Category: Affordable Sports 
Price Range: £24,995 to £27,390
Striking and original styling, tuneful and responsive V6 engine, well equipped, reasonably entertaining and fair value
Poor fuel consumption, slightly cramped cabin, uncomfortable passenger seat, tacky centre console finish, could be a more engaging drive, old-tech fabric roof on convertible
A fine mix of style and substance, backed by Mercedes' engineering but spoilt by some cheap details . Not as much fun as the alternative Nissan 350Z and Mazda RX-8, either, but a distinctive and desirable car.
The manual transmission Crossfire returns 22.7mpg on the combined cycle, which is not impressive, although curiously, the automatic is better, at 23.4mpg. Either way, these figures are below average. CO2 emissions put the manual in the highest tax bracket (35%), while the auto is 31%. Servicing requirements will mirror those of a Mercedes-Benz, which means an annual inspection unless your mileage is very high, but there's no sign yet of Chrysler offering anything similar to Mercedes' long-term Mobilo Life breakdown and corrosion warranty.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Chrysler Crossfire
wrote on 21 06 2006