Greetings fellow Jaguar enthusiasts!

Im here to review my third attempt at finding a reliable Jaguar service department. The first was Buckhead Imports; they were scary incompetent, not knowledgeable, impersonable, dirty, and thoroughly disappointing all the way around.

Second, I was recommended Road Britannia by forum members, and I went there to meet them. The shop was clean, people were nice. They still couldn't tell me with certainty things about my car that anyone who owns or works on them should know... Examples are when I asked them about the dipstick for the transmission, they said they weren't sure if it had one and got online to check. I then asked how the supercharger is lubricated, and back to the computer he went. Obviously our transmissions do not have a dipstick because they, and our superchargers, are sealed for life. I feel a really competent Jag service person should know these things without checking online. Road Britannia also has high labor rates at around 150 an hour if I remember correctly. They charge by the book as well, not by actual time spent working on the vehicle, unless of course it takes them longer than the book says. Not my cup of tea, so I moved on down the road!

Third, I found a local general mechanic called Bracketts Ratchet. They have a little experience with Jaguars, there were two on their lot when I arrived, along with 2 Mercedes, and lots of foreign and domestic 'throw away' cars. But they are Chevy enthusiasts. That certainly doesn't bother me, since a good running XKR will walk away from all but the fastest and best of Chevys; and it'll look and ride phenomenally better while doing it!!
Bracketts has done my suspension work and a long list of other small things, like instrument bulbs, a general tune up, center muffler delete, high performance brakes, seat controller, etc. Thier rates are very reasonable, 45 an hour, and you are charged by time spent working, not book hours. They stay in business by fixing cars, not soaking every penny possible from a few customers. They are friendly, and did not mind taking the time to discuss what I needed done. Thier shop is as dirty as Buckhead Imports, and they arent any easier to get to, but I can live with that.
All in all, Bracketts Ratchet has done a good job, kept my car clean, made suggestions on worn parts I had not noticed, and not charged me an arm and a leg doing it. I recommend them for any work that does not require a dealership type computer to fix.

 

I had a few bad experiences with Buckhead Hennessey Jaguar in the past. There are 3 Hennessey jaguar dealerships in the Atlanta area, but they are all different. Buckhead location is always courteous, but their service is absolutely horrible. Went to buy a part from them and it was jacked up above retail. Hennessey Jaguar Northpoint got my new car business and have provided the best service. If the keys and fob were all that you needed, I would have gotten an estimate first.

p.s. Road Britiannia on Roswell Road in Buckhead could probably done this for you a lot cheaper. They also have a Jaguar diagnostic computer like the dealerships.

 

wizard automotive in douglasville comes highly recommended

 

I have no doubt that Road Britannia would have done the same work for about half the price I payed Hennessy, and my car would not have come back damaged as well. The guys at Road Britannia seemed to be more conscientious of my cars needs, explaining things that would need attention with some detail. Honestly, the only reason I did not leave my car with them was their high labor rates; which are certainly not high in comparison to the dealership rates.
I needed a lot of work done, my XKR had been neglected by the previous owner. By using a general mechanic shop I saved about 3k on my cars repairs in relation to RB, and about 8k in relation to dealership prices.

I have not seen Wizard Automotive recommended here before now; but Id take my vehicle to them before the Hennessy Buckhead dealership in a heartbeat! I do believe they're the only recommendation I've seen in the West part of town, which could be the best answer for some members.

 

another option is enzos automotive I have heard they are very good also and have 2 locations . 1 in marietta and one in chamblee .

 

Have had my XK for three years. Been to Hennessy Northpoint and was not overly impressed so I tried Hennessy Gwinnett which was considerably better. Never tried Buckhead.

Thanks to the advice from a forum member about two years ago I started taking it to Kuhn's Automotive (Cadillac Jaguar of Northlake) in Tucker and haven't looked back. Chris Kuhn and his staff are most knowledgable, cooperative and informative. He spent many years working for Hennessy before opening this place a number of years ago.

If you need a bright shiny shop with free donuts, coffee, ham 'n eggs and home fries then this is not the shop for you. If you need excellent service, a reasonable price with NO upsell and total honesty then you might consider this independent.

He charges me $55 for an oil and filter change using top of the line product. I have the change done at 5K mi because I'm old school and 10K would make me batty. I wanted a transmission oil change about a year ago at 60K on the odo and he told me I'd be wasting my money and basically refused to do it as it wasn't necessary.

As we all know, honest service at any price is difficult to find. This indie might be a gem.

Best regards and best of luck,

 

TFlan, I went to Coventry West a few days ago, to get a replacement for a cracked EGR tube, and the guy at the counter recommended Kuhn as well. He said he had no personal experience with them, but heard that they were a good shop from other customers.

As far as the baked goods go, Im sure they dont have a pastry and juice department... lol
For anyone reading this who thinks a muffin and a cup of tea makes for a better auto repair experience - please, by all means, go to Buckhead Jaguar and see what youre missing! The pastries might even cover up the sour taste left in your mouth by the crappy service and massive bill...

 

A number of the Atlanta area forum members are gathering in Kennesaw for a Cars-n-Pizza this Saturday at 1pm.

Rosaria's Italian Restaurant
3103 Cobb Parkway Northwest #105, Kennesaw, GA 30152
__________________

 

Pizza and Jaguars! 2 things close to my heart!
Sad to say, my XKR has another week or two in the shop (still waiting on the new differential to arrive), and it would be silly for us to show up in the old ladys 350Z, or worse yet, the minivan. Ugh, minivans are horrid beasts...
So for me, its a rain-check for next time...