It seems to me that the swap away from the XFR has nothing to do with the car itself but rather with the fact that a) by selling it you will make a pretty penny b) you seem not willing to deal with Japan Jag dealer. Considering all this its a shame you won't enjoy such a nice car.

 

That's right. The car is great. I have enjoyed driving it for the last 12 months. It has taught me that cars with more than 500 up should really have a AWD option.

 

Where is your sense of adventure? AWD makes for a boring drive in my view (try Audi Quattro or GT-R for example). Trying to lay down 500+hp and keeping it straight is all part of the fun. The Jag actually has too much intervention from the electronics for my liking! It was a "spirited" drive in a AM Vantage V12 that convinced me that I needed a RWD 500hp+ car in my life - and the XFR was the only car that fitted the bill that I could afford!

Good luck with the hunt - pretty much all suitable alternatives to the XFR have been mentioned I think. I guess you want to buy new, so a used Bentley GTC is out (new I am guessing is too pricey?). My choice would be the new Maserati - lovely!

 

Awd is only really useful on a road car in winter. I know high torque benefits from awd traction but the handling penalty is significant. Awd has to understeer pretty much no matter what you do. The front wheels cannot steer and drive the car and also match the rear wheels for traction. awd can be quicker but is always less fun to drive.

 

I love the torque but when I start losing traction... I feel like all that power is going to waste. I don't know about you guys but on cold mornings, I go into power slide mode at each and every light... In second gear. It is fun getting it straightened out with the tires scratching for traction but the guys in the other lanes must think I'm a little bit crazy. I just wished it hooked up a bit better... I guess warmer and stickier tires would do the trick. Forget about leaving all the electronic barriers on, nothing I hate worse than having the ECU pull back power..... If I wanted less power I would have bought a weaker car!

Who knows maybe I will keep it a bit longer...I could probably sell it after two years and still do OK.

 

Bentley Continental. AWD.



http://www.gizmag.com/2012-bentley-c...tal-gtc/19641/

My wife tells me every time she sees one of these in town....and their are lots of very, very high end cars in this town.

Have to disagree with the idea that four wheel drive is only useful in the wet or snow....anyone remember when Audi cleaned up in CanAm racing four door sedans?

Seeing those guys, Unser, pass on the outside of turns when ever they wanted should have made everyone go back to the drawing boards.

I sold one of mine to a buddy just on the basis of one run on a circular freeway on ramp when I passed a line of cars on the outside.

enjoy and let us know,

cheers,

jj

 

Summer tires more or less stop gripping below 7C. "stickier" refers to hot tires. Summer tires are hard compound to deliver maximum grip when hot. Try winter tires for cold weather whether you get snow or not.

I don't suggest awd isn't grippy, just unnecessary unless the road is slippery. Awd cars understeer. As for awd winning on the track, well, there are other variables at play there.

 

I realize I'm a few days late, but... What a coincidence. On my short list is a 2008 CLS550 with the AMG Sport Package, and 2009 Jag XF Supercharged. I really like them both. The CLS has a nice range of adjustment with the air suspension which may let you forget about all the power that is waiting to be tapped, but oh what power that is. For long distance, the CLS may have a bit of an advantage. The one I am looking at has badly feathered tires which howl. I called the MBZ service center to discuss tires, and the conversation led to extended warranty. I was thinking the engine and tranny were fairly bullet proof, and I could save the $4400 for the warranty and be "self insured". The service advisor explained that he's seen a few trannies bite the dust. More importantly, the air suspension bladders are GUARANTEED to fail before the extended warranty would expire, possibly before the standard warranty expires. Especially in this Houston heat. He quoted me $1500 US per rear air bag and $2000 for each front strut. So the warranty does look like a must. If you don't care about depreciation and plan to sell before the warranty is up, then none of this should really concern you.

And then there's the JAG. As others have said, very connected and nimble. For me, it grabs my soul. Pure joy. Wicked fun. I'm still trying to figure out if it's an expensive car which requires lots of service. For the moment, I think that it's probably less expensive to maintain than the CLS, mostly because I know there are to rubber balloons waiting to pop. Also, I'm fairly short, and really like the seat adjustments on the Jag. The seat pan is a bit long on the CLS but I think I could live with it. As for looks, I like them both. My wife prefers the CLS, and my 12 yr old boy prefers the Jag but he hasn't seen the CLS in person and I think he may cotton to it when he does.

I like the different setups for driving dynamics and DSC on the Jag. As far s I know, the CLS only has Comfort/Sport, ride height and spring stiffness. The range of options on the Jag give it the ability to be a bit more of a rowdy ride when it's wanted. That's one of the things I REALLY like about it.

One guy I talk cars with mentioned that there may not be as many Jag service centers around as MBZ, so if I took it out for a long jaunt and had trouble, repairs might be a bit of a hassle. Just something to think about.

Maybe all this comes late. Have you made up your mind already?

 

You should buy new CLS . I saw it in person and it was very eye catching . Still, I say there are a few cosmetics things that needs to be correctly done
Tail lights , terrible looking , XF's look better
A/C system : Same as C Class gets and needs fully digital not rotating one in this class

 

Air suspension!!!!! are you kidding! I stay as far away from these suspensions as possible. They are standard on Range Rovers and high end Land Cruisers and Sequoias. Prone to fail expensive to mantain the benefits are marginal compared to standard properly functioning suspesion.

 

The new XJ is the true competition for that hideous Mercedes. The XJ has air springs in the rear. The handling is dreamlike. You get the same power train options and th XJ is lighter than the XF as it is made from aluminum. Only the hood is aluminum on th XF.

 

I still haven't got any info back from MB Military sales. And of course the M5 still hasn't been released for the US market. I might just get line anyways... Hard to beat 10% off MRSP for a new M car. I actually need to buy two cars soon. The Jag goes in for it's one year checkup and interior light cluster replacement next week. I will enquire if the dealer wants to buy my car outright vs me selling it at auction.