“This left an opening in Chryslers impractical and pricey model for the brand” wonderful haha! Wonderful epsiode as always man! The small Merc always seemed to be a non performance model while I was living there, usually driven by women or in rental form. Neat little car, but I think the Crossfire’s body added some character to it. The sad part about that business relationship is MB always used their expiring tech as new model starting pieces for Chrysler. I guess it shows the financial situation our side of the pond was in at the time, AND what the Germans thought of our market lol.
I love the Crossfire. I owned a beautiful 2007 silver roadster for 11 years and it was by far the best, most reliable car I have ever owned. Zero mechanical issues during that time and it gave me hours of enjoyment on twisty country roads.
@davidleach8828 Yeah from what I read, they hold up pretty well! I dont think Mom put 20k miles on hers over 6 years. The tire size on them when they were new were expensive.
Chrysler did a fantastic job of masking the Mercedes SLK roots. A few switches here & there, but there was so much work done to create a distinct look from the SLK.
When the Crossfire was released, I remember thinking it was interesting. But I think they were a little late to the 2-door/convertible “halo car” party. It was cool that it had a lot of MB DNA, but not if it cost as much as one. Interesting fact- they spent big $$$ on marketing this car, featuring Celine Dion in the commercials. They used her cover of the Roy Orbison/Cyndi Lauper song “I Drove All Night.”
I can’t believe I missed that! I get a feeling that marketing campaign cost them many millions! Celine is reportedly worth $1 billion now. Thanks Daimler-Chrysler for your contribution. Fashionably late, I like that spin! I’ve actually seen a few of these sell on collector sites in the last few years. No big money yet, but who knows?
@@autochatter They're not quite old enough I guess. Some cars are instant classics (Buick Regal GN/GNX), but it takes a while for some to be appreciated (Nissan 300ZX Z31, most Japanese models).
Shoutout to including a commercial from the AMAZING Crossfire game where you were allowed to shoot beebees at point blank range towards your little brother...
Thank you for the video. You touched on Chrysler's future. You have no idea how telling what you said is.... I have been keeping up with the current situation. It does not look good at all. That is a video for another day. Let's just say Stellantis is not the place to be and Chrysler is dead brand walking right now. Dodge is mixed up in that situation too.. As far as this car it was based on Mercedes Benz. Everyone knew it. So was that platform for Charger, Challenger and 300. That was not a merger of equals as we saw. I saw your little jokes in comments through out the video. I smiled. It seems the car served its purpose and was reliable. I heard your comment about the interior too. Thank you for the video.
Thank you Olds, and I sincerly apologize for the lack of any Oldsmobile content this week! Chryslers situation does look bleak, and I fear a death of a brand episode may be in the future. Yeah the 300 and friends were built off a E class platform.
@@autochatter You are most welcome. I was not expecting any GM/Oldsmobile cotent from a Chrysler. you have to watch the videos carefully to catch the hidden jokes. I kept seeing Crossfire items/commercials and was laughing. You really have to look up the things in the videos for the footage. I can say this Stellantis is not selling Ram and Jeep. The Chinese brand BYD executives have been hanging out in Michigan too. It is indeed bleak right now and you will be doing that video. Just make sure you include Imperial and New Yorker.
@@OLDS98 Oh I know you were not, just being funny! When I was writing the script, I kept recalling products named Crossfire, and I remembered the scene in Tombstone were Curly Bill said Crossfire too. Yeah...I think Jeep and Ram may be the only things Stelantis keeps. They seem to want Dodge and Chrysler to go away.
@@autochatter I know you were being funny. Yes, they are determined for Chrysler and Dodge to go away quick and in a hurry. Chrysler is down to a minivan and they already botched the new Dodge Charger before it hit the streets, and not only that, they priced it too high on purpose. No V8's either. Then add to the fact the plants are over capacity and shutting down now too. They want to divest of the two brands. It is sad it has come to this and destroying the industry in this country and putting people out of work. You might be interested in this video I watched tonight: th-cam.com/video/FGo73xVL5f8/w-d-xo.html
Just keep in mind, Mercedes spent over 3 billion dollars just teaching Chrysler how to build a car at all. Chrysler was one of the worst brands in the world. But instead of pulling Chrysler up, Chrysler pulled Mercedes down. And not just a little down, ALL the way down to the bottom of the J.D. Power surveys where they had been at the top for over three decades. So they were indeed equals. When Mercedes hit bottom, Chrysler turned Mercedes into a laughing stock and now even threatened their business and Mercedes pulled the plug and kicked them out before they could do any lasting damage. That's why they did it. They had 10's of billions invested, it couldn't have been easy. I have a 2018 Dodge Charger, the last of the Mercedes E class cars and I wouldn't have anything else. It was that, or an Audi 6 series.. The Audi would've been the easy move because it already had a blower in it. But, the Audi is a Volkswagen and the Charger is a Mercedes. No contest, and I added the blower to the Charger. Ironically today, all four of my vehicles are Chrysler's, and they're all Mercedes and trouble free. Even the Renegade which is a Fiat, is still a Mercedes. And one hell of a nice little truck. My Charger hasn't had one problem in it's 6 years and I'm keeping it. I can't even imagine what nightmare the Audi would've become in 6 years. Those cars are like BMW's, you get rid of them before the warranty's up, or you're very quickly going to buy them again. Only now they're going to be sitting in the shop. NOT your garage.
My mom owned two automatic ragtop Crossfires, a 2005 and 2007 both identical and she absolutely loved them. I was very unimpressed by them and having a preference towards, Toyota I'd rather have a Solara or better yet a Lexus SC 430. I did have some interest in the hardtop Crossfire, would love to drive one of those in a manual as I have heard great things about them.. I just found the automatic, ragtop to be very sluggish.
@@marcodarko6941 My Mother's 04 hardtop was a automatic too. I've actually never driven or seen a manual one in person. I suspect the take rate for automatics was high.
I was looking at Jeep Grand Cherokees in the next town over back in 2017/18 and a salesman I was working with had a grey hardtop manual and he said it was the best car he ever had owned and whole lot of fun. I could tell because I believe I passed him several times over the years on the road to and from work and it would like he was driving balls to the wall on these twisty, two lane, hilly roads. We got into the conversation after I mentioned the two mom had.. I didn't want to ask at that time but I should have asked if he left me drive it. He was cool and probably would have let me but I didn't want to buy the Grand Cherokee he was just trying hard to sell me.@@autochatter
I don't agree with that and you don't have a clue what you're talking about. I bought a brand new 2005 Mercedes/ Jeep Liberty for my wife on sale for 17,000 dollars. Fully 10k off of sticker. And it was very well equipped for that price. She drove it for 15 years and it never broke down once. What more can you ask? We even off-roaded with it because it was a lot of fun. When it was finally gone, we gave it to an in Law who has been driving it since 2019 when we bought her a new Renegade. They only wanted to give us 2,000 dollars for the trade so we gave it away. To date, he's only put one half-shaft on a front wheel since then. It'll be 20 years old next year. One of the best vehicles I've ever owned. One of the best vehicle HE'S EVER OWNED. And her Fiat/ Jeep Renegade hasn't had one problem in the 5 years since it was new. Not so much as a hiccup. Oh, and I almost forgot, I was so impressed with her Liberty, I bought one for myself in 2011 and turned it into a Woody. Right down to the woodgrain sides and surfboard on top. I've yet to have a single problem with it and not a spot of rust. And it's going to be 14 years old next year. I finally had it undercoated. We live in Buffalo where winter is salt season.
Reliability wise this car is one of THE best. The Mercedes M112 engine and M112k (the Supercharged SRT6 version) are bullet proof. We see examples with 500K+ miles driving around. But the smiles per gallon on this car are priceless. It is the best kept secret there is. The prices are low and it's the most fun sports car I have ever owned (with zero issues)
I love this car. It came out when I was finishing college, and it seemed so retro, yet futuristic. It was the coolest thing since the Prowler, but one day, like the Prowler, it let me down. The day that popped the bubble was the day I opened the door and saw the interior 🤢 I was so disappointed.
Nice cars back in the day. Stellantis dealers no longer work on them and send customers to Benz dealers for service. When they break, it’s usually an expensive endeavor if you can still get the parts for it. Just to replace the retractable spoiler on the Rear is over $1200.00
As it is mechanically a Mercedes, I would feel more comfortable with a Mercedes dealer or Independent specializing in them working on it anyway. Chrysler dealers saw relatively few of them even new, and the guy who may have known about them , probably doesn't work there anymore LOL. Tires were pricey and I remember the 7 plus quarts of Mobil 1 even made a oil change a more expensive proposition.
My first Chatter on the Devil's Lettuce... outta be good. I liked the Crossfire when it came out... now - like, comment, subscribe and hit the all notifications bell!! Feed the algorithm gods.
@@haggis525 Your in luck! The soothing sounds of Auto Chatter are clinically proven to reduce ringing noises! Auto Chatter is not for everyone. Do not take Auto Chatter if you are pregnant and plan on sky diving. Discontinue viewing Auto Chatter if your left arm falls off and seek medical attention!
I really came late to crossfire party, looked at three, but wanted a 2008 hardtop in ice blue. None were to be found then. Original owners hanging onto them. Instead I bought a Camaro convertible in 2015. I predict several crossing Barrett Jackson's stage in the future.
Say what you will about the crossfire, I realy like the one I have, its a fun little car, I typically shoose it over my xlr vwhen heading to the garage!
@Biden-SUCKS548 Oh I don't hate the car at all, it just wasn't me. You have a XLR too? That's cool! I love my little 2 seater as well, and many dont "get it".
@@autochatter I wasn't referring to you personally, I was referring to the public in general. For me this car is like driving a real hot wheel car! I've found that nobody just "likes it" they ether love it or hate it. Kids and adult kids like myself typically love it.
@Biden-SUCKS548 Oh I didn't take it as such...No sweat. Yeah it was polarizing, and I didn't mention it in the vid, but the designers themselves said that prior to launching it.
Rare to see a production model look better than the concept. I just watched a video on Dokker Daimlers. The concept looks like one of those. Don't like the Dokker s or the concept, but I really do like the production version. Comparing the crossfire to the 350z is apples and oranges. They only share two seat configuration. Maybe compare to the Cadillac XLR. Hens teeth are easier to find than those though.
@joellamoureux7914 You could buy two new Crossfires for what a XLR cost. A 350z isn't a direct competitor no, but I'm sure some cross shopped then....and cars like a Audi TT too. I kind of liked the front end and spilt front window of the concept. The rear was improved though.
Wasn’t this designed by the same guy that designed the original Audi TT? I seem to recall that was the case. If not, you can definitely see the resemblance.
@ChrisHsuCars I did a brief search and Peter Schreyer came up. He did alot of KIa models and The New Beetle too. Similarities you see may because the cars were from a common era?
@kwaza8574 Mercedes saw VWs expansion across several car markets and wanted to do somthiing along that line too. Chryslers presence was hoping to be stronger in Europe because not everyone buys a E Class. It would be cool to visit a alternate universe where Mercedes didn't aquire them. Would they have become part of Ford or GM? Would only Jeep and Dodge be around today? No Mercedes meant no Chrysler 300s or Dodge Chargers as we know them now.
Actually, Chrysler had "state of the art" computer shops in California and that's what Mercedes was after. They didn't have any of their own and thought this was their high tech ticket. But, what was Chrysler producing in those shops? The Lean Burn system which was the joke of the industry and had to be scrapped like everything else Chrysler. So they had to start from scratch and came out with one of the nicest systems in the world, the U-connect system. My Dodge Charger has such a system and U-connect has a central control body module with everything hooked into it via a trunk line that runs the length of the car. And I mean everything; from the radio to the tail lights. As you add options, you tell U-connect the option is installed and like magic, poof, the outlet lights up and it suddenly works. Plugging in fog lights isn't enough, you have to tell U-connect they're there, if you want the factory switches and outlets to work. This system also allows for special settings in the control panel, such as "fog lights automatically turn on if the windshield wipers are on", and such. It can do such things because it knows they're there and makes diagnostics of the entire car a snap, and constant via USB data lines. It knows everything that's there. And it's reliable and resetable. And best of all, it uses the huge radio screen to do it. Easy peasy. It's all integrated, even the NAV. It also uses a center cluster screen for the NAV. U-connect is perhaps the best in the world. And the easiest to use. Since the breakup, Mercedes has gone the other way with separate systems for everything. At least they learned how to make those. But, the C class has over 250 separate computer systems in it that don't talk to one another. (I think 289 to be exact) Troubleshooting a new Mercedes is almost impossible today. My son works at their headquarters in Fort Lauderdale and that's by far, their biggest headache. 60's technology in a micro chip world if you ask me. It reminds me of when Zenith Television went solid state. Yes, they got rid of all the tubes, but where every tube was, was now a card instead. It didn't make the system any simpler. And in an age where your car does everything but wipe your butt, this has created a total mess and Mercedes has struggled with it ever since. These days, there's a lot more to building a car than stamping steel. The beauty of U-connect, as an end user, is if you can use a cell phone, you can use U-connect, and if you take the time, all those special settings. It's great. My guess is Mercedes didn't like the idea of a central control module even though they just invented it. Or, more likely, Chrysler's got the patent on it, as they're still using and developing on it. Now they do have state of the art computer shops, courtesy of Mercedes. LOL
I have a Prowler and wouldn't trade it, but I did like the Crossfire and just saw a blonde driving an all white SRT-6 convertible. She was a beauty, both the car and the blonde. LOL And no, I agree with you, Chrysler does NOT survive Stelantis. In fact, Stelantis doesn't survive Stelantis. I think they did the same thing there that Harley Davidson did, purposely hire a CEO who would destroy the company.
@dannysdailys Yep..Sad about Chrysler. Saw a SRT6 recently eh? With a hottie in it to boot? Nice. I haven't seen a SRT6 in years. Personally,I'd rather have a Prowler anyway. Great looking car.
@@autochatter Yes and thanks. I've had it almost since it was new. The guy I bought it from won it in a raffle, and became a cripple. His 30 something boy was really pissed when I bought it, but the old man wanted cash. LOL My favorite all time car and I'm very lucky to have it. It had 3,000 miles on it when I bought it. 1 of 246 in Inca Gold. Today, it has 21,000 miles on it and still isn't even broke in yet. I Massaged the motor a bit, other than teething pains when it was new, I've never had any problems with it. Another Mercedes Chrysler.
@@autochatter If I didn't have the Prowler, I'd probably have a Crossfire SRT-6 convertible and I don't have room for both. The only problem with the Crossfire for me was its European heritage. I didn't like the mold lines across the hood either, to be honest. I didn't want to even try to support a European car and didn't think Chrysler could work on them and they couldn't. They sent you to Mercedes with it and Mercedes sent you back to Chrysler. And as a result, the electronic parts are very hard to get, and cost a fortune if you can find them. The Prowler is a Mercedes but made in America with American parts, and has a lot simpler electronics on it. I've never had any problems with any of them. You really can't say that if you own a Crossfire. An example is the top. The Prowler has a manual top that takes about a minute to put up and down. The Crossfire has a 1,600 dollar power control module and they go bad. Bad enough to have TH-cam videos on them. See what I mean? As much as I like the Crossfire, I'm glad I don't have one. I don't need those kind of headaches. I just want to drive it.
@@dannysdailys Oh totally! I'll go a step further as your Prowler was a MOPAR design and execution. It was already a concept and being sold before the Mercedes takeover, so theres nothing "Mercedes" about it. I did see on Hoovies garage though that some Prowler pieces are pricey...Like the window regulators LOL.
Hate to play Devils Advocate here. But the Mercedes Chrysler merger was the beginning of the end for Chrysler as a company. Let alone the brand. Now with Stellantis, its a perfect time to phase out Chrysler as a brand. It hasn't been a company name since 1998. Despite trying to keep the company and relevant. Mercedes should have sold off Jeep. And rebranded Dodge Trucks (aka Ram) as Jeeps. Folded the Dodge and Chrysler cars 8n 2008. Easier and alot less of mess than they have now. Its a shit storm. Chrysler got F!@#$ed in the beginning and they are F!@#$ed now. Nice car. Always like them. Missed opportunity. Mercedes should have reinvented Chrysler as the Mercedes Buick. Got rid of the minivan. Badged the PT as a Dodge and position Chrysler below Mercedes. I think VW should have bought Chrysler. At least they have Jeep. Great video. 😊
@Hobotraveler82 Great read and I appreciate the comment! It is sad about Chrysler....I'm not their number one fan or anything, but it's sad to see a 100 year old nameplate likely getting the axe soon.
The body styling was overdone; something more conservative and less outre' would have done better- hadn't they learned from the Prowler?. And at this level you'd darn well better have more than moderate power under the hood in this type of car. The M/B connection was good press, but it being a "leftover" from them was known and not exactly appealing. Meeting sales goals or not, this was more a "backfire" than Crossfire in numbers. SRT's will be collectible for rarity and power and ragtops always age well, but otherwise I don't see much future in them- once again it's the polarizing styling. Chrysler has likely fought it's last round and is kind of on the ropes as we all know. Stellantis wants to keep it's European roots and Chrysler doesn't fit there. Word on the street is that Chinese carmaker BYD is probably going to buy Chrysler though I'm not sure what they'd do with it; perhaps they would use the brand and American factories as a tariff-resistant back door into the US market? Or maybe build "a better Buick" so to speak for their own market? Doesn't seem to be anyone else expressing much interest. One thing is probably safe to say: Chrysler will never do anything this bold ever again.
@P_RO_ It was overstyled where it didn't need to be I agree. I much preferred it's SLK cousin as far as the styling goes. It was cleaner. Chryslers fate seems to be sealed, and Stelantis has done their part in making it happen. Dodge too.
“This left an opening in Chryslers impractical and pricey model for the brand” wonderful haha! Wonderful epsiode as always man! The small Merc always seemed to be a non performance model while I was living there, usually driven by women or in rental form. Neat little car, but I think the Crossfire’s body added some character to it. The sad part about that business relationship is MB always used their expiring tech as new model starting pieces for Chrysler. I guess it shows the financial situation our side of the pond was in at the time, AND what the Germans thought of our market lol.
@@robl7532 Thank you! Some of the Crossfires character I admired, but then they did stuff like fake fender vents 😜
I love the Crossfire. I owned a beautiful 2007 silver roadster for 11 years and it was by far the best, most reliable car I have ever owned. Zero mechanical issues during that time and it gave me hours of enjoyment on twisty country roads.
@davidleach8828 Yeah from what I read, they hold up pretty well! I dont think Mom put 20k miles on hers over 6 years. The tire size on them when they were new were expensive.
I still have an 04 coupe with 13 thousand miles. Still a beautiful car.
@@brucemcintosh7466 I liked driving my Mother's 04. Keep enjoying the car!
Chrysler did a fantastic job of masking the Mercedes SLK roots. A few switches here & there, but there was so much work done to create a distinct look from the SLK.
Alot of the dash itself was carryover as were the seats. I agree that it doesn't look much at all like the SLK though.
When the Crossfire was released, I remember thinking it was interesting. But I think they were a little late to the 2-door/convertible “halo car” party. It was cool that it had a lot of MB DNA, but not if it cost as much as one.
Interesting fact- they spent big $$$ on marketing this car, featuring Celine Dion in the commercials. They used her cover of the Roy Orbison/Cyndi Lauper song “I Drove All Night.”
@IgoZoom1 Yes...the first video clip I showed was from that commercial! It was "fashionably late" LOL.
I can’t believe I missed that! I get a feeling that marketing campaign cost them many millions! Celine is reportedly worth $1 billion now. Thanks Daimler-Chrysler for your contribution.
Fashionably late, I like that spin! I’ve actually seen a few of these sell on collector sites in the last few years. No big money yet, but who knows?
@@IgoZoom1 Don't know, but even Prowlers don't seem to be demanding crazy bucks yet.
@@autochatter They're not quite old enough I guess. Some cars are instant classics (Buick Regal GN/GNX), but it takes a while for some to be appreciated (Nissan 300ZX Z31, most Japanese models).
@IgoZoom1 Oh yeah..Datsun Z cars even at 25 years old, were not bringing much then.
This was one of my favorite chatters! i always liked the crossfire, it’s somewhat of a guilty pleasure car for me.
@GermanCarGuyMN Thank you. Is it a bit of a cliché that the "German Car Guy" LOVES this one? 😆
Shoutout to including a commercial from the AMAZING Crossfire game where you were allowed to shoot beebees at point blank range towards your little brother...
I know! Safety first right? At least it wasn't lawn darts......LOL.
I agree, nice to see stuff like this integrated. Ah memories….
@@robl7532 I like "member berries"
@@autochatter damn me too I guess!
Fantastic video! 👍
@petestaint8312 Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the video. You touched on Chrysler's future. You have no idea how telling what you said is.... I have been keeping up with the current situation. It does not look good at all. That is a video for another day. Let's just say Stellantis is not the place to be and Chrysler is dead brand walking right now. Dodge is mixed up in that situation too.. As far as this car it was based on Mercedes Benz. Everyone knew it. So was that platform for Charger, Challenger and 300. That was not a merger of equals as we saw. I saw your little jokes in comments through out the video. I smiled. It seems the car served its purpose and was reliable. I heard your comment about the interior too. Thank you for the video.
Thank you Olds, and I sincerly apologize for the lack of any Oldsmobile content this week! Chryslers situation does look bleak, and I fear a death of a brand episode may be in the future. Yeah the 300 and friends were built off a E class platform.
@@autochatter You are most welcome. I was not expecting any GM/Oldsmobile cotent from a Chrysler. you have to watch the videos carefully to catch the hidden jokes. I kept seeing Crossfire items/commercials and was laughing. You really have to look up the things in the videos for the footage. I can say this Stellantis is not selling Ram and Jeep. The Chinese brand BYD executives have been hanging out in Michigan too. It is indeed bleak right now and you will be doing that video. Just make sure you include Imperial and New Yorker.
@@OLDS98 Oh I know you were not, just being funny! When I was writing the script, I kept recalling products named Crossfire, and I remembered the scene in Tombstone were Curly Bill said Crossfire too. Yeah...I think Jeep and Ram may be the only things Stelantis keeps. They seem to want Dodge and Chrysler to go away.
@@autochatter I know you were being funny. Yes, they are determined for Chrysler and Dodge to go away quick and in a hurry. Chrysler is down to a minivan and they already botched the new Dodge Charger before it hit the streets, and not only that, they priced it too high on purpose. No V8's either. Then add to the fact the plants are over capacity and shutting down now too. They want to divest of the two brands. It is sad it has come to this and destroying the industry in this country and putting people out of work. You might be interested in this video I watched tonight: th-cam.com/video/FGo73xVL5f8/w-d-xo.html
Just keep in mind, Mercedes spent over 3 billion dollars just teaching Chrysler how to build a car at all. Chrysler was one of the worst brands in the world. But instead of pulling Chrysler up, Chrysler pulled Mercedes down. And not just a little down, ALL the way down to the bottom of the J.D. Power surveys where they had been at the top for over three decades. So they were indeed equals. When Mercedes hit bottom, Chrysler turned Mercedes into a laughing stock and now even threatened their business and Mercedes pulled the plug and kicked them out before they could do any lasting damage. That's why they did it. They had 10's of billions invested, it couldn't have been easy. I have a 2018 Dodge Charger, the last of the Mercedes E class cars and I wouldn't have anything else. It was that, or an Audi 6 series.. The Audi would've been the easy move because it already had a blower in it. But, the Audi is a Volkswagen and the Charger is a Mercedes. No contest, and I added the blower to the Charger. Ironically today, all four of my vehicles are Chrysler's, and they're all Mercedes and trouble free. Even the Renegade which is a Fiat, is still a Mercedes. And one hell of a nice little truck. My Charger hasn't had one problem in it's 6 years and I'm keeping it. I can't even imagine what nightmare the Audi would've become in 6 years. Those cars are like BMW's, you get rid of them before the warranty's up, or you're very quickly going to buy them again. Only now they're going to be sitting in the shop. NOT your garage.
Always liked this car but never thought to own one. Happy with my 08 Toyota solara convertible.
@noneed4me2n7 I like my little convertible now too!
My mom owned two automatic ragtop Crossfires, a 2005 and 2007 both identical and she absolutely loved them.
I was very unimpressed by them and having a preference towards, Toyota I'd rather have a Solara or better yet a Lexus SC 430.
I did have some interest in the hardtop Crossfire, would love to drive one of those in a manual as I have heard great things about them.. I just found the automatic, ragtop to be very sluggish.
@@marcodarko6941 My Mother's 04 hardtop was a automatic too. I've actually never driven or seen a manual one in person. I suspect the take rate for automatics was high.
I was looking at Jeep Grand Cherokees in the next town over back in 2017/18 and a salesman I was working with had a grey hardtop manual and he said it was the best car he ever had owned and whole lot of fun. I could tell because I believe I passed him several times over the years on the road to and from work and it would like he was driving balls to the wall on these twisty, two lane, hilly roads.
We got into the conversation after I mentioned the two mom had.. I didn't want to ask at that time but I should have asked if he left me drive it. He was cool and probably would have let me but I didn't want to buy the Grand Cherokee he was just trying hard to sell me.@@autochatter
Crazy to think Chrysler and Mercedes made cars together, i can't think of a less reliable combination of manufactures. Fiat............. Hold my beer!
@@GeorgeJFW 😆
better than a ford
I don't agree with that and you don't have a clue what you're talking about. I bought a brand new 2005 Mercedes/ Jeep Liberty for my wife on sale for 17,000 dollars. Fully 10k off of sticker. And it was very well equipped for that price. She drove it for 15 years and it never broke down once. What more can you ask? We even off-roaded with it because it was a lot of fun. When it was finally gone, we gave it to an in Law who has been driving it since 2019 when we bought her a new Renegade. They only wanted to give us 2,000 dollars for the trade so we gave it away. To date, he's only put one half-shaft on a front wheel since then. It'll be 20 years old next year. One of the best vehicles I've ever owned. One of the best vehicle HE'S EVER OWNED. And her Fiat/ Jeep Renegade hasn't had one problem in the 5 years since it was new. Not so much as a hiccup. Oh, and I almost forgot, I was so impressed with her Liberty, I bought one for myself in 2011 and turned it into a Woody. Right down to the woodgrain sides and surfboard on top. I've yet to have a single problem with it and not a spot of rust. And it's going to be 14 years old next year. I finally had it undercoated. We live in Buffalo where winter is salt season.
Reliability wise this car is one of THE best. The Mercedes M112 engine and M112k (the Supercharged SRT6 version) are bullet proof. We see examples with 500K+ miles driving around. But the smiles per gallon on this car are priceless. It is the best kept secret there is. The prices are low and it's the most fun sports car I have ever owned (with zero issues)
@MarkHenderson-u2f Yeah I've read they held up well..Maybe because they used the "old" Mercedes stuff?
The SRT6 and the 07 model year looked the best in my opinion.
I liked the SRT6 too.
I love this car. It came out when I was finishing college, and it seemed so retro, yet futuristic. It was the coolest thing since the Prowler, but one day, like the Prowler, it let me down. The day that popped the bubble was the day I opened the door and saw the interior 🤢 I was so disappointed.
It was a little more practical than a Prowler, but I would rather have one of those.
Nice cars back in the day. Stellantis dealers no longer work on them and send customers to Benz dealers for service. When they break, it’s usually an expensive endeavor if you can still get the parts for it. Just to replace the retractable spoiler on the Rear is over $1200.00
As it is mechanically a Mercedes, I would feel more comfortable with a Mercedes dealer or Independent specializing in them working on it anyway. Chrysler dealers saw relatively few of them even new, and the guy who may have known about them , probably doesn't work there anymore LOL. Tires were pricey and I remember the 7 plus quarts of Mobil 1 even made a oil change a more expensive proposition.
My fav! Always wanted one. Not sure if I still would though
@raymond_sycamore They were neat, but personally I liked the looks of the SLK better.
My first Chatter on the Devil's Lettuce... outta be good. I liked the Crossfire when it came out... now - like, comment, subscribe and hit the all notifications bell!! Feed the algorithm gods.
Glaucoma acting up? ;)
@@autochatter Something must be.... military grade tinnitus, perhaps 🤔🤔
@@haggis525 Your in luck! The soothing sounds of Auto Chatter are clinically proven to reduce ringing noises! Auto Chatter is not for everyone. Do not take Auto Chatter if you are pregnant and plan on sky diving. Discontinue viewing Auto Chatter if your left arm falls off and seek medical attention!
I really came late to crossfire party, looked at three, but wanted a 2008 hardtop in ice blue. None were to be found then. Original owners hanging onto them. Instead I bought a Camaro convertible in 2015. I predict several crossing Barrett Jackson's stage in the future.
@patcurrie9888 more than likely yes. They don't seem to be bringing what I call "stupid money" yet though. My mother's Crossfire, was a silver blue.
I have always loved the crossfire. The gen 1 SLK was bland and has aged poorly. I think the Crossfire aged very well.
I sat in a new one at a Town car show
It felt like a coffin very confined and I had a little work car at the time a 97 escort wagon
@joemazzola7387 Its all what your used to. I have a MX5, so I don't mind....cozy inside LOL.
Say what you will about the crossfire, I realy like the one I have, its a fun little car, I typically shoose it over my xlr vwhen heading to the garage!
@Biden-SUCKS548 Oh I don't hate the car at all, it just wasn't me. You have a XLR too? That's cool! I love my little 2 seater as well, and many dont "get it".
@@autochatter I wasn't referring to you personally, I was referring to the public in general.
For me this car is like driving a real hot wheel car! I've found that nobody just "likes it" they ether love it or hate it. Kids and adult kids like myself typically love it.
@Biden-SUCKS548 Oh I didn't take it as such...No sweat. Yeah it was polarizing, and I didn't mention it in the vid, but the designers themselves said that prior to launching it.
Rare to see a production model look better than the concept. I just watched a video on Dokker Daimlers. The concept looks like one of those. Don't like the Dokker s or the concept, but I really do like the production version. Comparing the crossfire to the 350z is apples and oranges. They only share two seat configuration. Maybe compare to the Cadillac XLR. Hens teeth are easier to find than those though.
@joellamoureux7914 You could buy two new Crossfires for what a XLR cost. A 350z isn't a direct competitor no, but I'm sure some cross shopped then....and cars like a Audi TT too. I kind of liked the front end and spilt front window of the concept. The rear was improved though.
Wasn’t this designed by the same guy that designed the original Audi TT? I seem to recall that was the case. If not, you can definitely see the resemblance.
@ChrisHsuCars I did a brief search and Peter Schreyer came up. He did alot of KIa models and The New Beetle too. Similarities you see may because the cars were from a common era?
@@autochatter yes that could be the case. Lots of ‘retro modern’ designs during that era
Srt version was auto only?
@@MidnightPolaris800 Yeah....I know :(
man, when are you going to do an episode on the t100?
@@Sublimelife411 th-cam.com/video/FNwi61gseqI/w-d-xo.html Made it about a year ago
I’m still surprised Mercedes merged with Chrysler.
@kwaza8574 Mercedes saw VWs expansion across several car markets and wanted to do somthiing along that line too. Chryslers presence was hoping to be stronger in Europe because not everyone buys a E Class. It would be cool to visit a alternate universe where Mercedes didn't aquire them. Would they have become part of Ford or GM? Would only Jeep and Dodge be around today? No Mercedes meant no Chrysler 300s or Dodge Chargers as we know them now.
Actually, Chrysler had "state of the art" computer shops in California and that's what Mercedes was after. They didn't have any of their own and thought this was their high tech ticket. But, what was Chrysler producing in those shops? The Lean Burn system which was the joke of the industry and had to be scrapped like everything else Chrysler. So they had to start from scratch and came out with one of the nicest systems in the world, the U-connect system. My Dodge Charger has such a system and U-connect has a central control body module with everything hooked into it via a trunk line that runs the length of the car. And I mean everything; from the radio to the tail lights. As you add options, you tell U-connect the option is installed and like magic, poof, the outlet lights up and it suddenly works. Plugging in fog lights isn't enough, you have to tell U-connect they're there, if you want the factory switches and outlets to work. This system also allows for special settings in the control panel, such as "fog lights automatically turn on if the windshield wipers are on", and such. It can do such things because it knows they're there and makes diagnostics of the entire car a snap, and constant via USB data lines. It knows everything that's there. And it's reliable and resetable. And best of all, it uses the huge radio screen to do it. Easy peasy. It's all integrated, even the NAV. It also uses a center cluster screen for the NAV. U-connect is perhaps the best in the world. And the easiest to use.
Since the breakup, Mercedes has gone the other way with separate systems for everything. At least they learned how to make those. But, the C class has over 250 separate computer systems in it that don't talk to one another. (I think 289 to be exact) Troubleshooting a new Mercedes is almost impossible today. My son works at their headquarters in Fort Lauderdale and that's by far, their biggest headache. 60's technology in a micro chip world if you ask me. It reminds me of when Zenith Television went solid state. Yes, they got rid of all the tubes, but where every tube was, was now a card instead. It didn't make the system any simpler. And in an age where your car does everything but wipe your butt, this has created a total mess and Mercedes has struggled with it ever since. These days, there's a lot more to building a car than stamping steel. The beauty of U-connect, as an end user, is if you can use a cell phone, you can use U-connect, and if you take the time, all those special settings. It's great. My guess is Mercedes didn't like the idea of a central control module even though they just invented it. Or, more likely, Chrysler's got the patent on it, as they're still using and developing on it. Now they do have state of the art computer shops, courtesy of Mercedes. LOL
I have a Prowler and wouldn't trade it, but I did like the Crossfire and just saw a blonde driving an all white SRT-6 convertible. She was a beauty, both the car and the blonde. LOL And no, I agree with you, Chrysler does NOT survive Stelantis. In fact, Stelantis doesn't survive Stelantis. I think they did the same thing there that Harley Davidson did, purposely hire a CEO who would destroy the company.
@dannysdailys Yep..Sad about Chrysler. Saw a SRT6 recently eh? With a hottie in it to boot? Nice. I haven't seen a SRT6 in years. Personally,I'd rather have a Prowler anyway. Great looking car.
@@autochatter Yes and thanks. I've had it almost since it was new. The guy I bought it from won it in a raffle, and became a cripple. His 30 something boy was really pissed when I bought it, but the old man wanted cash. LOL My favorite all time car and I'm very lucky to have it. It had 3,000 miles on it when I bought it. 1 of 246 in Inca Gold. Today, it has 21,000 miles on it and still isn't even broke in yet. I Massaged the motor a bit, other than teething pains when it was new, I've never had any problems with it. Another Mercedes Chrysler.
@dannysdailys Love that Gold color on those!
@@autochatter If I didn't have the Prowler, I'd probably have a Crossfire SRT-6 convertible and I don't have room for both. The only problem with the Crossfire for me was its European heritage. I didn't like the mold lines across the hood either, to be honest. I didn't want to even try to support a European car and didn't think Chrysler could work on them and they couldn't. They sent you to Mercedes with it and Mercedes sent you back to Chrysler. And as a result, the electronic parts are very hard to get, and cost a fortune if you can find them. The Prowler is a Mercedes but made in America with American parts, and has a lot simpler electronics on it. I've never had any problems with any of them. You really can't say that if you own a Crossfire. An example is the top. The Prowler has a manual top that takes about a minute to put up and down. The Crossfire has a 1,600 dollar power control module and they go bad. Bad enough to have TH-cam videos on them. See what I mean? As much as I like the Crossfire, I'm glad I don't have one. I don't need those kind of headaches. I just want to drive it.
@@dannysdailys Oh totally! I'll go a step further as your Prowler was a MOPAR design and execution. It was already a concept and being sold before the Mercedes takeover, so theres nothing "Mercedes" about it. I did see on Hoovies garage though that some Prowler pieces are pricey...Like the window regulators LOL.
Hate to play Devils Advocate here. But the Mercedes Chrysler merger was the beginning of the end for Chrysler as a company. Let alone the brand. Now with Stellantis, its a perfect time to phase out Chrysler as a brand. It hasn't been a company name since 1998. Despite trying to keep the company and relevant. Mercedes should have sold off Jeep. And rebranded Dodge Trucks (aka Ram) as Jeeps. Folded the Dodge and Chrysler cars 8n 2008. Easier and alot less of mess than they have now. Its a shit storm. Chrysler got F!@#$ed in the beginning and they are F!@#$ed now.
Nice car. Always like them. Missed opportunity. Mercedes should have reinvented Chrysler as the Mercedes Buick. Got rid of the minivan. Badged the PT as a Dodge and position Chrysler below Mercedes. I think VW should have bought Chrysler. At least they have Jeep.
Great video. 😊
@Hobotraveler82 Great read and I appreciate the comment! It is sad about Chrysler....I'm not their number one fan or anything, but it's sad to see a 100 year old nameplate likely getting the axe soon.
Rover T shirt man, lose the Megadeth. Know your audience.
@maconp1119 Pardon my ignorance, but what does a British car maker T shirt and a heavy metal band have to do with the vid?
The body styling was overdone; something more conservative and less outre' would have done better- hadn't they learned from the Prowler?. And at this level you'd darn well better have more than moderate power under the hood in this type of car. The M/B connection was good press, but it being a "leftover" from them was known and not exactly appealing. Meeting sales goals or not, this was more a "backfire" than Crossfire in numbers. SRT's will be collectible for rarity and power and ragtops always age well, but otherwise I don't see much future in them- once again it's the polarizing styling.
Chrysler has likely fought it's last round and is kind of on the ropes as we all know. Stellantis wants to keep it's European roots and Chrysler doesn't fit there. Word on the street is that Chinese carmaker BYD is probably going to buy Chrysler though I'm not sure what they'd do with it; perhaps they would use the brand and American factories as a tariff-resistant back door into the US market? Or maybe build "a better Buick" so to speak for their own market? Doesn't seem to be anyone else expressing much interest. One thing is probably safe to say: Chrysler will never do anything this bold ever again.
@P_RO_ It was overstyled where it didn't need to be I agree. I much preferred it's SLK cousin as far as the styling goes. It was cleaner. Chryslers fate seems to be sealed, and Stelantis has done their part in making it happen. Dodge too.
tl;dr
@@MidnightPolaris800 ylne
@@MidnightPolaris800 Unfortunate. I look forward to his inciteful comments myself.