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| Road Test: Chrysler Crossfire (2003-) |
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| Affordable Sports |
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| PERFORMANCE RATING: |
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The figures for the manual version are 150mph and 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds: quick enough for a good time. More useful, though, is the way the engine pulls keenly and creamily right through its rev range, with meaningful acceleration even in sixth gear. This Mercedes V6 isn't always a paragon of smoothness and response in some cars, but in the Crossfire it's at its best. At its most melodic, too: it blips with a bark, and revs with a crisp, resonant edge that gives off sporty vibes without ever becoming too loud. Manual transmission makes the most of the motor's ability; the five-speed auto shifts smoothly to make a decent alternative for comfort-seekers, but it is rather slow on the uptake and gives the Crossfire a more laid-back feel. It has the usual Mercedes left-right for up-down sequential manual override, plus the same feature as found in an AMG Mercedes: hold the selector in the downchange position for a couple of seconds, and it automatically selects the gear that will give the best overtaking performance from the current speed. As for names, Mercedes's Sequentronic gives way here to AutoStick.
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Introduction Sporty two-seat coupes are popular in the US, but they're mostly Germa... |
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