I drove my '86 Mustang GT for 28 years, 128,000 miles. I left it stock. Only 195 HP in the 5.0L but it was fast and fun. Real easy to light up the rear tires. I loved it. No major problems other than fuel pump at about 100k miles, Water pump at about 80k miles and a tranny rebuild and clutch at 70k miles (I power shifted a lot). I did a minor restoration (paint, hood decal, some mechanical) and sold it in 2014. There is a stigma associated with the Mustang for sure but I don't give a ****. I do what I like and f**k everyone else. I took a lot of crap from the Z28 guys back when but my car held together much better than theirs. Mustangs are everywhere, yes. That means more parts options, more service options, less expensive all around.

I disliked every body style after the '86 up until recently. I really like the new mustang GTs and thought about getting one (no, the XK isn't going anywhere) but decided against it (for now).

Good luck with your new GT. I doubt you will be disappointed!

 

Wow you could light up the tires with an 86, must have been in the rain, had a 89 cobra brand new 225 hp and it couldn't do it , was an automatic though.

 

easy in the 5sp

 

A friend of mine has on order the new GT500 to me its a street legal race car, a lot of money but a lot of car for the money.

 

The current GT350 is already smoking hot, so that GT500 will be a monster. Over 700 hp!

 

I would never have bought my 2005 XJR without Jaguarforums.com. I combed through it long before and then often during the dust-up to purchase and then when going through ownership. I will be leaning on you heavily from time to time, because I don't plan to let anyone else touch my XKR unless I get in over my head on a major repair, God forbid. There is an excellent independent shop here in Dallas if and when I need him.

Thanks all. I'll keep you posted.

 

Originally Posted by SinF Drive F-type. It is GT and XKR melded into a single car with almost no downsides.F Type is a reasonable "affordable" buy as a used car. Good choice if just two seats are needed.

That's the thing, the seats. I still have school-aged kids that I'll be schlepping to school for a few more years. And, I'm a GT guy. I personally think the F Type is a big mistake, as it's no lighter in V-8 form than an XK. That car IMO would be much better with a V6 or even a 4, but then it starts to get beat out by other cars better suited to be lighter-weight sports cars, like Boxsters for instance. No. I like XK's. That's what I want.

 

You are not doing it right. It should be "Yeah baby, it's a Jaaaaag"

 

A buddy had GT350; what a beast. Has to be one of the loudest engines on the market. Drive train was brilliant for the power; like shifting a Honda. Very powerful and easy to get ahead of yourself driving. Impressive car.

 

I've had opportunity to spend a fair bit of behind-the-wheel time on modern-ish Mustangs. Lots of fun and, really, pretty impressive in a lot of respects. My experiences driving a 2016 GT350R are especially positive. What an absolute blast ! Easy to drive fast; not treacherous.

Anyhow.....

I'm struck how this exact conversation, Mustang vs Jaguar, has come up several times over the last 15-20 years on various Jag forums.

FWIW.....

A million years ago I simultaneously owned a Jag XJS V12 and a '92 Mustang 5.0 GT. Very different cars but I was struck at how well the $18K Mustang compared to the $50K Jaguar.

I found the Mustang to be faster accelerating at all road speeds below about 80-90 mph. Top speed about the same at roughly 140mph. The Mustang had more comfortable seats, more effective HVAC, better instrument lights, zero rattles, zero fluid leaks. zero electrical glitches, zero fuel odors, faster power windows, better/faster wipers, and delivered about 20-25% better fuel economy under any comparable driving conditions/styles

The Mustang steering was as sharp or sharper then the Jag. Cornering/roadholding was crisp, flat, and controllable... as good or better than the Jag.....on smooth roads, at least. The Jag certainly had a better ride and was more composed on less-than-perfect roads. The Jag brakes were better under hard use driving. The Jag was much more stable at high road speeds...80+mph.

In the end I kept the Jag and sold the Mustang...which says something. The Mustang was fun to drive. The Jag was a pleasure to drive. Not the same things.

Anyhow, the Mustang did a lot of things pretty darn well for a car in that price range. I wouldn't mind owning another one of these days

Cheers
DD

 

If it was only about dollar value the mustang wins hands down, but its not, owning sports cars is deeper than that hence I bought a Jag to satisfy that itch.

 

I don't think anyone can argue about the power and performance of these type cars. The Mustangs , Camaro's and Doge Hell cat fall into a separate category. The Jag or SL AMG's or BMW or Maserati fall into another category. I would also suspect that the person looking at a Jag is not the same as someone looking at a muscle car. Then there is the 2 seat sports car like the F-type or Corvette or some of the Ferrari line. There are others on the various classes but they all have their own type of owner. So IMHO to consider a Mustang vs. an XK isn't a consideration . When I sold my old Ferrari and told the guys in that form I was looking to go more modern and a convertible for sunday cruising they were surprised when I got the XKR. They thought I was going to get a Corvette but said that I made a great selection for what I wanted. So enjoy what you want .

 

I went through the same comparison in November focusing on convertibles. I ended up with a 2015 XKR with 10k miles and a 4 year CPO warranty for less than a Mustang GT. It really has better lines. The last of the 15’ s with dynamic packs are lowered and have the wheels and interior from the XKRS which makes a difference in overall look and handling. And the sound is great in dynamic sport mode!

in NorCal my wife pointed out it seems every Mustang has a girl or high school kid driving. She calls them girls cars LOL.

in the end you can have something exotic or common. Both have similar GT lines and look great in dark gray. Mine has a metallic gray near black color that doesn’t show dirt and dust which I like. Good luck!

 

Definitely a worthy replacement

 

uuuhhhhhhh.......... Not really.
SORT of OK, but a replacement only because No New XKs. Under powered unless the 471HP (although low torque) option, and not 'cool' enough although it does look more modern and 'newer' than the XK. PLUS, the convertible option isn't available yet, so Deal Breaker.

The only REAL contender:


Also, I've lately been REALLY tempted by the McLaren 650S Spider;

 

You must be kidding here, who's going to look at a Mustang over a Jag?
and if she does what's she look like?

Not too good is my guess.

 

IMHO they are butt ugly. Guy's dad who sold me mine had one and said he liked the Jag better.

 

No Parking!

 

I bet those cars languish on the Lot then. Who are they kidding with that kind of policy? They obviously aren't motivated to sell cars.

Local Aston dealer will let you test drive a 250K DB11 without a 2nd thought.

 

Same here, but I am not sure I am willing to take on maintenance costs. Plus, McLaren voids all warranty if you ever track the car. That is deal-breaker for me.