USED Chrysler Crossfire Coupe (03 - 08)

It might look like a classic American sports coupe, but the Crossfire's engineering is bang up to date. A low driver’s seat and high window line make the cabin feel cosy, although this also restricts rear visibility, so it’s tricky to reverse-park.

Otherwise, it's basically good news: the two-seat cabin is comfortable, and the boot is big, if awkwardly shaped. Equipment levels are high, too - leather seats, dual-zone climate control and cruise control are all standard - but the quality of interior fittings and switches is poor for the price.

Drivers will certainly enjoy the burbly 3.2 V6 engine, which produces 215bhp and plenty of mid-rev pull, as well as a rich, throaty note once you reach 4000rpm.

Traction is very good and body control is excellent, but the ride is poor, jarring over lumps and bumps.

There are just two models in the line-up: the standard 3.2 with 215bhp, and the SRT6, tuned to turn out an extra 115bhp. Both come with a choice of manual or auto gearboxes. Neither is exceptional, although they work okay.

Overall, we much prefer the standard car because not only is it cheaper to buy and run, more importantly, the 215bhp V6 suits the car much better than its more powerful brother.

That 3.2 V6 has a real appetite for petrol and it also pushes up insurance bills – group 15 for the standard 3.2 and 19 for the SRT6. They achieve average fuel economy of just 25.7mpg and 22.7mpg respectively, and that's with a manual gearbox. Bargain on a couple of mpg less if you're looking at a car with an auto transmission.

Servicing comes around every year or 12,000 miles, which is sooner than for most rivals, but main dealer charges are reasonable for a big-engined sports coupe. The Crossfire is rare and complex, so it is best to stick with Chrysler dealers for work, or at least sports car specialists.

Spare parts are expensive and tyres notably so. A set of good quality replacements won’t leave much change from £1000.

The Crossfire remains relatively rare in the UK so we cannot give a full picture of its likely reliability. However, the signs are ominous, as Chrysler has a patchy reputation for reliability: its Voyager MPV and Neon saloon never rated as better than average in the What Car?/Warranty Direct Reliability Index.

There are plenty of gadgets to play up after a few years’ use: we’d worry that, for example, the motors for the electric seat adjusters might expire expensively after a few years.

That said, the 3.2 motor promises to be tough and long-lived if serviced correctly, while the suspension and transmission look tough enough to stand the tests of time.