Take the Chrysler Crossfire Roadster for a drive through some nice countryside on a mild day and you come close to the definition of the word “pleasant”. You would enjoy the experience, feel that the time had been profitably spent and, within a day or so, have forgotten all about it.

For the Crossfire convertible is an almost definitively nice car. Truly it has not one bad bone in its body; shame is, this means it has not a flicker of fire in its belly, either.

Like Chrysler’s latest saloon, the 300C, the Crossfire convertible is constructed largely from unwanted Mercedes leftovers. The 300C owes its existence to the old E-class, the Crossfire to the previous generation of the SLK. It may not share a single body panel and its roof is fabric, not steel, but its engine, gearbox, chassis and suspension are all pure old SLK. This means power comes from a 3.2 litre V6 engine no longer used in the current SLK and is fed through a clunky six-speed manual (not the snappy new gearbox the SLK now enjoys) to the rear wheels. Therefore, the five-speed automatic, which costs £1,240 extra, is an option that should be regarded as compulsory.

The hood is electric and stows neatly out of sight, but its presence in the boot reduces carrying capacity to almost comically small proportions. The result is an attractive-looking car, but one that lacks the strikingly individual lines of the coupé.

The driving experience fulfils the promise of those looks to the letter. The engine only puts out 218bhp but it’s strong throughout the rev range, enough to take the Crossfire to 62mph in 6.5sec and onto 150mph. This means you never have to work hard to access the power. The engine emits a pleasant — that word again — snarl without giving the impression it’s ever going to be more than mildly enthusiastic about its work. And even if you wring its neck, that’s how it stays: deferential, compliant, easy and slightly boring.

There is, however, some real enjoyment in the corners. The Crossfire’s creators are to be commended for losing so little of the coupé’s rigidity when they chopped the roof off, meaning the stable platform without which no suspension can work properly has been largely retained. With its hefty rear tyres the Crossfire will tackle corners at speeds that would have been available only to extreme sports cars 10 years ago, and with traction control, an electronic stability control system and resolutely benign manners it would take a big mistake or near-suicidal recklessness before it let you get into trouble.

Sadly, however, that’s where the enjoyment ceases. Those who may have driven a Porsche Boxster or BMW Z4 and approach this car hoping to become at one wih the road will be disappointed. The fault lies with the steering, an old-fashioned recirculating ball arrangement. It’s precise enough but the feel that is the hallmark of true sports cars is lacking.

The truth is that the Crossfire convertible is not a very sporting car and will be bought more for the way it looks than the way it goes. A BMW Z4 uses its appearance to lure you in but it is the driving experience that snares you; the Crossfire is the reverse — if the styling doesn’t get you, it’s unlikely that peering further into its character is going to locate what you’re looking for.

Despite its shape and name, this car is more tourer than tearaway and, for a soft top, is notably refined with the roof up. Tall drivers will find legroom uncomfortably tight but everyone else should slip easily into the Crossfire way of doing things: affording maximum exposure to admiring glances for minimum effort.

But is that enough these days, given that potential customers may be reluctant to eschew Porsche, BMW, Mercedes and Audi for a comparatively homespun badge?

The Crossfire costs £27,995 for the manual, with an impressive list of standard equipment, undercutting both the 3.2 litre Audi TT Roadster and BMW Z4 3.0. But if looks alone matter, isn’t the TT more attractive? And for those interested in handling, the SLK, Boxster and Z4 offer more. With such opposition mere good looks and an indefatigably pleasant character may not be quite enough.

VITAL STATISTICS

Model: Chrysler Crossfire Roadster
Engine type: V6, 3199cc
Power/Torque: 218bhp @ 5700rpm / 229 lb ft @ 3000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel/CO2: 27.2mpg (combined) / 256g/km
Performance 0-62mph: 6.5sec / Top speed 150mph
Price: £27,995
Verdict: Pleasant enough, but no match for German rivals

THE OPPOSITION

Model: BMW Z4 3.0, £31,650
For: Great fun to drive, superb engine, overall quality Against: Looks not to everyone's tastes, stiff ride

Model: Audi TT Roadster 3.2, £30,595
For: Gutsy six-cylinder engine, brilliant DSG semi-automatic gearbox, looks
Against: Chassis feels really old, ride and handling way off class pace