I have driven the XJR a couple years ago...and I have seen the Portfolio in person... I love Jags but to be honest the new ones just dont do it for me. I am not sure how much the Portfolio is but I am sure it is around $100k and at that point how could you not pick the S550. The Merc is better in terms of drive, build quality and I am not sure if it is actually is faster but you get more torque at lower RPM so it feels faster. You can tell that Jag is strapped for cash because in terms of features the Merc is year ahead. Plus the depreciation will be horrendous. Thats just my opinion I lost faith in Jag after they raised the roof line on the XJ.
in exchange for the aluminum body. The sorta bloated shape (in contrast to a X-300 VDP shell) will grow on you. I'm waiting to see how low they depreciate in 5 years. Maybe by then my business will have rebounded and I can afford a one or two-owner Super V8. KevFla
Unfortunately I cannot help you much other than to say that's it's an incredible looking car and looks better than the comparable BMW/Mercedes both inside and out.
I would agree. However every time I see an XF on the road I think it has to be one of the best looking sedans on the road.
You can pick up one that is hardly used right now for $60,000, I sell quite a few pre-owned Jags on my lot that are 2003-2005 models and right now I sell S Type R's for $15-20k. XJ8 VP's for $12-15k. Just look around on eBay. You would be dumb to buy a Portfolio new unless you have that much money to burn or you're leasing it, but if you are patient wait 2-3 years and the Portfolio will be a $30,000 car.
I have owned and driven both the X308 and the X350, from a V8 3.2 to 3.5 which both were not avaliable for the US market. Observations: the newer Jag with the alum body is a nicer car to drive with the reduced weight and better interior headroom. But with the air CAT suspension, the car is harsher compared to the X308 model. The V8, A Ford engine, is almost as good as the 6 cyl. and fuel consumptions are the same. The alum. body Jag is better on take-off and mid range and quiet. Problems with Jags all over the world are that its not relaible as compared to MB/Lexus and parts are very expensive once you are out of warranty. Also the car lose its value much faster with almost a ZERO trade-in value on other makes. However, having been a Jag dealer and driven almost all models since the old XJ 40s, Jag is a driver's car with a level of performance/luxury un-matched. For the money, I would consider the XJR/Super 8 is the LWB version of such or VDP as known in the States. My worry is even with Tata taking over, the brand will become marginalised in a few years as the X type was a total failure, the XJ is getting old while the XKs are not competitive to other makes such as Aston. XF is nice but underneath we see common parts sharing with the Ford Mondeo, Volvo 6/8 series and Mazdas. Best deal anywhere is a used Jag with some warranty. After 3 years, the residual value is 30% if you are lucky. But the brand may just disappear in a few years if Tata is unable to revive such. They also sharing the meltdown pain as need to raise cash to finance this Ford deal. On the latest XJs, areas to watch for is the air suspension and the auto-box plus usual items like the fuel sending unit, steering unit and the Nav screen. I ahve been told by my friends Bimmer 7 series is also pain.
Having owned an X300 chassis XJR (early, six cylinder car), and driven the newer X350 chassis, I'll say that the X300 is a much better car, both in terms of aesthetics and driveability. The X350 feels bloated, the dashboard is about two feet deep, and visibility otherwise is awful. The newest XJ looks fantastic, even though it's more staid and upright than the previous cars, it has a Bentley-esque look about it and really struck me as a fantastic looking car when I saw one in the showroom of the Jag dealer. The Super V8 is certainly the most bada$$ configuration you could have an XJ in, but as mentioned here before, their depreciation is lead balloon like. On the flip side, find yourself an early XJR with the Aston Martin DB7 engine in it. That AJ16 engine is bulletproof and the 4L80E tranny likewise. Cheers, Aaron
