Long time Mustang owner here and am about to buy my 1st Jag. I am a convertible fan so I stick with those body styles. I do pretty much all my own work on cars, so I am interested in how things stack up in that regard.

The comparison on a grand scale is probably not harmful. If you are a car guy (or gal) and want to explore many different makes and segments..that is what being a car guy is all about. I have a list of cars I want to own in the next decade and includes Jag, Aston, Mercedes, Mustang GT500, Lotus, Viper.

I put is like this when asked. The Mustang is like a jean jacket, the Jag a smart sport coat and the Aston a Tux. We wear many different jackets for different reasons... It is ok to compare and own (even over time) more than one.

 

I'm on my second Jaguar, and still own two Mustangs. Granted, one Mustang is built mostly for the Drags, but regardless, I FEEL better in the XKR. Same as I felt in the old XK8.

 

Like the 2010 XKR CJ. I was shopping for a 2010+ for the 5.0, but am in agreement for an 08 XKR with 40K mikes on it. Hope to pick it up this weekend. I don't think I will be too disappointed. I am keeping the 03 Mustanmg GT as a project car and replacing the engine...but that's for another forum.

Back to the comparison, what other considerations would be included in the compare. For me it would be $, cost of maintenance and ability to DIY, performance of course.

Maybe start a list of items, score each car and pick which scores best. There may be more personal items as well, so only the owner will know what is best.
In any event, the comparision is valid and justified... and recommended.

 

If you DIY, electronic parts can be a potential pain with both, but for sure the Jaguar. The Mustang was designed to be small and tight, that means mechanic's hell. The Jaguar is larger and open, more access, easier to work on.

 

Mustang has not been too bad on the electronics front for me...except for the goofy traction control. I have an Explorer that has quite a few gremlins that escape any kind of mechanical work I do. Mostly around ABS and stability control. Seems like there are lots of short circuits.

Nice to hear there is some room in the Jag so far as access to working parts. I swear I have arthritis due to all the crazy contortions I have been doing when fixing some of these newer cars.

 

Late here, but still.... parked next to this 'stang today. It's a little blunt-n-blocky for my taste, and I've always found the doorlines to be high on Mustangs, so it feels to me like you're driving in a bathtub.
Having said that... and given that it's a completely different price point (and cost-to-own point)... I think it holds up fine.

 

I'd have either. I really thing the GT500 model is more in line as a comparison. Still, I think the Jag has more luxury on its side. Some older owners may demand it, but if your a car guy, you'd enjoy either..despite the differnt segments they live in. I have a GT500 on my list. Black convertible in the California sun...what's not to love.

 

Yeah, those things are beasts. And as far as I can tell, holding their value quite well if you keep the miles low.

Speaking of luxury and "black convertibles in the sun".... the cooled seats are my most-used luxury feature of the XKR, by far-- although my standard practice here in LA is:
Summer = top down at night. Winter = top down during the day.

 

(Digging this old thread out of the archives) Over the weekend I binge watched the Everyday Driver tv show on Prime. In the

The Best Mustang

and Rivalry episodes, the hosts were pretty stunned by the GT350, saying that it was so much more than just a faster Mustang. I'm surprised to see these Shelby's depreciating like they are; given that used GT350s are now trading for under $40K I may have to schedule a test drive.