Comfort and convenience are not the Chrysler Crossfire’s calling cards. Sure, the firm front seats that don’t feel so great at first offer excellent comfort over the long haul, but otherwise the Crossfire’s interior needs a redesign. The side sills are too high to use as an elbow rest, the shape of the steering wheel rim is a bit uncomfortable to grip, and bracing your leg on the hard plastic of the center console is painful. Plus, the front passenger’s seat sits too low to the floor and needs a height adjuster, and shorter drivers complain that the lower dashboard knee bolsters are uncomfortably.

And don’t think it’s going to be easy to get into or out of the Crossfire – entry and exit are deliberate thanks to low seating H-points and narrow portals. The tall doorsill and lack of a tilt steering wheel don’t help matters, and when the top is raised, tall people must bend and twist to get behind the wheel.

Drop the top, and there’s plenty of wind buffeting at head level, though the lower portion of the cabin remains commendably draft free. Whether the top is up or down, the Crossfire SRT-6 is noisy inside, and when it’s raised, it creaks over bumps. And don’t forget: You lose half your trunk space when driving al fresco.

Lifting items into the Crossfire’s trunk ain’t easy because the opening is so high off the ground. Inside, there’s a large, lined and lit glovebox, storage nets on the door panels and in the passenger’s footwell, an awkwardly located center bin, a pop-out slot on the dash, two cargo hooks on the bulkhead, and a pouch on the back wall of the cabin. There’s also a single, flimsy, almost useless pop-out cupholder in the center console. Best of luck with that grande café mocha.

Like the cupholder, the Crossfire’s switchgear could be simpler in terms of design and operation. For instance, the stereo ergonomics are nightmarish. Turn the system on, and the screen says to press “OK” if you understand that the optional navigation system is not to be programmed while underway. Trouble is, we never found the “OK” button.

Our test car’s 240-watt Infinity Modulus multi-function audio system included navigation and a number of programmable features, and the manual that teaches how to use all this stuff was 108 pages long. We didn’t bother with it, and discovered that the navigation system is surprisingly easy to program. However, it doesn’t provide a map showing the route to your destination, so you’ve gotta rely on voice prompts and directional arrows to arrive alive. Making things harder than they need to be are small buttons with poor-contrast markings on the Crossfire’s silver plastic dash trim.

Other ergonomic complaints included the Mercedes-style cruise control stalk, which at first is easy to confuse with the turn signal stalk. The headlight switch is hard to turn, and while the Crossfire’s semi-automatic climate control layout is simple, visual contrast with the silver dash trim is average at best.

Finally, consider yourself warned – the Chrysler Crossfire carries no spare tire. Instead, you get something called the Tire Fit system, which includes a spray can of tire sealant and an air compressor. Major tire damage will require a tow truck and a tire shop.