A nice Mercedes SLK for 12K or its slightly cheaper American cousin? SLK vs. Chrysler Crossfire

You would think that they rolled out of the same factory, but nothing could be further from the truth: the SLK was assembled in the former Borgward factory in Bremen, the Crossfire in Osnabrück at Karmann. There are more differences, but many more similarities.
The first generation of the Mercedes SLK is a success. It was presented as a concept car in 1994, as a production model in 1996 and, after eight years and more than 300,000 copies, followed by an equally successful model. The SLK on these pages is from after the facelift in 2000, recognizable by the different bumpers and indicators. Moreover, this immaculate example has the desirable V6.
The career of the Chrysler Crossfire looks promising at the start. It was also born as a concept car in 2001, but unlike the SLK it is a coupe. The Roadster follows in 2004. It borrows its technical basis from the facelifted first generation SLK, which is about to be replaced. Chrysler expects to sell 20,000 Crossfires annually, but the counter stops at 15,000 after the first two years. The financial crisis in 2008 killed the Crossfire within five years when only 76,000 units had been built, of which 30,000 were Roadsters.

First SLK is a huge hit

As far back as the 1980s, there have been camps within Daimler-Benz that would like to see a small roadster in the spirit of the 190 SL from the 1950s and 1960s. However, they receive little support. However, as the old guard retires and the Mazda MX-5 conquers the world, the development of project R170 gains momentum, partly thanks to the maturing of the folding steel roof that Das Haus has been working on since 1986. The inspiration for this comes from the Peugeot 401 Eclipse from 1933. Karmann prepares the Vario roof for production and takes care of the assembly of the car. Mercedes-Benz sold no fewer than 170,000 SLKs between 1996 and 2000 and another 141,000 between 2000 and 2004. The little roadster is a huge hit. Delivery times of two years are the result of the enormous appetite for an affordable open car. Thanks to the electro-hydraulically operated hard hood you can drive it all year round. Despite the nickname ‘ladies’ barber convertible’, entire tribes of people from all walks of life and professions drive SLKs. It is the trendsetter of the coupe/convertible genre, in which even BMW follows. In addition to the MX-5 and the Z4, only the SLK has survived for several generations, although it has been called SLC since 2015. Its existence will come to an end in 2020.

Crossfire built by Karmann, 39 percent parts from SLK

Halfway through the short-lived marriage between Daimler-Benz and Chrysler, which took place in 1998, the Chrysler Crossfire appeared. It is the first fruit of the controversial merger. The magic word is synergy, or cooperation between the German and American conglomerates. The first Crossfire left the production line in 2003, while it appeared on the scene on January 2, 2002. Although it has an American name, the car is very German. The Karmann company in Osnabrück even builds it on the production line of the Mercedes CLK. To stay within a development cost of just $275 million, the Crossfire borrows 39 percent of its parts from the Mercedes SLK. In itself an excellent starting point, if it were not for the first generation SLK, which is about to make way for the more dynamic second series (that is why we also picked up a second SLK and a BMW Z4 in 2004 as comparison material). . You can at least call that a blunder. It sets the tone: the Crossfire has to make do with the old SLK as a basis, Mercedes keeps the new one for itself. In comparative tests, the Crossfire consistently loses out to the new SLK. Is the Crossfire therefore a mediocre product? Well, on the contrary even.

With their modest dimensions, the SLK and Crossfire in 2024 seem quite small, with little interior space. They reveal the largest and most important distinction when we close the roofs. The roof of the SLK is a folding hard shell with the melodious name Variodak, the Crossfire has an unlined soft top.

Young designers draw Mercedes SLK

The first SLK has a down-to-earth design. It dates from the time when design great Bruno Sacco looked over the shoulder of the only 32-year-old designer Michael Mauer (now chief designer at Porsche) and prescribed the triangular rear lights with dirt-resistant profiles. The power domes on the hood, references to the 190 SL and 300 SL, the grille and the option to order dazzling colors are the only frivolities. The silver-gray color scheme together with the black-red interior on our test car refers to those legendary predecessors.

Designer Crossfire is also only 25

Although the Crossfire has German genes, its design is by the 25-year-old American designer Eric Stoddard. Under the leadership of the British Andrew Dyson, he designed the spectacular concept car, of which the characteristic grooves in the hood, fake cooling slots in the front fenders and the graceful short stern survive. Retro styling is a well-known recipe at that time. Stoddard explains that he looked at 1930s hot rods and ‘borrowed’ art deco elements from the Chrysler Building in New York for inspiration. The Crossfire offers the eye more value for money than the SLK. The immense 19-inch wheels, the silver-colored A-pillar, the proud rear with its centrally placed double exhaust and its modern rear lights give the little American its own unique appearance. Both the SLK and the Crossfire have a rather steeply rising, high beltline with a pronounced wedge shape and two roll bars as a reference to the past. A spoiler rises from the short trunk lid of the Crossfire at speeds of more than 100 km/h, for some extra downforce.

SLK also with four cylinders, only in 2000 with V6

Comfort takes precedence over driving dynamics in both the SLK and the Crossfire. That is why the Benz initially has a tame 136 hp (the 200) as a base and a raw-running 230 with compressor that produces 193 hp as a ‘sporty’ alternative. Only in 2000 did the SLK get the 3.2 V6 that Mercedes has been offering in the E-class, CLK, SL and S-class since 1997, but that is also not a thoroughbred racing engine. Most customers prefer the five-speed automatic over Getrag’s six-speed manual gearbox.

The Crossfire is not available with four cylinders. Its long hood would even have provided space for a six-cylinder in-line engine, but it also gets the V6 3.2 with the same automatic gearbox as an option. Moreover, it has exactly the same base, screwed to an identical base plate. There will even be an SRT6, the American equivalent of the sporty SLK 32 AMG. That variant is now extremely rare.

At the push of a button, the Crossfire’s soft top disappears with a sweeping motion directly behind the occupants, but not before the handle on the windshield pillar has unlocked the front part. The interior shines with its silver-painted center console. We recognize switches from the Mercedes warehouses, up to and including the unique combination switch and tempomat on the steering column. There is no room left over inside; there is little clearance to the rear and long torsos tower above the windshield. The handlebar is only axially adjustable. The same in the SLK: the Mercedes offers the same limited feeling of space amid bright red plastic and brushed aluminum on the center console. With a pull or push movement of the button you direct the sophisticated choreography of the Variodak. Just like in the Chrysler, we sit behind a slightly oversized steering wheel, with a lever in front of you on the right that pulls you through the familiar backstage from P to D. Supplemented with a plus and a minus to indicate manual downshifting and upshifting.

Both cars have a thin net as a wind deflector, so that the wind blows less strongly through the interior. From around 90 km/h there is no escape; you drive openly and you will know that too. When closed, the two worlds differ as if there were an ocean between them. The Chrysler has to make do with the unlined soft top. It looks great and takes up little space, but the already claustrophobically small space is quite noisy.

The Mercedes scores points here. Its folding roof keeps out most unwanted noises. This way, Hansi Hinterseer can display his schlager talents unhindered via the Becker radio cassette player. In the kitsch silver-colored copy in the Crossfire you need at least Bruce Springsteen to rise above the wind noise: ‘Born in the USA’!
However, it is sunny and not too chilly, so turn the radio off and lower the hoods. The 18-valve V6 must keep quiet in the Mercedes, but not in the Crossfire. Although it seems like a slow engine, the figures prove the opposite. They sprint to 100 within seven seconds. Due to the indirect steering and the slow-response but oh-so-fine tuning of the chassis – the Chrysler is slightly harder, probably due to the larger wheels – you have nothing to fear from an unkempt road surface.

SLK and Crossfire Roadster quite easy to find

Has your interest been sparked in one of these two roadsters? You are spoiled for choice. Of course there are fewer Crossfires than SLKs for sale. New sales in the Netherlands have always been on the modest side. Yet we find dozens of copies. Our ‘test car’ has not been owned by an enthusiast, but has withstood the test of time with a mileage of around 176,000. The SLK was pampered to the core by its first owner in Germany and its second owner in the Netherlands. His 112,000 kilometers are hard to see. He is completely spotless. The trunk is even full of brochures and car tests.
Points of attention for the test drive: in general, the Crossfire, unlike the SLK, is hardly susceptible to rust, which speaks for the effort that Karmann has put into the production process. The rust devil likes to gnaw on SLKs from the first generation. Start your check at the rear fender edges, sills, doors, front fenders and trunk lid. Broken springs, whether or not in combination with upper suspensions that have rusted off the body, are common. A legacy of the C-class.

Of course, electronics play a role in the functioning of the hood. Various microswitches fail, as do hydraulic cylinders that leak and therefore no longer come up to pressure, especially now that the cars are getting older. It is wise to always try all buttons and switches.

There is a Crossfire and an SLK for every budget. For example, Garage Petrogas asks €10,945 for this Crossfire and car company Versteeg asks €11,950 for this immaculate SLK. This places them somewhat at the top of the market, but the trend is increasing as a result of the many SLKs that end up in crash barriers or against peers on the circuit. You can also make do with half these amounts, but don’t be surprised about some repair work afterwards. The SLK seems to be the obvious winner here, thanks to its hard hood construction and its more practical luggage space. However, if you mainly travel domestically, then definitely put the more exclusive Crossfire on your list.