Chrysler Crossfire

Road Test

Your Say

Test date 02 March 2004 Price as tested £24,995

For Refinement, distinctive styling, mid-range performance

AgainstDull steering, legroom, cabin design, gearshift

The Chrysler Crossfire’s roots date back to the merger between Daimler-Benz and Chrysler; beneath the Karmann built body, assembled in Germany, lie the mechanicals of the soon to be replaced Mercedes SLK convertible. Less sporting than the similarly-priced Porsche Boxster, at launch the Merc impressed with its feelsome steering and clever roof mechanism (which the Crossfire does without).

Further back, the wedge-shaped front-drive Chrysler Laser coupe of the early ’80s, although not in the same spirit as the rear-drive V6, is similar in overall size to the Crossfire. The Laser was one of the models from the ‘K-car’ range that got Chrysler out of its financial dire straights a couple of decades ago, but by European standards, the US model was an under-achiever.