I have found 2000 S2k with 44k miles in very good condition for $11K.

I have also found a 2004 Crossfire (6sp manual) with 37K miles in very good condition for $11k

Understanding the cars are completely different, I'm looking for input on what people know about the Crossfire and their thoughts.

 

your going to get a biased opinion on here. did u test drive both?

 

S2k = sports car
Crossfire = cruiser

 

2 very different cars IMO what do you want your next car to do??
Is it just a DD in the city Crossfire>S2K
Is it gonna be a DD in the burbs/country S2K> Crossfire
Is it gonna be a track car S2K>crossfire
Is it gonna hit the twistys S2K> crosssfire
Is it a midlife crisis S2K= crossfire
is it going to get attention S2K> crossfire

Just my opinions here^ tell us alittle more what do you want from your next vehicle. Asking in S2KI can be biased sometimes but were pretty friendly
also mods may want to move this to CAR TALK

 

The Crossfire is mechanically identical to the old model of the Mercedes Benz SLK 320, that was replaced by a rather drastically redesigned and much sportier SLK in 2005 - present. The Crossfire and it's "brother", the older model SLK 320 were pretty much cruisers without much sports car DNA. The s2k has a lot of sports car DNA (in fact, too much for some buyers).

So first, is the Crossfire a convertible or a coupe? That's certainly a factor, depending on what you want. And, of most importance, have you driven them both? If not, go immediately and do so! You can't find the car that is right for you unless you test drive.

 

Of course I expected bias opinion from this site. Because I'm leaning towards the S2K I decided to test the feedback.

Yes, I have driven both. The S2000k fun factor is higher compared to the Crossfire.

The crossfire is a coupe; therefore, in my opinion, doesn't have the sport thrill. The crossfire is a comfortable sports coupe (lots of options) and this Crossfire is a great buy, the S2K is a good buy (price value). I guess that is is my dilemma ($$). My price focus for a sports car is $11K.

I will not be running either car on the track, but I will be using the cars for weekend fun on the back roads and of course in the burbs. My work commute is only 3 mile so I can't factor in the commute.

If my choice was between a 2004 350Z base and the crossfire, I would go with the Crossfire. The 2000 S2K makes the choice much more difficult.

 

In 2006 when I bought my S2k, I test drove alot of cars (all brand new) and would recommend that any prospective purchaser do the same.

I recall test driving:
Honda S2000 (of course, and I did it twice)
BMW Z4 3.0
Nissan Z
Porche Boxter
Audi TT (both models that had available manual transmissions)
Chevy C6
Ford Mustang GT Conv.
Pontiac GTO
Chrysler Crossfire
(I also wanted to take a Lotus Elise for a ride but the dealer wouldn't let me, f*** him!)

Even though not all of these are in the same class, I felt that because there are not a whole lot of similar sports cars, it made sense to me to get a feel for some differences amongst them.

That being said, of all these cars, the Crossfire was at the bottom of the barrel for me. Here are the things that put me off: First, I should say that I had bad experiences with the dealers. The first Chrysler dealership I went to had an automatic Crossfire on the lot, but no manuals. I asked the salesperson if he could look up whether there were any manual transmissions around for me to take a test drive. While I was waiting for him to do that, I noticed them jumping a couple brand new minivans in the lot (nice! also foreshadowing of what's to come). Anyway, the salesman said there were no manuals in the whole state, and again wanted me to take the auto for a spin. No thanks, I left. A few days later, I happened to be driving by another Chrysler dealership and noticed that there were an 10-11 crossfires on the lot in plain view. The dealership happened to be closed but, I stopped and peaked in the windows and sure enough, 3-4 of them were manuals! The first salesman was clearly slime. So, the next day I went to dealership #2. They had actually had the Crossfire's on their lot for a long time and they were on sale and very discounted. So, I wanted to take one for a drive. 1st car, didn't start, salesman got another set of keys, 2nd car didn't start, 3rd car didn't start. Finally, one of their service techs got one of the cars jump started (these are brand new cars, I don't care how long they've been siting, they should start -- my S sits all winter and starts no prob in the spring). Okay, finally I'm driving one. First off, I don't fit well in a Crossfire (I know, an S isn't that big either). I'm 5'10", maybe 5'11" on a good day. No matter how I adjusted the seat, my head was scraping the top in a Crossfire and it was uncomfortable for me. That alone ruled it out for me. As far as everything else goes, there were no major complaints. It was somewhat numb feeling, but power delivery was smooth but unexciting, the steering was well balanced but lacked a lot of feedback. I could definitely see that someone might like the way the crossfire drives. Overall, the driving experience wasn't that different from my '02 Audi A4, but I was looking for something more sports-car-like; hence, the S.

I hope I've been at least a little helpful, and good luck with your search!

 

Seeing as the Crossfire you are interested is not a convertible, I don't think it is as great a deal at that price point. I could have picked up a new Crossfire Coupe for several thousands less than what I paid for my new S2k.

I also have a similarly short commute to work, and had similar thinking when I bought my car; i.e., fun car, not going to track, etc. Anyway, I'm not seriously into taking the car to the track, but I have taken my S2000 to a few open track days and it has been a very worthwhile experience. Just to have a car that you can take to an open track day or an autocross if you change your mind later (like I did), might have some value to it.

 

Isn't there a Crossfire convertible as well?

 

Yes, there is a Crossfire convertible. For what it is worth, the guys on the British TV show "Top Gear" liked the convertible much better than the coupe.