The luxury car brand with the most character? Part 1- The exterior

The Spies finished their whirlwind tour in Las Vegas at ‘The Hotel’ at the Mandalay Bay attending Jaguar’s launch of the 2006 long wheelbase XJ and XJ Super V8 Portfolio.



It was great to get re-acquainted with the XJ-series!

We like what we saw and have a new appreciation for their products.

They sure have come a long way in our opinion.

These beauties were quite impressive and we highly suggest you visit your dealer and test drive one before you make your final purchase decision.

Especially, if you’re driving or considering a Lexus.

We’ve always believed that a lot of Lexus drivers wanted a Jag because of the style, but ended up with a Lexus, because of reliability concerns.

And yes, it has been an issue in the past, but based on the latest JD Power stuff, it looks like that is no longer a concern with the newer models.

We’ll let you know our experience in a later issue.

Plus, one of the things we tend to overlook when thinking Jaguar is that they are priced significantly lower than their competitors.

Compare an Audi W12 or a Mercedes S600 vs. a Super V8 portfolio and you’ll see.

Cruising through the desert we appreciated the refinement of the different XJ’s not to mention the EXCELLENT air conditioning systems (The temp was hovering around 105 and they worked like a charm)!

And the interior finish is SOOO elegant.

I love those lambswool carpets!!!!

You almost want to drive barefoot just to feel them.

It really spoils you!

We LOVED the new Super V8 portfolio (001’s favorite and prettiest Jag) and could easily see ourselves tooling around Southern California in one, as our daily driver!

Are you listening Jaguar?

I think we need a long term tester...



Click here to view part two

rack - 9/9/2005 9:35:02 AM

+1 Boost

This is the car most likely to be bought by a lotto winner. They have to have their "JAG WIRE".

I looked at jag when was shopping, and the care really didnt impress me that much.

Steve - 9/9/2005 3:59:58 PM

+1 Boost

The styling is classic "old money," so I can see why it does not appeal to the Rapper crowd (A Jag don't say Bling-Bling the right way, dog).

I differ with 001's opinion on "quality." Jag has a lengthy history of issues in the way of initial defects per 100 new vehicles in the first year of ownership, and also in failures in subsequent years. It'll take a few years to determine if this historic trend has been broken.

It is interesting to note that in spite of these issues, Jaguar customers have registered amongst the highest over-all customer satisfaction scores of any auto-maker. Jaguar also enjoys unusually high customer retention numbers. None of this says anything about the "quality" of the cars, but it does speak loudly that customers who want and buy a Jag, love it dearly. Jaguar knows their market.

Steve - 9/9/2005 3:59:58 PM

+1 Boost

The styling is classic "old money," so I can see why it does not appeal to the Rapper crowd (A Jag don't say Bling-Bling the right way, dog).

I differ with 001's opinion on "quality." Jag has a lengthy history of issues in the way of initial defects per 100 new vehicles in the first year of ownership, and also in failures in subsequent years. It'll take a few years to determine if this historic trend has been broken.

It is interesting to note that in spite of these issues, Jaguar customers have registered amongst the highest over-all customer satisfaction scores of any auto-maker. Jaguar also enjoys unusually high customer retention numbers. None of this says anything about the "quality" of the cars, but it does speak loudly that customers who want and buy a Jag, love it dearly. Jaguar knows their market.