I get what you are saying as I have been wrenching all of my cars for better the 50 years now. I enjoyed Jaguar because of the affordability of a great looking and performing car through the years. The depreciation was a big help in me getting to play. I'm a retired mechanical engineer who still plays even with the latest tech. cars. As to my recently acquired XKR i'll still do stuff down the road but anything covered by the warranty and the CPO will be done by the dealer.

 

The other cars in the class are just as bad. look at a 2007 bmw m6 price...look at an SL550... again it is the market more than the brand

Im no baller but do ok for myself and have little debt, low obligations and ive worked in the car biz, for us mortals here is the best way to buy a luxury car

1. buy a car at least 3 years old (grab a lease return)
2. find the lowest mile car with the best price (willing to pay for it out of state)
a. shipping is cheap
3. put down 20-25% and finance the rest
4. own the car for 3-4 years and you should never be upside down and or killed by dropping values.

best advice i can give on buying a luxury car

 

Forget the lease returns, I have to grab the cars from the guy who grabbed the lease return!

 

I am waiting for the MY2010 XK to drop below $30k (currently at 33k)...hopefully in a year. Had a 1998 XK8 vert...paid 13k, sold 10k in 2 years. Not bad.

Also looked at 2005 MB SL500 $20k (Orig MSRP $100k), 2008 CL550 $35k (MSRP 105k), 2012 XJ $43k (MSRP 73k) and...check this out, 2011 RR Ghost $160k (MSRP 245k!!!)

I know people who would buy new cars no matter what you tell them about the VALUE of money they'd get on used luxury cars.

 

The depreciation on my XKR was anticipated. If you buy one expecting something else....well, I hope you enjoy driving it though fantasy-land

 

2005 price for an Xtype Spirit LE £25.000 . 8 years . 2 owners & 40.000 ,iles later I pick it up for £ 3500. Its a no brainer !!

However , over the last 50 years has cost me money .

 

think of these cars as a hobby more than an investment. a bright red xkr convertible is not an investment.

deprecation is part of the game so either
1. lease and dont care
2. buy the best used model you can to fight deprecation

 

I bought my car at 21 years old but in great shape. I found a rich guy (might be one of you) with a lot of toys parked in an hanger and when he wanted to make room for a new toy, that's when I jumped. He only put on 6,500 miles on this one in the last five years, probably because I was told he owned several Jaguars. I just put prothane bushings on my anti-sway bar and end links today. Along with the new Bilstein shocks, it should bring the front end to life. I realize that what I'm doing is way different that what you guys are doing. But then I don't have to worry about depreciation (losing it) either. Heck! I Don't like the idea of what a car depreciates just driving it off the dealers lot! When I work on my car I upgrade it for preformance not comfort, it's already a very comfortable car. My Dad used to always buy Cadillacs, ninety-eights, ext. for the smooth ride. I think the new Jaguars are awesome, but I will never own one. Not because I can't afford one, I think I just got burnt out on my Dad's cars and there's something about building your own car. What I have is more of a sports car that needs a little work on it's handing. I probably spent less on this car than what most of you are losing with your depreciation. Personally, if I were looking for an investment I would talk to my broker, not buy a Jaguar. But, it sounds like a lot of you have already done that, or you wouldn't be buying a new Jaguar. Pretty much the same neighborhood, just on the other side of the tracks (lol). Enjoy!

 

The first owner of my car lost about $150K AUD on it over 2 1/2 years, and that is assuming he traded it for around what I paid for it. Ozzie dollars were running at parity with yours at the time. I usually hate depreciation (I work on losing about 50% in the 3 years from new, most of that in the first 2 years), but in this case I was the beneficiary of it. Given that a new XKR-S costs about $300K here, I'll be keeping my eyes open for a 3 year old used one in a year or so.

 

One thing that has me wondering--I would love to buy a new F-Type coupe for $70-80k. But for that kind of money, I could get the real deal--an E-Type! And not worry as much about crazy depreciation!

 

I too happen to be one of the forum members that found it feasible to buy a 4 year old 5,000 mile 2010 XK for approximately 1/2 of MSRP at the time. Yes, if I decide to sell now after one year of ownership, I will most likely be losing money, but that is not my plan. I wanted a pristine car with the least amount of use for the best price I could afford at the time. Buying new was not an option. Yes, depreciation has been discussed often on this Forum and the Jaguar is one of the leaders of the pack. It may be an issue for the original poster, but it goes with the territory of Jaguar ownership as well as many other high end cars. I enjoy my car, and I don't care about the depreciation as I'm lucky enough to have been able to afford this toy.

 

[QUOTE=bocatrip; ... I enjoy my car, and I don't care about the depreciation as I'm lucky enough to have been able to afford this toy.[/QUOTE]

My sentiments exactly, except that luck had very little to do with my being able to afford both of my Jags.

Chalk it up to work ethic and a wife who lost her Neiman Marcus card. I never reported it because the woman who found that card was charging less on it than my wife was! Thanks to her, I could afford my Jags!

We're too serious here sometimes, and I thought it would be therapeutic to lighten things up.

Anyone who is so worried about depreciation should have bought a Prius. I bought my Jags because of the way they make me feel when I look at them and drive them. There's no way to get that kind of emotional satisfaction from a Prius - all it does is enable you to save money. Think about it - the Prius equation: enable you to save money = become miser-able, instead of being passionate about your car. If you can afford it, I say screw the depreciation and enjoy your life - it's only money and you only go around once.

I'm not concerned about the depreciation on both of my Jags because I plan to keep them for a long time. Time is the ultimate equalizer; all cars eventually bottom out and a select few will appreciate in value. I think that some of the special edition XKR models will eventually become collectibles and appreciate in value. Time will tell.

Just my .

Stuart

 

I don't see why people are so irritated by people who pay attention to the value of their cars. It all has to do with what you get for your money. Isn't money part of the equation of owning a car?

Is the alternative really a Prius? Or is it other cars like the Audi R8, Chevy Corvette, Lotus Elise or Porsche 911 with better resale values? Would you lump them into the category of soulless transportation appliances?

That being said, I think the value of my 2007 XKR has stabilized lately. Would be nice if it held steady so by the time I pay it off I can have a nice downpayment on an Ftype!

 

I second...

 

+1 for both of my Jags. Depreciation made them affordable.

And 1.9% financing on the CPO XJ was too good a deal to pass up. I can keep my money invested and (hopefully) earn more than 1.9%. A no-brainer.

I prefer buying 1 to 3 year old 1-owner/lease return CPO cars as they are usually a good value. The previous owner (usually a business) took the big depreciation hit (tax deduction) and I get an almost new car with a good factory warranty. Works for me.

Stuart

 

Great way to buy a Jaguar.....post a few photos of the new ride. I have looked at the XF models and they have suffered the same massive depreciation in the first 2 years. You can find some very nice XF in the 2012 MY for low 30's and 2013's in the mid $30's.

The only way for me to ever buy a Jaguar is the used marketplace with low mileage. There are some beautiful cars available at great prices.

Must be nice to own 2 Jags. Of course your 2009 is quite special and rare.