Welcome back to your favorite mid-morning time waster, Shitbox Showdown! Today we’re looking at a couple of latter-day personal luxury coupes. But before we do, let’s see which of yesterday’s estate sale finds you went for:
Yep. I mean, come on; how often do you come across a 2CV for two grand? Sure, it needs some work, but there are probably more moving parts in a blender than in that thing. It’s easy.
Two-door cars are something of a luxury item these days. Once upon a time, the cheap versions of economy cars – think Tercel, Civic, and the like – had only two doors, because that was half the number of hinges and latches. But as tastes changed, and people discovered that it really was easier to get in and out of the back seat with a pair of extra doors, cheap two-doors disappeared. Two-door cars became either sporty or luxurious, or both.
The idea of having an entire car with only two entry points to its interior, and maybe four seats if you’re lucky, feels almost wasteful these days, and so personal luxury coupes have fallen out of favor. There are still a few around, but for the most part they’re seen as relics. And that’s too bad, I think. So today we’re going to check out a pair of luxury coupes from a couple decades ago, when most of them were breathing their last.
1997 Lexus SC400 – $5,000
Engine/drivetrain: 4.0 liter dual overhead cam V8, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Fayetteville, AR
Odometer reading: 191,000 miles
Runs/drives? Great, according to the ad
Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus, not content with having conquered the luxury sedan world with the LS400, set its sights on the luxury coupe market in 1992. Two versions of the SC coupe were offered: the SC300, with the inline six from Toyota’s Supra, and this car, the SC400, with the silky-smooth V8 from the LS400. If the LS400 sedan was an idealized Mercedes-Benz S-class, the SC400 was an idealized Lincoln Mark VII.
LIke everything Lexus introduced, the SC400 is almost too nice. Every inch of it is polished, perfected, and just-so. The trouble is that that perfection becomes the car’s entire identity; a Lexus is what you get when all you want is a really, really nice car. But there’s not much personality behind the polish. Or maybe it’s just too nice for the likes of me.
One thing Lexuses are known for, of course, is racking up the miles. This one is still kind of low, actually, at 191,000. But it looks practically new except for a few minor battle scars, and the seller says it runs and drives great. We don’t get a whole lot of detail about its mechanical condition, and it’s easy to say “oh, it’s a Lexus; it’s fine,” but it’s still a twenty-six year old car closing in on two hundred thousand miles. Get it inspected if you can’t check it out yourself.
I don’t know; maybe I just don’t get this car. It’s really nice, but it doesn’t give me “the fizz.” If it does for you, more power to you, but to me it just seems bland.
2006 Chrysler Crossfire – $4,900
Engine/drivetrain: 3.2 liter overhead cam V6, five-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Houston, TX
Odometer reading: 150,000 miles
Runs/drives? Excellent, they say
Now here’s a car that can be accused of a lot of things, but blandness isn’t one of them. The Chrysler Crossfire was one of the stranger children of the brief Daimler-Chrysler marriage: a two-seat coupe based on a Mercedes platform, with flashy Art Deco-inspired styling. It’s not to everyone’s tastes, but I always liked it. It looks like a speedboat combined with a rocketship, the sort of thing Jay Gatsby might drive around a base on Mars.
Inside, things are a bit less special; there is a lot of Dodge Caliber or PT Cruiser in there if you look too closely. This one is in nice shape, with 150,000 miles on the clock according to the seller. Its Mercedes V6 engine runs well, and is supplied by a brand-new fuel pump. That’s about all the information we get on its mechanical condition. Again, an inspection is definitely in order.
The Crossfire coupe’s styling starts to get a little strange as you go around the back: this thing has a butt that won’t quit. Even if you beg it to. The convertible version has a lot less junk in the trunk, but then again, it has a lot less trunk too. This one at least has a hatchback, however small and awkwardly-shaped it is.
The best thing about this particular Crossfire has got to be the color. These were available in some great colors: a pale yellow, a nice cranberry red, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen this blue before. I like it.
I don’t think either of these qualify as “shitboxes,” even to those who could afford them new. Depreciation is especially unkind to specialty cars like luxury coupes, but that’s a good thing for the likes of us. We can get a fancy two-door coupe on the cheap. But which one is more your style: the safe Japanese machine, or the wild child of German and American parents?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
Loved the OG SC300/400 when they came out. Still do. Easy pick.
This isn’t even a contest – the Lexus is better in every respect. It has that bulletproof V8, Lexus build quality and it’s understated, not boring. The Chrysler is, well, a Chrysler.
It’s not a Chrysler, it’s a Mercedes. The V6 is actually very reliable. It isn’t quite the Lexus V8, but it’s a great motor
I voted Lexus, it’s a pimpmobile, without breaking the bank.
Just the other day Ed (Ed’s Auto Reviews) dropped his review of the Crossfire he recently bought. https://youtu.be/DXk-frDq144
Lexus, please.
There’s nothing wrong with flying under the radar, especially with a V-8.
The Crossfire is a little odd, but it’s not odd enough to be interesting.
A couple things:
I’d take the Lexus just because parts will be cheaper, but I have to say that people are sleeping on manual Crossfires. They can be a hoot
The Crossfire is essentially a Mercedes. Sure they threw some garbage bits on the interior, but the main systems are Mercedes from a time when they built stuff to last forever. I don’t like the styling, but these are way underrated.
Excellent take.
Yes. Crossfire all the way.
This is the lexus all day. The crossfire is a pain to fix and nowhere near as nice or comfortable. The lexus will eat up miles and run for a long time with basic maintenance. Buy it. Change all the fluids. Drive it forever. I have a LC with 345k miles I just put 1k miles on over the weekend bombing down mud filled forest roads. You can’t beat toyota reliability.
Too easy. Lexus over Daimler era Chrysler all day.
The Lexus wins this by default.
The SLK the Crossfire is based on isn’t a great car already, but Chrysler just made it cheaper and shittier.
I never liked the Crossfire. I can’t put my finger on any one thing in particular that makes me feel that way. Lexus was an easy choice. I’d much rather have a Lexus with 190k than a Chrysler/Mercedes mashup with 150k miles as well.
To me it is the whole look of the Crossfire that makes me not like it. The exterior isn’t awful but it certainly isn’t good. It just isn’t a good looking car. The chrome covers on the vents behind the front wheels, the lines in the hood, the tail lights that just seem to be there. It is like someone was described an old luxury car and then tried to design it. Also the grill reminds me of my mother in laws former Sebring convertible, this car should be a step up.
The less said about that era of Chrysler interiors the better.
I just can’t get past Jezza’s quote on the Crossfire. Looks like a dog taking a dump. Plus it’s a 150k mile Chrysler. Lexus for me. Might be boring but its reliable, and looks in good shape.
My MIL’s boyfriend bought a Xfire last spring and they are insane about it. For that alone I’d take the Soarer.
Add in the classic Soarer emblem – which like all 80s Toyota’s is awesome – and no question.
Lexus.
Personal luxury coupes deserve a comeback. The Chrysler is flashy, but I’m not.
I’ve driven an SC400 and the Crossfire’s half brother the SLK. The SC400 is definitely the better car but the SLK was more fun. I would probably use the Crossfire more anyway so going with that.
I’d take the boring white-on-beige Lexus. These eyes seen enough drama, it’s overrated.
Middle school me thought the Crossfire was ugly when it first came out and I still think it’s ugly today.
The Lexus is the easy choice here. I know many here would accuse me of ruining the car, but there are so many cool aftermarket body kit and aero options for these, especially if you dive into yahoo auctions looking for Soarer parts. You can’t go wrong with a SC with a full Vertex body kit lowered on some cool wheels.
I picked weird over boring.
I’m going against common knowledge and picking the crossfire. I always liked the look of these.
Having travelled across the Western interstates as speeds – checks notes “possibly higher than posted” in a similar era LS400, these are different machines for different purposes.
The SC is truly a GT car, comfort and high speed crusing, they make no attempt to pretend it should excite in the twisties, thus making it better as a machine built for it’s job
Lexus interior looks like it’s pretty nice condition and belies its mileage – would have liked to see more from the driver’s side, but no obvious tears or rips from the passenger door POV.
As others have mentioned or will mention, parts and service are going to be far tougher on the Chrysler, and it’s not a particularly interesting spec to make it worthwhile. Took a bit to notice, but a lot of paint fade in back on the Crossfire on the spoiler and rear bumper – or something else, since it’s missing the Chrysler badge?? How’d that happen?
Also I think it’s a different color code, but a Chrysler in that shade of blue just remind me of cheap but not really cheerful bankruptcy era Calibers and Sebrings and Compasses and vans and PTs…
The brain says Lexus but the heart says Crossfire. I’ve always had a soft spot for them.
While that blue is beautiful, what’s up with the paint on the trunk? Yikes! I think they used Lisa’s name but with Ralph’s answers.
I’ll take the Lexuick Scriviera, but for some strange reason I think I’d rather have the straight 6?
Typical Chrysler paint quality. One more reason to play it safe with the Lex.
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking- Chrysler “paint” on Mercedes steel.
Crossfires were made in Germany.
I’d rather the six also, and it was available with a stick.
Why has nobody selling a car ever heard of a $15 headlight restoration kit?
I’ve seen cars roll across the block of Barret Jackson with hazed over headlights. It’s super a easy fix that does wonders making any car look newer. It’s a mystery why so many people don’t bother to do it.
Good luck finding parts for the Crossfire. As much as it’s more interesting car, the Lexus takes it.
If I’m driving something like this, I want flash. Gimme the blue and interesting one.