The Chrysler Crossfire is a stunning looking car. Sitting on fat 18in alloy rims at the front and 19in rims at the back, it’s gorgeous from any angle and in any colour.

To match the looks there is also the performance: 0-62mph takes just 6.5sec, courtesy of the Mercedes-Benz-sourced 3.2 litre V6 engine, and the top speed is electronically limited to 155mph.

Pretty, quick and exclusive, the Crossfire appeared a tempting package at its launch in 2003: surely it would guarantee Chrysler a foothold in the lucrative European coupé market? Unfortunately for the American company the answer was no.

The reason was that the Crossfire was a car that ended up delivering less than the sum of its parts — much to the disappointment of buyers who paid over the list price for some of the first cars delivered to the UK.

Under the skin the Crossfire shared a platform with the outgoing Mercedes SLK, which itself borrowed its chassis from the previous generation Mercedes C-class. So although it looked new, under the metal the Crossfire was almost a decade old. To compensate, the car was given extra strengthening that made it stiff and uncomfortable. Every rumble strip and pothole is felt in the cabin and is exacerbated by the flat, unsupportive seats.

The Crossfire’s interior styling should work well: the dashboard detailing is fine and the fitment of leather as standard gives an upmarket appearance. But the effect is ruined by the use of cheap-looking silver plastics. The seats often wear badly, the tight cabin means that backrests are often forced against the rear bulkhead to accommodate taller drivers and the oversized steering wheel brings the dashboard too close for many.

Even so, many of the shortcomings would have been forgiven by owners besotted by the looks and performance, had it not been for its biggest flaw: its price. At £24,995 for a manual and £26,285 for an automatic a new Crossfire costs more than an Audi TT.

Such optimistic pricing has been the Crossfire’s undoing. Today with 30,000 miles on the clock you would be lucky if a Chrysler dealer offered you more than £11,000 in part exchange for a 2003 Crossfire coupé.

But every cloud has a silver lining. I still think the Crossfire is a cracking looking car with a decent engine. The cabin may be cramped and some of the trim a bit tacky and if I wanted to drive quickly I would rather be behind the wheel of a Porsche Boxster or Nissan 350Z. But the truth is that I could drive neither for the same money as a second-hand Crossfire.

The Crossfire may have been overpriced when it was new, but second-hand it’s starting to look like an attractive proposition. If you want one of the best-looking coupés on the road, without the price tag, then visit your Chrysler dealer. They won’t be expecting you but they will make you feel welcome.

Servicing Variable service interval, so insist on seeing original invoices to authenticate the work completed

Visibility Stunning looks but thick rear pillars make visibility horrendous

Air-conditioning Standard on all models but the system is not fully automatic

Wheels Alloys are standard with 19in rims at the rear and 18in at the front. Check inside edges of tyres for signs of steering misalignment

Fuel consumption Standard six-speed manual achieves economy virtually identical to that of the optional five-speed automatic. Both return about 27mpg in mixed motoring

Stereo Excellent standard-fit system with more than 200 watts of power on tap

Cabin Leather is standard but check seats carefully because they often wear when rubbing against the sides of the cabin

Rear spoiler Activates at speeds of more than 60mph to improve stability at high speed, but it can also be operated manually via a button mounted on the dashboard, so you should check it works

Sat nav More than £1,000 when new; pay £250 extra for a used example with the system

VITAL STATISTICS

Model Chrysler Crossfire coupé 3.2 V6
Engine 3199cc, six cylinders
Power 215bhp @ 5700rpm
Transmission Five-speed automatic
Fuel 27.2mpg (combined)
Acceleration 0-62mph: 6.5sec
Top speed 155mph (limited)

THE ONE TO BUY

Chrysler Crossfire coupé 2004 54 with 20,000 miles. Pay £15,095 at a dealer and £13,500 privately

OR FOR SIMILAR MONEY

1999 S Jaguar XK8 coupé

1999 V Porsche Boxster 3.2 S

2001 51 BMW Z3M coupé

2002 52 Mercedes-Benz CLK 430

2004 04 Alfa Romeo 2.0 JTS

VALUES