Well pwl you're right I had to reply....... Why are you so paranoid that you put your location as USA? Most people put the state and maybe the city. Probably because you know your vitriolic comments might lead to something. And the biggest laugh on you is that you say you might be interested in the XK. Weren't you the one who said you weren't interested in the back seat passengers comfort that you didn't care about "fat assed mother in laws"? Please don't buy another Jaguar because we will be your biggest fans on your next car's blog. OBTW make sure you test drive a rag top. I'm sure you'll complain about the wind noise and the air blowing in your face.

 

Well someone is liking these brands over the XJ it would appear. Here is a recent article from Emerging Money. 40% drop in Jaguar sales over a year! Can this be right? Looks as though Land Rover is saving the day at least.Tata losing its grip on the global luxury market By Emerging Money ™ July 19th, 10:35 am The bid by India’s Tata Motors to use its no-frills domestic car business to launch itself into the global luxury market may be sputtering amid disappointing sales for its top-line Jaguar and Land Rover brands. Tata (TTM, quote) reported that it sold 1% more luxury cars in June compared with a year ago, entirely on the strength of a 22% increase in Land Rover sales. That might be a nice top-line number, but Jaguar sales are down 40% over the same period — and around the world, the luxury car market is growing much faster than Tata’s share. Four big players — BMW (BAMXY, quote), Daimler (DDAIF, quote), Audi (no U.S. listing) and Tata — grew their luxury sales 11% during the last 12 months. Audi was the winner in terms of growth, boosting its sales 18% and its overall share of the luxury car market to 29.2% from 28.2% a year ago. BMW grew in line with the overall market, up 12.3% to keep its share at roughly 34%. Sales of Daimler’s Mercedes lagged the pack, up just 6.4% over the year as market share eroded to 30.7%. And Tata not only hit a wall in terms of sales but lost 8.7% of its already slim 5.7% share of the global luxury market. Who is buying all these cars? While Chinese luxury car sales are still surging 30% above where they were last year, that is still a significant drop from the 40%-plus boom we have seen in recent months. The Chinese like Audis but are increasingly falling in love with BMWs. They do not buy Jaguars or Land Rovers in any significant numbers. In the United States, Mercedes and BMW are tied for the lead, but the U.S. market is growing at a much slower rate — and is now a smaller piece of the global luxury pie than China. Europe, the traditional stronghold of Jaguar and Land Rover, represents a market three times as large as either China or the United States when it comes to luxury cars, but that market seems saturated at the moment, growing at barely 1% a year.

 

Could these numbers actually be right? They sell 3X the number of luxury cars in Europe than they do in the US or China? How is that possible? I know there have about 2X the number of people in Europe compared to the US, but they have that many more people there who can afford luxury cars?

 

RoeXK will you post a link to the article you're speaking of. I went to Emerging Markets website and it's written in a blog format and there is no search capabilities. Thanks.

 

That CLS is the most disgusting looking car of the year. The styling was done by a man who is utterly talentless. It's shouty, yet ugly, overwrought and tasteless, hideous. I believe this was actually the designer's first car, he is Asian and like 19. Probably a son of Akio Toyoda who said, "Daddy, let me design shouty cars for a living", and he said, "No, we only make dull cars. Mercedes has a design department which has been themeless for years, let's see if my contacts can't get you in there."

And this is the result. How could an XKR be looked at next to that stupid CLS.

 

I don't think the CLS is that ugly. Certainly when it first came out, I almost vomited, but it has aged well and is somewhat striking. It is much better looking than, for example, the Porsche Panamera.

In my mind, the CLS is the same level of ugly as the XJ X351. The A7 looks very nice, but is very bland looking. Also has a strange profile from certain angles. Can't understand why Audi would need the A7 and A8--seems redundant!

 

Oh I meant the 2012 CLS. The 2005+ is allright, very edgy for a Merc. 2012 model upsets the balance of the solar system with how awful it looks.

 

I agree Ianclements! I owned two CLS's the last being a CLS 63 and when I saw the new 2012 CLS I bought the XJL and don't regret it for one minute.

 

Actually I think the new one improves on the looks of the old one. Although it's still not the greatest looking car.

 

Just goes to show how different people's tastes are since you also think our beautiful new XJ's are ugly. I'm also in the "old CLS looks better than the new CLS" camp.

 

I loved my friends old one I just thought the back was cramped and of course no panoramic sunroof option. I do love how the Germans engineer cars. I don't know any American manufacturer who would think to have the windows come down a quarter of an inch when you open and close the doors. My neighbors father-in-law has to have like an early 2000's BMW that does the same thing. I have a 1988 BMW 5 series that I use for daily commutes and it has dual climate control and one button up and down window control. In a 1988!! No cup holders though.lol

 

This is kind of off topic but I didn't think it was worth a new thread..... my beautiful XJL got keyed while I was on vacation on Captiva Island a couple of weeks ago and it's now in the shop getting fixed (will have it back tomorrow, Yay!). Anyways, I rented a 2010 Cadillac DTS and OMG what a disappointment. I'm sure that being a rental it was the base model but......for a starting price of $46,000 this car is a let down. The only thing leather are the seats. Everything else is plastic. I don't even think the wood is real. The Northstar V8 which has been heralded in the past is not even close to being equal to the XJ. I know it's not in the same "class" but it was glaringly not in the same class. I guess I've gotten spoiled over the last ten years with my German and now British cars. To get back on topic I think this Cadillac might be delimited to 90 MPH........

 

So even racists drive the XJ I see. Being "Asian" means you desingn disgusting looking cars? Do you also think certain races make bad Presidents? And the designer is almost 40 I believe, not 19.

It is certainly not a disgusting looking car. I like the XJ also, but I have never been fully sold on that flowing curvy look for a 4 door. Seems a bit girly to me for some reason, and so the new CLS is a bit more angular and boxier than the old one, which seems an improvement to me anyway. I prefer the aggressive look I think.

I also prefer the boxier Range Rovers, but that Evoque is definitely a chick's car.

 

Do you think that the Bentley Continental GT (even though a 2 door) and Maserati Quattroporte are "girly" too? They are large cars with beautiful curves and big hips as well. How about all Ferrari's? Again, it's just personal taste whether you like curves or angles--seems to be a very polarizing topic. IMHO angles look better on smaller cars.

 

I NEVER made any generalization about any race. And if I do, it is in the form of a joke. I'm simply pointing out that this particular designer has intoduced elements of European styling into what is clearly a more eastern school of design. The CLS is clearly influenced by several elements and characteristics of Asian car design, especially the interpretation of "muscle", and flowing design. Traditional European design, especially German, has totally different character traits, and the designer of the new CLS fails to successfully combine any of the styling influences he likes, especially in the context of his German luxury 4-door.

He sure looks awfully young to be 40.

And I believe a flowing saloon design isn't immasculine, it is without gender to me... Appeals to both boys and girls.

One thing I'm offended by is being called a racist. The only people I get that from are hopelessly ignorant anyway.

Asian car design has triumphed before, but only when the designers aren't making a copycat car. Look at the infiniti M... Masculine, flowing, and somehow gorgeous; and, naturally a fully Japanese design.

 

In 2000 that car was allowed to be excellent... Adapting suspension, touchscreen nav, amazing V8, power sunshade, night vision, HUD, a lot of stuff. And then they made the V8 run on regular, and left it basically unchanged for a decade. The wood is real. When the Northstar came in 1993 with 300hp from a 4.6, it was amazing. Still so in 2002. It's refined and sophisticated, great sounding. (Try 'DTS corsa' on YouTube, 2nd one down). Before 2001 we owned 3, and they were great. Just proof that GM ruins everything.

The ride is great on the new DTS, a hotel I like drives you from the lobby to one of the pools, so I've been in a new one a few times. Just think, GM let the same design go for sooooo long. The old DTS(which used to indicate a performance Deville) was great. In 2000.

,

 

You tell 'em ianclements! Personally, I thought your post was a hoot and didn't sense anything racist. Actually, I thought his comments about "girly" and "chick's car" were a little prejudicial.

 

Hey thank you... nice to not be under fire for once .

And that's quite the collection of cars... a black supercharged XJ with the cinnamon interior? I'll trade you another 'whitty' post for a test drive!