RX8 Automatic vs. Chrysler Crossfire
 

Ok ... on with the search for the right car (AUTOMATIC).

I talked to the Chrysler people and theiy can give away an Automatic Crossfire for $2000 down, $299/month for a 36 month lease. The Chrysler Crossfire's 0-60 rating is 6.5 sec and has a smoother tranny considering that the RX8 auto starts to come alive at higher RPMS.

I went to another Mazda dealer and they are giving away the RX8 at about $1000 down, $340/month for 48 months. The RX8 Automatic as you know only does 0-60 in about 8.0 - 8.5 sec. But the advantage that I really like about the RX8 is that it can seat 4 adults.

The Crossfire seems to have its own flair and personality as well as the RX8. So, to the guys who are into speed, should I get the crossfire instead? tough choice.

heh. This should be an interesting discussion. I haven't heard anyone describe anything in the Crossfire as smooth. There have been several car mags and tv shows reviewing the crossfire, and they really slammed the car.

Here, watch this video:

http://www.sleepy-fish.com/sleepy/To...ossfire_hi.wmv

It should be... educational.

OUCH!!!! It's quite refreshing to see automotive journalists telling it like it is, instead of giving the "review" that the manufacturer of the car they're "reviewing" paid them for.

bad reviews of the crossfire is about as common as good reviews for the rx-8.

i did see a good review of the new high output crossfire, but it was a paid ad on speed tv.

Ok ... I went to consumer report at Edmunds .. and this is what I got about the RX8 automatic .. It says this problem only occurs in the AUTOMATIC ! So if you drive the stick shift, you probably don't have this problem.

"Review: We bought our RX8 the week the first ones rolled into town. Loved everything about it except the weak AC. When the car idles at a stop light, the AC gets warm. However, the big issue is when temperatures get around 100 degrees, the car starts shaking and dies. It's been in the dealership for 2 months now and Mazda cannot fix it. They are doing a buyback of RX8's with this problem. Evidently it only affects automatics when they get very hot. We cannot even trade into another RX8 because they cannot tell with automatics will have this same problem. We will miss the car."

Gotta love those Brits!

First, for "the guys who are interested in speed", 0-60 in 6.5 is slow and nothing worth worrying about. Also, I believe the 6.5 second 0-60 time is for the manual Crossfire. I doubt you will see any better than mid-7s for the auto.

Yes that is correct. You ain't seeing 6.5 on the auto.

BTW, that video was classic. I wonder if the boys over at the Crossfire forum saw that one... :p

Wow, they really ripped that car hard. It is a little harsh, but it gives you enough to believe that for the money it simply cannot compare to an rx8, even an automatic one. His opinions on the looks are subjective, and there must be some people out there that doesn't mind it, but you can't argue the performance aspect of it, because it's all too true. There is one good thing about the Crossfire though. If you want to own a soon to be rare car that you won't see every day years from now, the Crossfire is a nice choice. With reviews like this, it's basically a guarantee that it will be out of production in very near future. The rx8 will be a dime a dozen before too long, so if your main concern is to be a future rarity, then the crossfire is a great choice. :)

I have an auto, I don't have an AC problem at all, and I live in Florida.

i thought the crossfire went faster than 6.5 0-60 :confused: i guess not.... :D

Actually, i'm just up for a lease. The Crossfire is cheaper than the RX8 in where I live. Note: I do not buy cars because I get bored after 3-4 years of use. I use my money only to lease. My computation is that my average lease for the chrysler crossfire is $347/month while for the RX8 it is $357/month. The video only bashed the Crossfire because in the UK is is 7000 quid over other cars like Toyota .. ha. Crossfire is CHEAPER for me. Sorry UK.

You know it's gonna be a bad review when he compares the backend of the Crossfire to a "dog taking a poo". If that's not harsh I don't know what is. Ouch! I kinda liked the styling of the car and from now on, when I see that car, all I'm thinking about is that squating dog.

If I recall his review of the 350Z was almost as bad.

Actually, the video criticized the price, the styling, the interior quality, the comfort, the acceleration, the gearbox, and the suspension.

The video obviously critized everything BECAUSE of one thing: PRICE. He was saying "for so much more ... this is what you get". Really, if you read between the lines, it was the price of the car he wanted lowered. He was enjoying the drive and handling. If it was as cheap as the Toyota Celica ... I'm sure he would not bash it the way he did. It was just an unfair video to the people who designed this car up from scratch.

ABOUT THE RX 8 BASH - IT'S UNFAIR TOO
I've read people bashing the RX8. Well, it's kind of like that video -- VERY unfair.

What I've read so far
RX8 is
- the ugliest car in the world
- japanese crap
- slowest crap out there

So, what's the difference between this guy bashing the Crossfire and those people hatin and bashing the RX8 ??? They're both stupid.

You might be reading more into the video than you should.

In addition to being too costly, he said everything was horrible in the car. One might consider a Porsche GT3 too costly, but still could appreciate it's qualities.

yeah on top of that
 

Hey you should really dig deeper on RX-8 deals,
I got mine for $2000 down and &199 plus tax a month.

And thats for the manual, which costs more!!!

You nailed that one. Every car review comes down to what you get, for how much $$$$. In Europe, the Crossfire is simply a very bad deal. It's not that great of a deal here either in the states. Nonetheless, it's really not a bad car, and isn't a hunk of shit like they make it out to be. They fail to be objective in stating that the criticism is based on what you get for your $$$. Maybe they think that is understood. There's a fine line between discussing a cars strong and weak points, and all out bashing. One is acceptable, and people should take it in stride. The other, is just plain stupidity. :)

Not to mention the Crossfire is a parts bin car, utilizing parts made for other cars, hardly designed from scratch, that's an older Mercedes engine.

I like the styling on the Crossfire. I saw one on the road and it looked great. There was a new Mercedes SL500 behind it. No one was looking at the SL, it might as well have been a Hyundai Elantra. I just wish they would improve the quality of the interior.

I'm seeing a lot more RX-8s on the road now so it doesn't turn my head as much as it used to.

I have the issue of "Road & Track" that reviewed both the RX-8 and the Crossfire (both in 6sp).

Crossfire
0-60 6.4sec
1/4 14.7sec

RX-8
0-60 5.9sec
1/4 14.5sec

All Iwant to add to thisdiscussion is this: neither of these two cars -- the automatic RX-8 or the crossfire -- aregoing to woo youwith their performance or pick up or acceleration or 0-60 times. Butyou can bet yourass that whenyou masterfully pull off a 70 mph turn at the corner up there in your Rx8 whilethe rest of the bottom feeders barely can handle it @ 35 -- the grin that will be stuck onyour face willmake you look certifiable.

I also have an auto 8 and I have never had a problem with my A/C. Like VelociRed, I also live in the steamy South. Even if you did discover an issue with it, it can be fixed under warranty by replacing the AC amplifier. Besides, if that's the only criticism you can find (besides the low-torque acceleration), I'd take that as a huge compliment.

As far as the Crossfire goes, read the article on it in the August Car & Driver. They tested the new performance version of it and still gave it a so-so review. Pretty much said it's a sad compromise between the Chrysler and Daimler-Benz entities, very few people are buying it, and the Crossfire is merely a Chrysler chassis with a hand-me-down, to-be-phased-out MB engine (the SRT-6 anyway; not sure about the stock Crossfire).

Me, I personally hate how it looks. Ayap, trust us: you'll love the attention and praise you'll get from driving the 8. People around here have seen me driving in mine for over a month now and I still get stares at red lights, when I'm pumping gas, etc. At least, I think they're staring at the car and not me ;)

Can't really speak much more to performance comparisons since I don't think reviews of the Crossfire are even worth looking at.

Mark

Ummm... when I took my 8 in for service the other day, I went to the chrysler dealer next door. I sat in the crossfire... I sort of didnt fit...

A few things I didnt like about the crossfire:
-NO Headroom (I am 6ft tall and I had about half an inch of headroom)
-very very very compact (too compact for me)
- the front of the roof is pulled so far infront of you that you cannot see the sky... (I didnt really like that either)


I would stay with my 8 for sure...
But that's just me.