As you may know, I am selling my current XJ, looking
for an '03 XJR. Anyway, I am always very happy to find
reviews of our car, acceleration data, specs, etc... esp
the XJR model now.

I posted the Motor Trend review of the '98 model
a few months ago, so note how their specs of

5.2s 0-60
13.7 1/4 mile @103.8
.88g Skidpad grip
etc

Compare to Car and Driver's results.
Also note how the Jag's aerodynamics
affect its high speed (over, say, 70) data!

The link is at the bottom. If you're like me,
you may be interested to have this on PDF.
The scanned article from the 2000 issue
mag is available on that webpage for download!

I was actually about to buy this issue from
Ebay for $13+ S/H, but believe it or not, Car and Driver
just made this available online 6 days ago.


I only found out about this comparo by
searching Ebay for Jag reviews in
C/D last month!

Enjoy the find guys!

2000 BMW M5 vs. 2000 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG, 2000 Jaguar XJR – Comparison Test – Car and Driver

 

Take a look at their mpg for a 800 mile trip.

Must have been at triple digits to be that bad.

 

Ok, the XJR was slowest of the bunch at the track, and had the least amount of space. But in the X308 XJR you still get total strangers at parking lots and gas stations asking questions about the car and going on about how beautiful these "old jags" are... try to beat that in a 12yo merc or beemer.

 

To be fair, the BMW M5 of that generation has a almost timeless appearance.

And after fighting the pedal position/seat position on the XJR, the higher comfort rating given by the review seems to be honest. The XJR driver comfort is *not* good on really long drives.

The 6 speed manual has a certain attraction

 

If any one of the three magically appeared in my garage I wouldn't turn my nose up :-)

BMWs willingness to offer manual tranmissions has nearly brought me over a number of times.

Cheers
DD

 

For overall looks I'd say it's a toss up between the Bimmer and Jag. That particular genre of Mercedes was very meh. I can see the Jag getting 3rd place. Good read, thanks.

 

*whisper* I was looking to buy an M5 before I bought an XJR.

They're very different personalities - I thought the Jag was a grownup's car, and a sleeper.

The M cars have an almost religious following, and for good reason, anyone who's seen the Getaway in Stockholm video or Guy Richie's advert with Madonna will agree they're a focused driving machine.

The engineers at Jaguar did as much as they could with an old chassis and great engine. It can stay with an M5 but that's not what it's about. The XFR tackles M cars with great effect...

Panache, style, competence, understated confidence, slightly sinister (in a dark colour) involving, elegant.

Can the M5 be classed with these words, no. Teutonic, efficient, boring, plastic.

I'm going for a drive now, in my XJR.

 

I always have such mixed feelings about BMWs. There are several models I really like and they're superbly capable cars....but, still, for some I reason I usually think "boy racer" when I see one.

I guess the cult thing is part of it and they're particularly popular with the younger, backwards-baseball-cap crowd, it seems...at least in my neck o' the woods. Some of these guys.....good grief....all ya gotta do is say "BMW" and they sudddenly get a wet spot on their pants!

I dunno. Such profiling and generalizing is so often wrong, but, still....I'm afraid I just can't live up to the BMW image :-). Too old, I guess!

Cheers
DD

 

It seems like all of us have considered the E39 M5 at some point... I might
get one, if I weren't terrified of the reliability. And if low mileage examples
weren't fetching over $30k. (In the UK, an M5 can be had for under $8k. even
a ragged out M5 here goes for 12-13k, which is the money for a nice XJR.)

I have driven one, and it was the best 4d I have ever driven. Amazing engine,
sounded awesome, silky 6 speed gearbox, and the quietness and composure
of a 530i. Don't forget, (this is for Sean B especially!) in the M5 you get a suede
headliner... the plebeian standard XJR has no such accoutrements. Also note
the modern centre stack, with standard 7" nav screen. The Jag, though, just
looks great, and has a lot of stuff the M5 doesn't.

Let's start with the lovely body. The bigger boot, the 2 cup-holders (lament no more, the M5 has one puny example, making the XJ's cup-holder look like a Godsent), the superior grip, the better comfort, the softer seats, and the superior
interior trim. The BMW's optional leather-covered dash, however, is pretty nice.

Also note that this XJR is a marvel of reliability... they really were beautifully made
and engineered to last. The M5 is a high-maintenance car. That's all that can be said.

Doug, I don't know if I agree with the boy-racer image. You do get that with some
BMWs, but the M5 is distinctly grown up when viewed next to the M3, 135i, and 335i.

And I agree in saying the BMW is a gorgeous car. It is a timeless design, the E39
5, and the M5 is the top iteration of that body. It still looks great today.

I have a few pictures of my car next to a pretty blue M5 (my friend's M)
and the Jag doesn't look quite as good. At least not my Jag. I'm working on improving its appearance (i.e., straightening bodywork) at the moment though. Blue '03 M5 vs Blue '03 XJR R1? Easy choice.
I am biased against silver though... I'm an avowed fan of colours
with more presence.

I'll attach a picture for camparison purposes (note my XJR-100 exhausts!)

Ian

 

I do like the M5 (and some other BMW) styling...handsome car. The only let down (and pet peeve of mine) is the very tall rear end (clearly shown in your pics) and slab-like quarter panels. This all serves to make the rear wheels look tiny!

Cheers
DD

 

Check, (Alcantara the real stuff) A pillars, C pillars, roof plus console, sun visors and Napa leather B posts.....

 

Ian -- your silver XJR is tons better looking than the BMW, in this old man's opinion! Lower == sleeker design makes it look HOT!

BMWs look like Hondas to me.

 

Not an M5, but my '06 BMW 330xi w/ sport (M), winter and luxury packages was MUCH better laid out inside the cabin when compared to our VDP. Also, the BMW's switches and controls are far superior. The BMW handled much better than the VDP, but nowhere as roomy. The VDP's back seat is like a sofa by comparison. The VDP seats are huge, similar to American luxury. All that said, even though we haven't driven it much, we like our VDP a lot. Even with the larger optional wheels, it rides as smooth as glass and is comfy.

 

Do you have more detailed pics of your car so I can produce more drool?

 

Aesthetically, the XJR has a bigger wow factor.

But the M5 might not prompt so much worry about parking in the far reaches of parking lots, might have better aftermarket parts choices, and be more comfortable after the first hour of a long trip.

The 540i might be a better daily driver as the M5 motor is extremely expensive to repair and the VANOS system definitely requires special tools to service. The residual hydraulic pressure can cut your arm off if you don't know exactly what you are doing.

 

The article got the fuel injection specification for the Jag wrong: It doesnt use Bosch EMS but a Denso 16 bit system

 

I must admit that I (too) had E39 M5 as one possible option (along with C32 AMG and Audi S8) before deciding to go for the XJR. Main reasons that turned me away from the M5 were the talks about high-maintenance, and the crowd that usually drives them around here. And there are just too many of those E39's around, I like to stand out from the crowd a bit.

 

now thats good timing. gl with sale and next pick up!

 

BTW, there is a TopSpeed or whatever the name is of that UK show, youtube clip with the two hosts racing about in a BMW M5 and a Jaguar XJR, both 2000 MY as in the CD article.

The M5 seems to have a greater tendency towards oversteer even with the staggered tires. Both hit the limiter at 155mph. Apparently the M5 set the passenger car land speed record at 195mph.

If someone finds the link again, feel free to post it.

 

Are you talking about Old Top Gear?
And I had no idea they could reach such speeds... I
thought 300kph was possible, but no more.

I have to keep this info away from my M5-driving friend, he'll
be too happy about his de-limited speed.

Here is the Old Top GEar link,


Were you talking about this review from one of Jeremy
Clarkson's DVDs?



Ian