Drivers Log.(News)

2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6

Date in fleet: July 16-30 As-tested price: $46,895 Powertrain: 3.2-liter supercharged V6; rwd, five-speed automatic Output: 330 hp @ 6100 rpm, 310 lb-ft @ 3500-4800 rpm Curb weight: 3240 pounds

WILSON: If you really love the styling, you could like this car a lot. You might call it a Chrysler TT, but then it's not TT money. It's Corvette money for a stiff ride and okay performance.

I wasn't an SLK/CLK fan when those cars had this drivetrain. It's got power, but without a manual gearbox it comes more at the car's whim than your command. This feels like a "numbers'' car that will look good in the road-test-results panel, but it isn't a pleasant companion on the road. It does have the performance element that the base car lacks, but at a high enough price in ride quality, noise and sticker that I don't think this is going to fix the Crossfire's lackluster sales.

MORRISON: Wilson is 100 percent right. This is a strange car, or rather, a car that provides a strange experience. Look at its specs and it sounds like a recipe for madness, but for some reason it delivers only mild thrills. I think the lack of a manual has a great deal to do with this, as Wilson says; I feel like I'm just along for the ride rather than involved in any serious way. But that alone doesn't necessarily explain the sterile feel. Even though the giant tires provide serious grip, the engine delivers plenty of whomp and the suspension is much stiffer than the standard, the car just doesn't engage you enough. It feels like a GT car in a sports car-sized package (not a good thing in my book, especially at this price). I have no idea why you would choose this over, say, a C6 Corvette.

VAUGHN: We have no one to blame but ourselves. We asked for more sportiness from the Crossfire and we got more-way more.

The SRT-6 has plenty of good stuff, most notably cornering ability and power. But it also has a brutally stiff suspension that is not helped in the slightest by the way-low-profile tires.