Chrysler Crossfire
Back in 2003, I was getting some routine work done to my Dodge Dakota pickup, and an advertisement on the dealership's window caught my eye. Chrysler Crossfire? Well, it certainly looked different, in a good sort of way, and I did my research and chomped at the bit until the car actually made it's way onto the lots in 2004. There seemed to be a lot of pluses: the Crossfire was made in Germany and consisted of about 80% Mercedes-Benz parts, and the $32,000 price also caught my eye. Essentially, this little Chrysler was a Benz that just about any middle-class American could afford. I'm using all of these past tense, "to be" verbs because the car went out of production a couple of years ago, but that doesn't reflect on the quality of this sleek little ride. Quite frankly, nothing else I have ever owned is even in the ballpark.
The Crossfire is equipped with a smallish 3.2 litre, 6 cylinder engine. It produces a modest 219 horsepower, but those Europeans are famous for getting a whole lot out of a little, and the Crossfire tested out at 151 mph. My own tests got it up to about 120, but my forty year-old heart nearly failed, and I had to back off of the gas pedal. It's like anything else; if you know your car CAN reach a certain speed, that's good enough. It works for this wimp! It's true that there are a number of cars out there that would smoke mine in a quarter mile, but it is best known among gearheads for its mid range torque. In other words, hit the gas at 70 mph and it will respond. That's important for getting away from the truckers and Sunday drivers that dominate today's interstate.
While I would rate the overall speed as being good, the handling is impeccable. The extra-wide low profile tires hug the road going around every turn. God knows there are curves on I-68 (in Maryland and West Virginia) that hit the driver with G forces that would make a test pilot shudder, but a simple downshift from the silky smooth 6 speed manual transmission levels the playing field in a hurry. Also, when equipped with the available Continental all-season radials, the car does pretty well in all weather conditions. There is a switch by the shifter knob that allows the driver to switch from summer to winter driving modes. You would have to ask a Chrysler mechanic what that means, but I can vouch for the fact that it's pretty effective.
We have already established that the little 3.2 liter engine is capable of some pretty nifty tricks, but it's small, nonetheless, and with that comes surprisingly good gas mileage. With gasoline hovering around four bucks a gallon, one wants performance that sips rather than guzzles. Most of my driving is either on "68" or well-maintained country roads, and I average 25.6 mpg. That's not a whole lot worse than some of those Japanese econo boxes, and the beauty of all of this is that the German engineered Crossfire will last as long as any of those Hondas and Toyotas that everybody is always bragging about. What could be better?
Well, did I mention the positive feedback? The Crossfire seems to take something from a bygone era and combine it with a look that hasn't fully been invented yet. The stares and doubletakes can be a little bit embarrassing, but it's pretty clear that the people really like what they see. I know I do. The combination of speed, handling, and gas mileage make the Crossfire part of a rare breed of cars that delivers on all levels. I'm hoping to get many more years out of my car, and I have a feeling that nothing is on the horizon that will make me want to trade it in any time soon. It truly is one of a kind.
