Thought I would share this article. Hard not to agree with him.

Jaguar xkr News, Videos, Reviews and Gossip - Jalopnik

 

The difference between new cars these days, mainly comes down to who you want as your dealer and manufacturer.

Absolutely not Government Motors. I looked into the 'Vette and Camaro briefly before quickly crossing them off my list because of several *features* slipped on the cars.

 

I had a Camaro SS convertible as a rental car a couple of weeks ago... it was the most unsafe car I have ever driven. Even at 35mph it felt unstable and visibility was worse that a Countach.

 

The Camaro SS, Z28, and ZL1 are all very impressive cars in their own way, and the Laguna Seca or Nurburgring lap times pretty much speak to that. Some variant of the "when the flag drops the bullshit stops" being no doubt appropriate. That said, I absolutely agree with the premise of this article and would choose the Jag hands down for that price range. Comments about depreciation make no sense to me, so what if the Jag depreciates another $10k in 5 years, the Camaro would also. Sadly I don't think Jaguar will ever rid itself of the image of unreliability and high cost to repair, which somehow has become a part of tribal knowledge here in the states anyway.

 

Exactly. Both cars carry a stigma.

Comaro: Associated with NASCAR, rednecks and the rebel flag genre.

Jaguar: Associated with unreliability, poor workmanship and build quality.

The difference is only one is true.

Jaguar could rid itself of it's stigma but it would take better than a decade to do it. I still wouldn't buy an American car after the Pinto and the Chevette. The big 3 built crap for 2 decades and Jag was no better. In order for Jag to thrive they need to build reliable cars AND STAND BEHIND THEM 100% a la Hyundai. If every Jag came with 10yr/100k warranty I think they'd kill BMW/MB.

 

Wow , just think I could have been a redneck.

 

It's not what we are but what people perceive based on what you drive. I'm guessing when people see me in my Jag they think mid-life crisis. I often wonder what people think when I'm driving my beat up '92 Toyota pickup or My '04 Forester! LOL Probably broke on the first and granola eater on the 2nd! That's ok. Makes me chuckle because no one should care what people think.


My first car was a '71 El Camino. I couldn't decide between a car and a truck! Guess that made me an indecisive redneck! I once rented a Corolla but got a '14 Camaro SS because they were out. It was fast but the interior was made by Mattel and the ride was atrocious. The damping was all wrong. It just felt...cheap. I didn't like the way it made me feel either but variety is what makes the world go 'round. To each his own and may he enjoy it!

 

I used to own a Camaro and I'm a bit of a redneck.

 

Guilty. Owned a '71 El Camino.

 

[QUOTE=flyc2c;1388556]It's not what we are but what people perceive based on what you drive. I'm guessing when people see me in my Jag they think mid-life crisis. I often wonder what people think when I'm driving my beat up '92 Toyota pickup or My '04 Forester! LOL Probably broke on the first and granola eater on the 2nd! That's ok. Makes me chuckle because no one should care what people think.


In my neck of the woods a midlife crisis car is usually a Corvette. We got a lot of chubby old guys with gray hair drivin them around. Just sayin

 

I think a great car for someone so insecure they care about what (negative) image they "imagine" they may be projecting are sleepers like the Chevy SS (Holden). Handles pretty well with suspension upgrades widely available and pretty easy to get 500 hp if stock is not enough. Looks like any ordinary sedan.

 

Exactly. Both cars carry a stigma.

Comaro: Associated with NASCAR, rednecks and the rebel flag genre.

Jaguar: Associated with unreliability, poor workmanship and build quality.

The difference is only one is true.


I think you missed a few "stigma's" in your post - Camero's/GM products are also, and often warranted so, are associated with both horrific build quality as well as it's rather disgusting manipulation of our political system during their feigned bankruptcy endeavor a few years ago. Lastly and more recently how they managed to again avoid having their execs held criminally responsible for their knowledge and subsequent mishandling of the ignition switch defect which caused many deaths and injuries. Supporting the UAW and lobbyist for them is something that I personally will never do.

Recently I sat in a new Camaro, as mentioned the interior felt extremely cheap and terribly designed. The lowest level Honda's, Kia's, or Hyundai's felt FAR better in terms of inside appointments. Whether that car could beat mine to a finish line or get Cleatus to spill his 40oz malt liqueur saluting me while wearing his Leonard Skynard shirt I could not care less. Ford has made great strides in improving their QC, GM has made continuous massive payments to insure the government turns it's backs on their wrong-doings in terms on their financial insecurities (taking +$50,000,000,000.00 in the bailout), ignoring their customers safety, and focusing on pretty new technology while ignoring quality control.

Yes the Corvette has impressive stats and good for the designers for taking that huge step forward... the rest of their line up is, and always has been very sad. They focus solely on SUV's where their profits are some +30% - they get to use older truck chassis and they are categorized as work vehicles so the Fed gov, who gets kick-backs from lobbyists, looks the other way when it comes to safety.

My family has had a LOT of GM cars... EVERY single one has been awful in terms of QC, one we picked up from the dealership after 8 weeks of being made, drove it some 4 miles home, it then needed a new alternator and brake job! Trans went at 30/60/and 100K miles amongst many other issues.

My first bosses job was at the local GM plant, his job was to check the fenders of Camero's, if they were off one direction he banged them with a mallet, if off the other he installed washers to shim it up.. no concern with actually making them right to begin with in the first place as the union would have a fit eliminating someone's job.

 

Come on Leeper tell us how you really feel.

 

You say Camero he says Comaro some say Camaro, can't we all just get along ?


I have put over a million miles on GM products in my lifetime and I'll have to say I have had very good luck with reliability (including the plastic bits holding up) even the vehicles I have held onto for many years. While I am also a Jag and Ford fan it is pretty amusing to see Jaguar fans criticize GM regarding reliability issues. Sure wish Jag would use the same electrical connector supplier as GM for example. I can disconnect an electrical connector on my 16 year old GM truck and thanks to very effective seals on each individual wire and also on the connector interface it will be clean and dry inside and equally important the plastic does not fall apart so it is reusable (what a concept).

I would still choose the XJR though, no question.

By the way, now that I have driven the XK8 for awhile, I'll have to say it has great 360 deg visibility from the driver's seat, so I don't buy the excuse (like with the Camaro and many other cars) that visibility has to suffer for the sake of design.

 

Interesting comments from the readers on that one. I have family members that were burned by the GM bankruptcy... will never ever touch a GM car after that. I drove past a white Z06 the other day, and all I could think was that they are trying too hard with the design. I'd take a Mustang over the Camaro... and an used XK over the Mustang . The good news is in 3 years or so, the Jaguar reputation will still be lingering as some nice F-Types start coming off lease... I'll take a V6S coupe please.

 

The Corvette, I sort of want one, but there are political reasons that just dig me the wrong way that prevent me from wanting to own a modern GM.

 

Corvettes seem so....... pedestrian.


Of course, since it's a shevvie, you'd probably end up walking anyway.

 

I've had 2 in my automotive career. The 1st was a 1963 convert I bought used in 64 . 327/340 hp and a 4 speed which satisfied my kid ego . Traded it in for a 1966 XKE coupe back in 68 . Then got a 71 T-top after the rockers rusted out of the E-Type. I guess the only reason was I hated rust so plastic was the way to go. Had fun with both cars and even today parts are available. Got a couple of buddies around here that buy a new one every 2-3 years. Around here they seem to be a dime a dozen.

 

umm, no, that would be the Jaguar owner in the passenger seat of the tow rig

 

Sheesh, nobody can take a joke anymore.