I as surfing and found this interesting survey from JD Power, http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=7086 It has Jaguar ranked third in initial quality, even ahead of Honda, BMW, or Toyota. Looking at the precipitous depreciation that Jags experience, they seem like a steal on the used car market. For $40k, a loaded X-type seems a little steep, but a two-year-old loaded X-type for $22k seems like a seriously good buy. Same with an XJ8, a four-year-old XJ with say 40k miles is around $25k, or about 40% of original retail. Any thoughts or experiences?
Actually number 2.... Problem with Jag is that they are going to lose about $500 million this year so they can't afford to advertise their success. Sad.... Jaguar Achieves a Quadruple Hit in Latest J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study: It Moves Up to Number Two Brand Overall and is the Top European Brand Irvine, CA, May 18, 2005Jaguar has achieved a quadruple hit in the latest J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study released today. The Initial Quality Study is based on responses from more than 62,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2005 model-year cars and trucks, who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. Jaguar rose from third in 2004 to rank second overall, a 10- percent improvement over last year's results, and maintained its position as the highest-ranking European manufacturer. Jaguar's best performing model was the X-TYPE sedan. The X-TYPE, which has been critically assessed by the media in recent months, has improved by 37 problems per 100 vehicles in the study, a massive improvement of 35 % over last year's results. In addition, Jaguar's Halewood plant, where the X-TYPE is manufactured, received the gold award for European plant performance. Halewood's state of the art facility is a center of excellence for lean manufacturing, a discipline that focuses on elimination of waste, while driving high quality, continuous improvement. "Jaguar ranked number two in the industry out of 36 brands. Once again Jaguar was the highest ranked European brand in the Initial Quality Study," said Mike O'Driscoll, president of Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover North America. "Continuing to improve our quality has been a passion for everyone at Jaguar and we are once again delighted with these outstanding results." The Jaguar X-TYPE went on sale in 2001 and continues to introduce the Jaguar brand to new consumers. The X-TYPE, the only compact luxury sedan to offer all-wheel drive as standard equipment, combines a fresh performance spirit with the luxury, craftsmanship and refinement for which Jaguar is renowned.
