So due to my newly acquired Jaguar XF, I have been getting a lot of questions from the co-workers. Granted I wanted a car that's more exclusive, hence the XF. But now I'm pretty convinced why the exclusivity.

My co-workers are mostly health professionals earning 6 figures.

So far, a good 50% of the co-worker's first thought was..

"Jaguar, isn't it for old people?". Granted I am 31, probably not the most common demographic of jag owners, hence the question.

The other 30%'s first thought was, "Jaguar, doesn't it break down all the time?".

Lastly, about 100% of them wonders "oh what's a XF? What does it look like?".

So far from my travels, I've seen 2 on the street. Even with Jaguar's marketing, I think most people thinks all the Jags on the street are the pre-2008 models.

I really don't think it's Jaguar's fault(currently) for poor resale value. I just think the general public have no idea about the differences between the new jags and the old. Most knows more about different SUV models than sport sedans. Their go to sedans are BMW 3 series and Merc C/E class.

The stats don't lie, they sell 10 times more BMW 5 series than Jag XF. And BMW 5 series are not all that common (compared to the 3 series and E class), which makes XF almost non-existent.

What do you guys think the cause of exclusivity and poor resale value is?
I don't really think reliability is the issue. I see more Range Rovers than Jaguars on the street.

 

It's pretty rare not to hear a comment about reliability. I'd guess that is the Number 1 reason. Everyone seems to love the look of the car. Works for me. I'd rather not see the car I am driving many times on the same trip.

 

One of the biggest plusses about the XF for me was the fact that I won't see them around everywhere like the E-Class and 5-Series (I'm "young" too, 34y/o). As far as resale value and reliability perceptions I like to let people keep thinking they have problems so when I'm ready to step up to an XJ in a few years I can get a good price!

 

I think its a supply and demand law. You see other types of dealerships almost at every corner of a city. But you will only see maybe one Jaguar dealer in a region. Only the smartest and brightest people will go far to find that perfect car!

 

Huh, good point! There's only one jaguar dealership in Orlando FL and it's shared with Aston Martin/Lotus..talking about a small supply of jags.

And it's true, the resale value might be crap but that let me into a good deal. 78xx mile XF 2013 3.0 base for 38500 before tax

 

It's hard to shake a perception, though I think with cars like the F-Type they're breaking the "old man" car perception; the reliability one, on the other hand will take some more time. I had a guy come out to my house to see about putting a security system in and he said when he pulled in the driveway he thought "eww, Jaguar" and that he really liked Bimmers but after he walked around it he said that it was a really sharp car. They're not a common car so people that have a negative perception about them won't likely change until they see them up close. Though I think with the XE they'll be able to reach to a wider audience and help with their image.

 

I think it's a demographic thing, and the good news is that there's a young generation of buyers who never had to deal with the older and sometimes unreliable cars that were built. The cars are also no far more appealing in a sporting sense than was the case for a long time. I'm in my 30's as well and most people have absolutely no clue what I'm talking about when I say Jaguar, let alone XFR.


Think of it this way, there's an entire generation of people who refuse to buy wagons because they remember the woodies...instead they buy car based jacked up versions instead. I really believe a generational change is/has been going on...


I also think that there are a really cool bunch of cars coming our way from European brands that were sterilized by big company ownership. Jag and Land Rover are well along the way, Saab and Volvo are going to put some stereotype busters on the table soon!

 

This is interesting to me.
I'm a younger (under 40, but barely) professional, insurance and invstment services. My prior driver was the big-daddy of (Non ///AMG)Mercs, the V12 twin turbo S600.

What I've noticed is that the Benz provided instant presence - Front row valet when I pulled up and a lot of kowtowing, "I'll keep it close, sir", when I got out. It didn't generate a ton of "buzz" unless it was someone "in the know" who knew what was under the hood or had a chance to ride in it. Probably the most exclusive vehicle I've owned, but also the most subtle or vanilla as far as commentary or just blending in with the rest of society until the throttle was opened up.

I've had my XF Supercharged for about 2 months now and 5000 miles of driving. The XF doesn't do any of that that at all. What it does do is get a lot of more down to earth conversation from the valets. Things like "beautiful car sir" or "There's a man who knows what to drive" or "This car must attract the ladies" (ironically my wife loves it 1000% more than the Benzo), but the point is they make an effort to talk to me; like somehow I'm more approchable getting out of the XF. It unfortunately does not get the automatic "keep it close" front and center parking - unless I ask.

100% of my colleagues and neighbors have made more loving comments about the XF in the last 2 months than in the entire 3 years I had the Merc. "That's a Jaguar?" "That is a sexy car" or "I LOVE the lines on the car". A good number have commented the XF's style is more "me".

Other comments and questions revolve around the reliability aspect (a good 75%) and whether I've had issues with it yet (It can't be worse than the Mercedes)...Or if it is "just a rebadged Ford/Lincoln" (not a ton, but enough asks to notice the trend). I did have one person approach it from the side and asked if it was the new Kia Optima (). When I said, no, it's the car Kia was probably inspired by, he just said "doesn't matter, it looks great". Conversely, one person asked if it was the new Maserati Ghibli, and my other neighbor thought I had brought home the new Tesla S (until I revved the engine)...at which point he realized the error of his ways...by the way, he LOVES the exhaust note.
100% of my "car enthusiast buddies" love the Aston Martin lines and appreciate the Ian Callum design of the XF. Reminds me of the respect for the Pinafarina designs of the 80s.

From a highschool (son) or college (daughter) perspective, the XF is the bees knees as far as bringing friends over to "check out dad's new car" or "Can I use your car instead of mine for a date". The kid that mows my lawn even asked if I would take him for a ride in it sometime (?!?!).

My only issue is that there are, at my count so far, 5 Jaguar XFs and 2 XJs in my subdivision "home" area and several around my work that I see regularly. I hate that. I'm the only SC version that I can tell. That being said, however, almost every XF or "current" Jaguar XJ or XK driver I have encountered always give a friendly wave. I think that it is pretty cool to have an exclusive yet friendly culture like that.

The one strange thing I have noticed though is that I get more drivers now (BMW M3/M5 and Ford Mustang drivers in particular) trying to pick a race with the XF, so obviously it stands out more.

 

Interesting discussion. One thing I have noticed is the lack of animosity when driving the Jag. Case in point: my wife has an X1 (granted it is metallic blue and stands out when clean); frequently when I drive it, I get all sorts of nasty attempts by other drivers to cut me up. I can drive the XFR-S more aggressively and I am basically ignored.

 

So far every co-worker impression of the name "Jaguar" is "high end" on two fronts.

1. It's expensive like a high end Merc, but have no idea how much they are.
2. The person willing to drive a jag is willing to dish out some money...for repairs..lol

Out of all the high end brands, it's just not the safest pick. I would probably put the Maserati in that list. High price, clutch breaks after 10k miles..lol

My co-workers get new cars all the time. Most of the time we hear BMW 3 series, or a lexus is 350. But this is the first time they are making a huge deal out of this Jaguar of mine. One person said "you should charge 2 bucks giving out a ride, I have never sat in a jag before".

There's an article floating around the net comparing the styling of the tesla S to the Jag XF. The lights and the back are pretty much identical.

UR-Turn: Tesla Model S vs. Jaguar XF | The Truth About Cars

 

I believe jags are currently more reliable than bmw's and likely audis and benzs also. Audi's reputation is just turning the corner in the last 3, maybe 5 years. Mercedes has slipped. I think some of Audi's success is due to A5, A7, and Q5 designs but also due to aggressive markety strategy and campaigns. Jaguar has started down this path recently. I did slot of research before I bought my XF. Callum designs are classic in my view. Audi A5 and 7, and maybe 6 series BMW are in that category. Being mainstream is not my hope for Jags, but may be necessary to compete.

 

That's the same place I bought my F Type! I almost fell for the Aston Martin though.


But I know better!

 

I don't see a lot of F-types around but there's one at the hospital I work at. Doesn't happen to be yours right? You work at ORMC?

 

(Hopefully the use of color/race/age doesn't offend anyone here, just my honest observation)

Definitely a generation shift here! Interesting to see that the majority of us commenting here or in the 30 somethings (33 for me). I will admit that when I first bought mine 2 yrs ago that the only times I had seen an XF were 3 older (60+) black ppl which made me proud to be the only YOUNG guy of all races in the city (from what I had seen) driving an XF. After a little more time I had only seen maybe 3 other XFs and they were older (50+) white ppl. Now they are starting to show up all over town and while the majority are still in the older age range I have seen probably 4 or 5 in a 2-3 mile radius of home and they are all driven by "younger" black folks anywhere from what looks like late 20s to mid 40s. Interestingly enough after buying my GFs (33 also) XF at the beginning of April we've seen 3 other (1 with temp tags) black XFs that we hadn't seen prior to buying hers in our immediate area as well. I also am starting to see a ton of X-types.


One of the first comments I received upon driving on base in my XF 2 yrs ago was where is the other Jag? *Puzzled look* on my face he then says you know the old joke that Jag owners always had to have 2 so that they could drive one while the other was in the shop...lol. After laughing I let him know that they were no longer made by Ford and seemed to be pretty reliable at that point.

Like stated earlier, let the perceptions of unreliable and for older folks stay in place cause I don't want to see 20-30 XFs per day like u do with BMWs and Mercedes.

 

Three years ago I was 29 when I got my first XF (2011 Base with "sport" package). I was also looking at other more mainstream European cars at the time but the XF stood out for me because not that many people had them, it looked good, and it was a RWD V8. I loved the sound of it and the luxury it had. Now you can imagine I got some of the same comments already mentioned: how much is it in the shop, arent you too young, etc. Overall, once people saw the car and rode in it, they gave it respect. The valet guys usually wanted to park it in front. My only complaint was the lack of some features I thought should be standard for the price like keyless entry and backup camera.

Fast forward to last week and Im now driving a 2012 XFR (bought CPO with 20k mi) and I was going to a friend's house who lives in a condo with a valet. When I dropped it off, no special notice was given. In fact, I thought he parked it too close to some other cars. When I came back later that night another valet guy was there. When he pulled it up he was going nuts saying he had not driven a car like that before. He stated that he looked at the key and thought "its just a Jaguar" but once he saw it and got in he knew it was not "just a Jaguar". He wanted to see under the hood and was asking a lot of questions. I think I spent about 10-15min talking with him about it which was cool since I was showing it to my friends as well. Coincidentally, the valet was a younger guy. Im definitely getting more looks in the XFR and it commands a lot more respect and doesnt look like many cars on the road. Of course I love that not many cars are as powerful and laugh when it only takes a tap of the gas to get in front of someone who is trying to stop me from changing lanes (S. FL driving!).

 

Here is a pic of my 2012 XFR.

 

Beautiful car, is that Lunar Grey?

 

Interesting tread!!
I have always good comments when I use my XKR-S. Vallet parking guys get crazy when I pull in and they keep the jag in front in a safe place... Now, I'm looking to change my winter car (cadillac SRX 4X4) for an XF awd, Didn't expect that car to be a head turner car!!! Nice to read your comments. I've stop today to the dealership to take a ride in the XF and XJ. Still puzzled on wich one is my choice. XJ really impress me. The interior is really cool.
Also stop to BMW to see the 535D. Interresting too and diesel. Big + for me.

Still dreaming on that....

Guy

 

I looked aggressively for a 12 Xf. Found one finally. Most of my co workers can't quit talking about it. They want to ride in it or drive it. "Rides I'm good with but not drives". I have seen three Xf and two Xj in my town. It turns head because it's not common and I love that. A few of my Officers have asked how many thongs have I found on my hood? Wow!! This town is not that big I guess. No underwear found as of yet. Anyway, the fact that there are not that many Jags around here and the new commercials out has my cats paws stepping on a lot of Bmrs and Mercs. Love the car for what it is. Not just peoples perception.

 

It actually makes sense why the perceptions are there. In the not so distant past, Jaguars weren't all that reliable and repairs are fairly expensive (enter Ford to improve on that). And the new pricing of JLR has never been what anyone would call a bargain. So the only people with the ability to buy the cars new and have warranty to cover the repairs were wealthier older people. The styling made it to where less wealthy older people were the only ones that bought used, and they would only buy cheap in anticipation of the repair costs.

I think the S - type R was the first of the newer cars to capture some of the younger used buyers. It had a different vibe than traditional Jags. People have liked the XK in the sportier configurations but they held their value just enough to still be out of reach for most younger buyers.

So until the XF and the 5.0 NA and supercharged motors, there was not a lot of reason for younger buyers to look at a Jag. That they have the "old and unreliable" reputation makes them even more affordable to the younger second owners, of which I am one. I'm 44 by the way and I'm feeling old on this forum ;-)

So we need to enjoy the ridiculous depreciation while we can. Luxury cars typically depreciate more than sports cars. When there is more interest because of the advertising and all of us showing off our cars and exposing the sporting side to the rest of the world (especially the supercharged motors), people will start watching. When they realize there is no additional reliability penalty for driving a Jag over a Merc, Audi or BMW, more will definitely come to the marque.

Just hope it starts in time to help me when sell mine in five years.