Chrysler Crossfire Roadster 2004 review

Make no mistake, the topless Crossfire is as eye-catching as anything with four wheels and a bucketful of fun to drive.

A short stint with the car was welcome but by the end of the week there were few tears being shed when it was time to take the Crossfire home.

From the outset, the Roadster – and to a slightly lesser degree its coupe stablemate – was designed to draw attention to Chrysler.

To do that, the American brand's new masters, DaimlerChrysler, turned the designers loose in the leftovers bin at Mercedes. Conservatively, 40-odd per cent of the Crossfire is made from bits Mercedes was not using any more, predominantly from the previous-generation SLK.

Switchgear, seats, trim and automatic gear-shifter – renamed Autostick for the Crossfire – are instant clues to where the car is coming from.

Less obvious but more central to the Crossfire's character is the Mercedes rear-wheel-drive platform with double-wishbone front suspension, multi-link rear, recirculating ball steering and a 160kW/310Nm 3.2-litre V6. All this technology, most of which has been superseded, for $75,990 -- and for that Chrysler will throw in a semi-automatic folding cloth roof. While that is substantially below the price tag for a new SLK Roadster or BMW Z4, it still gives a small start to Nissan's 350Z drop-top and almost $30,000 to Mazda's turbo MX-5.

The most obvious compromise the designers have had to make to utilise the Mercedes donor parts, yet give the Crossfire its eye-catching and unique style, is in space.

There is precious little room in the cabin with limited adjustment available via the reach-only steering wheel and electric height/tilt/slide driver's seat.

If you want the roof down – and why else would you buy a convertible? – don't expect to be loading up the boot. The roof will do that for you. An annoying aspect of the test car was the solid perspex wind diffuser strapped between the individual roll hoops behind the seats.

At night the reflection from the perspex shield is so bad that looking in the rear-vision mirror shows only what is in front of the car.

Yes, it can be removed and stored but it shouldn't have to be.

On the plus side, the Roadster's performance and manners are well ahead of what might be expected from the sum of its parts. In a relatively light body – just over 1400kg – the Merc 3.2 is a happy little unit.

In manual or auto the engine winds out freely accompanied by a very pleasant crackling exhaust note.

Ride is good, particularly given the low-profile tyres, and the chassis works to a level that would satisfy most owners.

Body roll is not an issue and while the steering is generally adequate, there is a vagueness at the upper end of performance.

Standard equipment is good – as could be expected for the price tag – with dual front and side airbags, ABS with brake assist, a stability program and switchable traction control.

There are heated electric leather seats, power windows, cruise control and dual-zone climate control.

The trim is well done with a polished metal-look dash treatment going some way to compensate for the white leather interior of the manual test vehicle.

Is that enough to be able to live with it? Personally, no, but there are plenty of a more extroverted nature who would forgive its shortcomings for the guaranteed attention – at least in the short term.