2008 Chrysler Crossfire Review
The Crossfire is great for consumers looking for
an affordable sports car, that may not quite reach the performance level
class, but is still fun to drive and powerful thanks to a Mercedes V6.
It small inside, but it has great design features and a smooth look.
Standard safety features include airbags, all-disc antilock brakes,
brake assist, traction control, a tire pressure monitoring system, and
an electronic stability system. Limited models, the only trim available
for 2008 include heated leather power seats, tire-pressure monitoring
system, touring gear, heated mirrors, fog lamps, and a universal garage
door opener. When the Chrysler Crossfire concept was first introduced at
the 2001 North American International Auto Show, there was genuine
interest and excitement from both the motoring press and the public.
Here was the first tantalizing fruit of the DaimlerChrysler merger that
would combine German engineering and American style. A production model
was announced, and the first Crossfire’s started to appear a few years
later. Despite a sporty design and Mercedes Benz V6 powertrain, the
Crossfire’s popularity never took off.
Crossfire Style
The Crossfire has a very unique body shape and
design. It is low to the ground and offers wide rear fenders end in
large, sculpted taillights and dual exhaust pipes are trademark of the
Crossfire. A signature winged Chrysler badge up front spans the upper
width of the chrome grille. The headlights have circular elements that
carve their way into the car's face. Six grooves run the full length of
the long hood. Side air louvers highlight the bodysides. The rear wheels
are 19 inches in diameter, while the front ones measure 18 inches. A
tapered boat-tail shape highlights the rear end, which emphasizes the
large rear wheels, tires and fender. A retractable spoiler activates
when the Crossfire reaches 60 mph. The Chrysler Crossfire uses retro
styling but is also patterned after parts of classic French Bugattis and
Talbot Lagos from the elegant pre-war period of auto design.
Handling of the ’08 Crossfire
The Crossfire may not be a true high performance
sports car, but it does exhibit quick throttle and accelerates with
force. The bottom line is the manners and drivability of this car are
the best part about it. The roadster is surprisingly quiet when the top
up. Rearward visibility from both the coupe and Roadster is limited to a
narrow slit in the rearview mirror, but the outside mirrors are
generously sized. The automatic has an adaptive function, which learns
how you drive by measuring how quickly you apply the accelerator in each
gear. It has a manual-shifting gate, which Chrysler calls AutoStick on
its cars. The Mercedes V6 offers quick throttle and the Crossfire
accelerates with force. It corners flat, its Mercedes suspension always
feels controlled and it has the latest in Mercedes anti-skid technology.
The Crossfire can stop like a sports car, a result of its large
11.8-inch vented front and 10.9-inch solid rear rotors matched with
massive tires. The Crossfire makes use of a comprehensive stability and
traction control system. It's the first time the Mercedes system has
been used on a Chrysler.
Inside Chrysler’s Crossfire
The Crossfire is available in coupe and
convertible models. It includes leather-trimmed high-back bucket seats.
Inside the Chrysler Crossfire is the familiar Mercedes adjustable wheel
and pedal arrangement. The seats are firm, comfortable and supportive.
The instruments are classic and easy to read. Switches for the power
windows are on the center console, less convenient than having them on
the doors; they feature auto-down but not auto-up. The Crossfire two
person cockpit is small, but there are plenty of storage areas with bins
and cubbies. The white-on-black gauges have a chrome trim ring. The
coupe offers 7.6 cubic feet of cargo space; it's deep and can swallow a
fair amount of stuff, but the opening is relatively small and precludes
big boxes. The roadster offers 6.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the
top up, less with the top down.
Crossfire Engines
The Crossfire with the five-speed automatic
works flawlessly and is well matched to the 3.2-liter engine. All
Crossfire models a Mercedes-sourced 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine that
produced 215 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque. The six-speed
manual gearbox, a Mercedes unit, doesn't seem to feel as direct and
quick shifting as previous Mercedes powered roadsters.
Summary
The Chrysler Crossfire was available only in coupe form when it debuted
in 2004, with a convertible model arriving the next year. Otherwise, the
Crossfire stayed mostly the same through 2008, when the base trim was
dropped. Also for 2008, the Chrysler Crossfire gets a standard tire
pressure monitoring system. 2008 was the Crossfire’s final model year of
production.