof. I use it for a daily driver.

[@carmanick]

That's great, I had very few issues with mine too, they seem a well engineered car. By sticky key do you mean it wouldn't come out the ignition? I hope you continue to enjoy it and it remains good to you Thanks for watching

[@PianoUniverse]

There is a fix on the sticky key. Its just a tiny piece of metal that you dont need. I did mine off a You Tube video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5PZiJyOi52asLc

[@dannyenglish]

Good overall review love these cars inexpensive and unique. A real marmite car but for the money it's hard to find another vehicle with such strong and quirky styling. Keep up the good work

[@carmanick]

Thank you, very kind of you to say! Yeah they are very good value, even when new. Rust certainly affects values and they're a bit old fashioned but as you say for the money, you can get so few cars that make you feel like this, very special and unique!

[@randyfine4535]

I've had one for 3 years now and , FOR THE MONEY, you can't beat it.

[@carmanick]

You're not wrong! Thanks for commenting and hope you have many more years of enjoyment !

[@captaincommando9911]

Thank you for this very complete overview of the Crossfire. I have been considering buying one, as I love the styling.

[@carmanick]

Oh thanks for the kind words! I can highly recommend one and a lot of the videos I watched seem to focus on all the negatives and dismiss it but I think it's such a great car and has its own character. If you're considering buying one I'd say they're pretty reliable, as the engine is quite robust and unstressed, and there's not so many electrics to worry about. Just check the spoiler goes up at 60mph automatically, rust around the car, and things like the headlining dropping. Fortunately I had none of those issues. Good luck and I'm sure you won't regret it!

[@captaincommando9911]

I remember wanting to buy a Crossfure when they came out based on the styling but we couldn't afford it and also with 4 little kids my family needed the Chrysler minivan that I bought instead. I see now that the prices for a used Crossfire are pretty reasonable (and our kids are grown) and so I am looking for one. Thanks again for your review.

[@carmanick]

@@captaincommando9911 sounds like the right time to treat yourself!

[@petergiourelas3753]

Got one 14yrs now handles great looks great love it light too not like new so called sports cars

[@carmanick]

Wow that's a really long time, just goes to show there is love out there and they're great cars! I think they handle great too and you're right they are light and small too, you don;t realise they are small till you park it next to something else, as it's quite a purposeful car. I think the ride is very good too. It's just the steering I don't get on with, it's a bit vague, but that shouldn't define the whole car and people should be able to look passed this . Thanks for watching and commenting and I hope you continue to enjoy yours and that it's good to you!

[@cwilsonpa]

Your ashtray is broken, it’s supposed to gently slide out,. The US models did not include that mysterious red button. I have owned a 2004 model as the 4th owner for 9 years and I love it. It stands out at car meets since most people don’t know what it is.

[@carmanick]

Oh I see! That would explain its savagery ejecting. I couldn't see anything obviously broken but perhaps there's some sort of soft open mechanism. I understand the red button is a UK specific add on to meet the requirements for alarms for an industry body we have here (Thatcham). I think that body approves the alarms for car insurance so you can say you have one fitted. Looks very aftermarket though! Wow you've had yours ages! Completely agree it stands out. I think they are quite well known over here but quite rare to see out and about. I think it has quite an unfair reputation here! Hope you continue to enjoy yours and have it for.many more years!

[@kevinhunt8585]

Have a 04 and I just love the car. It's just hard to beat

[@carmanick]

Completely agree, there's nothing quite like it and it properly has its own character! Glad you enjoy yours and continue to do so. Thanks for watching and commenting

[@jamespatrick8642]

Great review. I am on my 7th year of ownership of a grey 2004 reg and I have loved every minute of it. I am actually going to put it to bed this year in the garage and save it for the odd weekend or the summer and I am buying a Mercedes E Class around 2017 reg as an everyday car. I will never sell it. From the outset I have had compliments, been in in depth car conversation etc. With it being grey and grey being the most popular new car colour some people think it is a brand new car but it is 04 reg so it also confuses some people as it is so rare they have never seen one. The only problem I ever had was a year after I bought it, it broke down (crank shaft sensor, a common problem) at a bus stop on a main road and the bus turned up full of people!

[@carmanick]

That's great you've had it so long and still enjoy it! I think it's such a great wow-looking car and is very distinctive, but not sure I've had the same admiration as you! Apart from the odd time maybe! I think when people come out in it they are more convinced when they see and feel how special it is, the cabin, details, sound, the feel in that small snug cabin with the thin windows and long bonnet! It has aged incredibly well and many people won't really know so much about Chrysler in the UK so it's almost exotic! I think if that's the only problem you've had then that's pretty good, although maybe not an ideal place to breakdown! Mine was pretty reliable actually, I had a lumpy idle which appeared to be a dirty maf sensor but otherwise just maintenance! I think it's great you're going to put it to bed over winter as that'll help preserve it going forward, especially as it's nearly 20 years old and not exactly appreciative of salty roads!

[@Carla-nb3iv]

Jamespatrick? Hmmm just another piece of info

[@PeterPrism]

I have the cabrio black limited ed. and i L O V E this toy!

[@carmanick]

Oh I do love the cabriolet, it looks beautiful and definitely avoids the controversial back end of the coupe. Black is a great colour for the crossfire, properly contrasts with the chrome and silver of the windscreen and badges etc Thanks for watching and I hope you continue loving your crossfire!

[@PeterPrism]

@@carmanick tnx bro

[@PeterPrism]

@@carmanick Tnx Bro

[@markmills4651]

I've just purchased this very car today lol. It has some carbon fibre like covering on the spoiler now and seems to have an uprated exhaust. I get it on Tuesday. Its in fantastic condition so it's a credit to you. Thank you. Best wishes.

[@carmanick]

What you bought my exact car? That's crazy. I sold it very recently to someone who said they collected unusual cars! That's a shame it sold so quickly but I had very little issues with it! I hope it serves you well also. I thought the standard exhaust sounded great enough but perhaps they wanted more noise!

[@markmills4651]

Yes it was for sale in Wednesbury. I saw your review and thought I recognised the reg lol. Passed mot with no advisories very clean and has sports exhaust. Sounds nice. It was part ex for a 350z. I will look after it. I saw it and it was everything I wanted. Just going to keep it for a future classic. Best wishes.

[@carmanick]

@@markmills4651 sounds like it's been passed around, I hadn't sold it that long ago as you can tell. If you want to know anything about the history then let me know. It's a fantastic car, very characterful and reliable too. Thanks for watching and looking after it going forward!

[@markmills4651]

Cheers. Still cruising around in it. Love it. Best wishes 👍 👍

[@bidensucks6792]

My 04, white on Red/black almost has 60k on it. It will be 20 in 2024. It got a new headliner about a week ago, getting new speakers in July. I have no intention on getting rid of it in my lifetime, it's become my favorite car to drive.

[@carmanick]

There seems to be a great following and very passionate owners so nice to hear you plan to keep it long time! Does that mean it's had a a custom paint job or wrap? Thanks for watching

[@bidensucks6792]

@@carmanick Nope, no custom anything for the most part. I replaced the useless cupholder decades ago with a cubby when it kept popping open every time it was bumped and tinted the windows. I also replaced the grill with a bullet grill, that was also decades ago but I have the original, I also put in a rolling cargo cover. And a long thin spoiler across the top of the back window. The car is kept in a garage so the paint is almost perfect as well as the body.

[@adrianskaife8496]

Hi there can you tell me where you got the new headliner from?

[@bidensucks6792]

@@adrianskaife8496 I had it installed by a guy who does leather repair and car interior work. If you live of come to Vegas often I'd be more than happy to introduce you to him. He does mostly work for dealerships. That's how we met him in the early 2000s. He replaced the headliner in my mother's Cadillac XLR .

[@watsy999]

Love mine!

[@carmanick]

That's great! How long have you had yours?

[@watsy999]

Ten years and counting!!!!

[@carmanick]

@@watsy999 oh that's brilliant, I can see why you would've kept it that long! And now it's nearing classic car recognition! Hope you continue enjoying and thanks for watching

[@watsy999]

@@carmanick Thanks for your comments Well done on the video!

[@MarkB-33]

Fantastic GT cars these. I love mine, 05 manual and with 130k on the clock its a pure toy. Not my daily. These do get a lot of hate as they look different with the art deco styling. They stand out and people have trouble with things different from the norm. A bit like my love of the band Devo. You cannot compare them to anything else and people are mostly frightened of things that do not conform. I always think to myself "great. You are triggered. That makes me love them even more". Who wants to blend into the crowd?

[@patcurrie9888]

Great car in Crossfire's best color. Nice review too. Lucky guy.

[@carmanick]

Thank you and thanks for watching! I do like the colour, I guess it was the most popular and the 'default colour' for press cars etc, but if I had the choice I'd probably go for the deep red - the crossfire just looks lovely in red. Thanks for the kind words.

[@casualworgen]

I have a 2005 Limited Roadster Convertible and I love it. Top down cruising at night it’s just you and the stars. Peaceful. Only thing I really hate is it doesn’t matter what the repair is it’s going to be a pain in the butt to get fixed and expensive.

[@carmanick]

@@casualworgen Oh wow very nice. The convertible is such a lovely shape, I think it really makes the most of the proportions and gives you an alternative if you're not keen on the curved back end of the coupe! What colour is your car? I was quite lucky, i didn't need to do much apart from routine servicing, changed the rear diff oil, full services (which is like Noah's ark, two of everything, spark plugs, and air filters!) and some new tyres and brakes. Mine was a 2007 so a late one and in the UK that meant road tax was very high! Thanks for watching and commenting and all the best with yours

[@casualworgen]

@@carmanick I made it my daily driver and it’s never let me down. After work I put the top down and cruise home.

[@casualworgen]

@@carmanickColor is Sapphire Silver Blue Metallic

[@carmanick]

@@casualworgen very nice, same colour as mine then? I think it's perhaps the most popular colour, at least for the coupe. Lovely colour it is too, shows the creases clearly

[@casualworgen]

@@carmanick It’s a great color. Only color I owned nicer was my brand new 2004 Scion Tc I ordered in 2003. Its was Indigo Blue Pearl. Wish I could share a picture on here I’d show ya

[@nigelskelding]

I've bought this very car last.month...had a full service .and rocker co er seals replaced ..brake pads were fitted wrong and t bar that holds them in upside down !! So now sounds nothing like a sqeeling cat ..Great to drive

[@carmanick]

My car? Since I sold it, it seems to have passed owners a couple of times. I hope it treats you well and sounds like you've got a few things sorted on it. I regret selling it, but when my little one arrived, I needed the back seats so replaced it with a Porsche Cayenne S. Definitely miss the Crossfire.

[@nigelskelding]

Now known as the" beast"

[@carmanick]

@@nigelskelding appropriate name!

[@GT.Bugger]

I've liked these for a while and contemplating buying one. Waiting for a manual 6spd hard top to come available locally for reasonable pr8ce and mileage.

[@carmanick]

They're a brilliant car, I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised by the crossfire. I liked the looks, but the interior is genuinely special, and the engine is a wonderful thing, especially paired up with Chrysler's own exhaust system. Good luck finding one, rust is the main thing to look out for, but it mostly shows on the outside!

[@GT.Bugger]

@@carmanick I've seen that the wheel arches are prone to rust, and the seam under the boot lid. Anywhere I should look out for.

[@carmanick]

@@GT.Bugger Yeah they're obvious spots to be honest, the front wiglngs are steel, so there too, and inside the bootlid around the boot release and number plate lights. It's a problem inherited from mercedes, the lack of rust protection on a noughties car is dreadful. My car was a 2007 so the arches were good but there was some minor bubbling on the bootlid

[@GT.Bugger]

​@carmanick I may have found one! Looked at it today! Has some issues but it's very cheap and low mileage 😊

[@markmills4651]

Hello mate. Car still going well and looking nice. Did you ever have to disconnect the battery? If so do you need a radio code? Hope all is well.

[@carmanick]

Hey! That's great glad you still have it! Do very much miss the Crossfire :(. I never had to disconnect the battery so I'm afraid I can't say for sure. A quick Google suggests not but that's not definitive. Good luck, I hope you don't have any problems with it!

[@markmills4651]

@@carmanick no worries thanks for reply. Going to do my bit to keep an oldie on the road lol. Tax is trying to ruin that though. Love seeing strange and different cars on the road. 👍👍

[@carmanick]

@@markmills4651 I'm glad. It was a lovely car and I miss it now. Yeah tax is crazy, I accepted it because it was a younger car and hence had much less rust than the other cars. Unfortunately being a 2 seater I didn't use it as much as I intended, now I have a young family! Absolutely loved the feel from inside the car, low roof, short dash, long bonnet, and the oh so strong engine!

[@rioflamingo2094]

Change the steering stabilizer/dampener about every 10k and depending on the mileage a new front center drag link will make the car handle night and day. Remember the E39 M5 had the recirculating ball steering as well.

[@carmanick]

Thank you, good tip! I'm not sure when it was done. It doesn't steer badly at all it just feels a little vague, a recirc ball setup will never be as pleasant as a good rack and pinion config, but good to know there's something you can do to improve. I actually enjoyed driving it. I think maybe the huuuuge steering wheel also makes the steering not as nice to use!

[@carmanick]

Thanks for watching and commenting. I've actually sold on the car now but definitely a good advice for crossfire owners watching this video !

[@MyKfactor]

Love my 2004. real head turner

[@carmanick]

Awesome, how long have you had yours? Can't deny it's a great looking and stand out car in any company!

[@johannesleiva2035]

Great review!

[@carmanick]

Thank you :). Thanks for watching also!

[@김예빈-t3p6z]

I love my car, in Korea, just few knows it haha

[@carmanick]

Wow you have one in Korea? That's amazing! Was the Crossfire sold officially there or is it an import? Must be a rare car other there!

[@김예빈-t3p6z]

@@carmanick I actually don't know because my dad gave me on Aug., 2021. He really had fun with the car. My dad said he bought on 2007 in Korea.

[@carmanick]

@@김예빈-t3p6z that's awesome. Been in the family for a very long car and a nice heirloom from your dad! I hope you enjoy, and many people in Korea admire it!

[@grlffn]

Wow! Nice!

[@ballzmckgee3167]

I liked my Chrysler conquest better but my Crossfire is awesome too, love the thing..

[@carmanick]

I had to look that up! That's a Mitsubishi Starion right? We didn't get the Chrysler version over here. I can see why you'd like that and I imagine it feels very different to the crossfire in character. Yeah crossfire though is an epic thing, glad you have one and love it!

[@ballzmckgee3167]

@@carmanick yea the station is the sister car, I loved that thing and would love another but they're so expensive nowadays..

[@Miamibroo]

I have the same shorts

[@imy0urpapa]

Ouch....my ears. Good video, but the sound quality is horrible.

[@carmanick]

Thanks, i have a lot of issues with audio, from the microphone i use, but mainly from the upload to youtube which dampens the sound level and adds distortion. I've not figured out how it can sound alright in my editing software and in the exported mp4, but not on youtube?!

[@szymeklawik7636]

Same engine as my Mercedes c320

[@carmanick]

Yeah I guess it was used throughout the merc range. How is the engine in your car?

[@szymeklawik7636]

@@carmanick it lovely. The only issue I have is a P0410 code CEL. Which I can't get to the root of. The Secondary Air injection System works but occasionally throws me that code. It doesn't affect the engine though. It's a great engine. Super smooth and lots of low end torque. My 2002 just hit 38248 miles. The two previous owners were elderly so hardly used. It's basically a new engine 😎

[@carmanick]

@@szymeklawik7636 ah that's annoying, I hope you get sorted but at least it doesn't ruin the experience for now! It is a very smooth, torquey engine, it's wonderful!

[@szymeklawik7636]

@@carmanick yeah it really doesn't do anything. I erase it on my ob2 reader. Sometimes it doesn't come back on foe weeks. Right now it's not there. The system works but might have a slow o2 sensor. Since cleaning it it hasn't come back. Fingers crossed.

[@Gorilla_Jones]

The red button is NOT factory. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@carmanick]

It's not factory but it was a modification Chrysler had to do for the UK market for all cars - to meet Thatcham Insurance requirements as I understand.

[@dannyenglish]

I have two crossfires here in the UK a 04 and 06 neither have that modification that is completely aftermarket added by a previous owner

[@carmanick]

@@dannyenglish It is mentioned on the crossfire forum by other owners and if you search on ebay for crossfire interior lights you will find several with the red button. Appears to be fitted to cars with Cat1 alarms to meet Thatcham category 1 requirements. Maybe alarm was an option?

[@carmanick]

Perhaps I was hasty to say it was fitted to all UK cars, but is definitely on some!

[@kalicok1]

Cameras older the the car 😮

[@carmanick]

The GoPro? Not quite ;p

[@RcH382]

The cheap crap came from chrysler. i have a 99e320 168k great car, am looking at getting a crossfire because it was built by mercedes and has a great drive train. found one for 7400 not bad today.

[@carmanick]

I think Chrysler cars of this era were a bit pants in terms of quality and technology so something like a Sebring isn't great. But the crossfire has its own character and they tried to something different! Yes it's based on old mercedes technology but they picked the good bits like the 320 engine.

[@christiono4946]

I got mine for 5500 under 100k miles it’s my first car

[@rkestes1955]

Audio was so shitty I almost turned you off right away. I'm glad I didn't. I enjoyed hearing your review as I am looking at a clean, low miles SRT-5 right now! @ questions. 1. How tall are you. I am concerned about headroom. 2. I love that "track experience" that you shared. Is that a common offering there?? I'd love to do that as well ! TIA !

[@carmanick]

I'm having many problems on my videos when uploading to KZbin. I need to improve the pure recording yes but KZbin seems to distort the sound so much that the background noise is exaggerated. SRT is the dream! I think the standard car feels pretty fast so an SRT-6 must feel mental. I'm just under 6 foot. Headroom is ok, I found that legroom is maybe more of an issue as the seat hits the bulkhead and you've got to then have the seat more upright. Well we have lots of track days in the UK, but that was a track we hired out so it was a short one-on one-off sprint route. Not so many of those circuits you can hire out but it's a good place to have fun and push a car with little risk. The crossfire was much more exciting and playful that I expected and was pretty quick compared to other cars that were there

[@BamaPewPew]

Muscle car? Mercedes was putting V8’s in the SLK the same years the crossfire was out.

[@carmanick]

It's more about the character, the feel. Yes it has a V6, but still. It has that Americano feel, the sound, the performance, that sort of simple fun. But yes the SLK55 AMG is a lot more Brutish and more of a performance car. But it's all subjective of course and others may disagree!