I like the 90's Bentley's (non Turbo) as at this point, depreciation is almost zero; you're owning it for pure maintenance costs. They still command attention and there's plenty of nice ones out there.

 

Had I not just blown all my money this year on my XKR, I would love my second car to wear the leaper in the form of an AWD XF 3.0. The all wheel drive would be great up north here in winter, still feels like a RWD with a heavy rear drive bias, has 340 HP, and it drives and feels like a Jaaaag.

 

What if I traded XKR for Equus. Drove it for a few months til I was bored out of my mind. Then went looking for the focused to that is the antithesis of the Equus. I would be forced to get the car that floats my boat the best.

Beauty of Equus is that its rare, cool, long warranty, huge value and I can trade for one. Whereas 500E I suppose I could trade for but I'll almost surely be transacting in some far away state, no warranty and a clean one is only like 20k cheaper...

 

Pretty sure the world stopped spinning. So wrong. I know it's a hypothetical, but to even put those words together...

Edit: you'd be so batsh*t crazy to do that trade! I just looked at the pics in the other thread... gorgeous XKR.


Rich

 

Lol

 

Still, I'm glad to see Hyundai getting some credit. They've been putting out some pretty decent cars for a while now, and keeping the prices fairly reasonable. They've come a long way from the rust-bucket days.

 

Agreed, as I own a 2012 Tucson Limited that my wife drives and 2013 Sonata 2.0 Turbo Limited. The Sonata is an excellent ride, just as good if not better than my Cadi CTS that I had for a few years and has been sold.

This car offers great features for the price. The Equus is beautiful but decided to spend $29,000 for the Sonata Limited 2.0 T vs. $62,000 for the Equus.

They are both great 4 door sedans.

 

^ Here.... Or maybe an older Audi S6? Early models could be had with manual and are a rare find.
Not sure the RS4 is a good package choice.... A little small and a little too race specialized for comfort and versatility.

 

My choice

 

My beloved Jag XK Coupe is my daily driver and I love it. But my 'other' car is a 1995 Acura NSX-T which I've had since 1996. It's a Formula Red 5-speed with Black leather interior and removable Targa Top. In my opinion, it's the most under-rated car ever made! 0-60 in 4.9, 1/4 mile in 12.8, top speed 170+ ... and it gets 20 mpg in town & 28 mpg on the road! It has an aluminum body, chassis, engine and transmission and weighs only 2985 lbs. Nothing to rust, goes like stink, handles like a go-kart, rides like a luxury car and the reliability of a Honda ... 'cause it is! Even Automobile Magazine said ... "It is almost certainly the best car of its type ever made." If you're ever looking for a great 'weekend' or 'special occasion' car, it would make a great addition to your Cat!

 

Think wife and I came to a solution. She drives a 13 Wrangler Unlimited Sahara - no cheap vehicle. While she likes it she isn't in love with it. We may trade it for an Equus. Then when she gets her Mary Kay car I'll drive the Equus daily. We both work at home (when she works at least) so I'll drive it often so I will appreciate XKR more. If I still want for something more focused or manual I'll swap R out.

 

Snide,

Sorry I missed your post as I was purely on PDA yesterday. You have a great setup. NSX is incredible. Hence why I've owned 3. 2 93's (last year of non-power steering) and a beautiful 98 Spa Yellow Pearl Targa. Here's a few pics of the 98.

 

Oh, I like the Bentley / Rolls idea for some reason.

If you're going to seriously consider it, send me a PM -- we should talk. It's not for the faint of heart, but man -- the rewards! A Bentley/Roller perfectly complements an XKR. Totally different vehicles, but you'll love them in totally different ways...

 

Get the XK's inspiration, the E-type....the rest are just....

 

That Equus is high on my list of future cars. Could happen sooner than later if Jaguar NA can not fix my XJL's ride. I am in the discovery process for returning it to Jaguar. If the Equus could only be less like a Lexus or any other cookie-cutter models running around. I drove by an black Equus the other day and a few miles later I saw it again... but, it turned out a near identical looking Lexus 460. But, if the inside and features what counts for you the Equus is a heck of a value and the warranty is unbeatable.

I am considering buying a used '13 model for the low $40Ks and plan on trading it when the newer style comes out. Like the Genesis, a boring looking sedan now but, pictures indicate a rather nice looking (like Audi 7) replacement in just a few months. They should put similarly more excitement into the exterior lines of the next Equus.

Albert

 

Evoking,

Great post! I originally bought my first (2010) XKR as a DD/only car. Gave my old DD to my niece. But I then realized that I did need a car that was a bit more discreet, that I didn't have to worry about as much (getting messed with, etc), and that carried 4-5.

I put a down payment on a Tesla with all the trimmings (they had just added the performance handling package) but then realized that I'd be back in the same position, worrying about it getting messed with, vandalized, etc. I've always wanted an S600 (or, ahem, an S65), which strikes me as the ultimate sedan (within reason of course)...

But in reality, I needed a DD that I could enjoy and NOT WORRY ABOUT. Your needs sound different, but in the choices you listed, I'd go with the XKR and the MB500 (depending on year, etc).

I personally test drove the new Ford Fusion with the little 2 liter turbo and all the tech bells and whistles and have been SHOCKED at how enjoyable and well built the thing is. Super silent, CRAZY technology, like automatic parking that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up it cuts so close, radar cruise, audio control over all functions that actually works, blind spot detection, cross traffic detection, lane departure detection (all can be set at various levels from intrusive to off), a booming stereo, and a surprisingly forward design with some particularly elegant elements (headlights, for example, are beautiful). Spartan but comfortable and spacious interior. And... ~$300/month for a 2 year lease!

If it weren't branded a Ford Fusion, a European car maker could charge way more for the thing, it really exceeded my expectations and I continue to enjoy it every time I drive it. Fits five with comfort. Lots of tech for very little $ and surprisingly good power and suspension tuning.

Anyway, no advert for Ford here, just a suggestion that you look at the newest crop of Hyundais, Fords, Hondas, and the like. 2013 was a big year in terms of advances, and you might find a short term lease on a less status car gets you more enjoyment than a better level car that's older. Factor in the low cost for a 2 year lease (hence virtually no maintenance) and this option looks even better. Go test drive a few before making up your mind, unless you really hate the new car look, which I can understand...

I love going back from the whisper silent, turbo whirring sewing machine with the front wheel drive torque steer (always at full throttle, it seems I am...) and balanced ride, cutting edge tech, and blend-in status to the all encompassing super coupe XKR with that 5.0L s/c engine, the torque, magnetic ride, dynamic mode, trac dsc mode, and solid as a block of granite feel... Both are fun and fit their roles well. Best of all, in a year and a half, I get to switch to something new.

Like maybe the new S65 that's coming out with the new body style

Same motor as last model, but not much to improve on that beastly twin turbo V12 they have over at MBZ... Beautiful car, but would it make it harder to choose what to drive on a long trip? As of now, the Jag is the ultimate missile to head down to Los Angeles from S.F.: highway one south of Monterrey, those mad hairpin sections with the cliffs on one side and mountain on the other, just thrilling... But with the S600, it'd be wafting down highway 5 getting massaged by the seats in complete comfort the entire way.

See, this is why I have a cheaper car to work off of. And while cheap, the Fusion really is a pleasure and surprisingly well put together package.

Sorry for the rambling,

Skeeter

 

Saw this 1999 Bentley Arnage with 54K miles for $30K


A customer at the Jag repair shop I use just bought a 2006 XJ8 VDP, loaded, black on black with 40K miles for 17K. If my better half didn't want a Range Rover, I would've gone back to an XJ350 for sure. Seems like a give away price, and sold to by Jaguar dealer!

 

I'm with Muddydog on this. A buddy has the four door and is waiting for delivery on his roadster.

I love the CLS, pre-2012. AMG, if money is no object.

 

Very, very odd that no one has mentioned the superb and very fast Jaguar XFR. haven't you driven one? Once you have owned a jaguar or two or three, no other make quite measures up in the intangibles - the way you feel when you get inside the car, the way you always look back at it when you park it...

 

XFR is impressive, true... And the Tesla is OUT OF CONTROL. If you like torque, you will be very content. Interesting dilemma with that car (the Tesla S): on the one hand it is a rocket. Crazy torque all the time. Handles exceptionally, especially with the suspension package (22" rims but still comfortable). So it seems like it would be a 'passion' car. But then on the other hand (and these are good and bad traits I guess): no operatic exhaust note, no satisfying gear shifts or throttle matched downshifts, no visceral thrills you get with a car like the XKR or XFR...

Clearly the way of the future. As I said, I went as far as configuring and putting $5k down to reserve one, but haven't pulled the trigger months later. Think: soon they will have an all-wheel drive model. Imagine the 0-60 runs on something like that! Yes, an utterly silent, pennies per mile ~5,000lb. sedan with immense storage that will probably run a mid 3 second 0-60, and maybe faster... The rear wheel drive performance model out now already manages a 4.2, and that's with relatively small rubber in back. And no AWD. I think that's when I'll say 'screw it' and jump on board.

But we are looking at a huge shift in what a performance car is. Sooner than we think I suspect the sweet sound of a well tuned exhaust at high RPM will be a thing of the past. Shifting gears irrelevant. We will transition from the sound and fury that comes with speed up till now into a UFO experience.

I guess as long as the G force is there we will be happy, but man do I love hitting the 'dynamic mode' button on my exhaust in a tunnel, dropping the windows, and winding the car to 5k in second or third... That sound! And the snap of grabbing the right paddle and jumping into second, then third, so satisfying.

Anyway, back on topic, that 99 Bentley is amazing! Relatively low miles, looks clean, and only $54k! Of course insurance and maintance would dq the car for me, but for someone more adventurous that's a very surreal proposition as a second car/dd.

On the topic of the CLS, I used to drive a 2006 E55 AMG. Absolute beast. Sleeper from hell. Loved it every minute. For one year, before MB switched from the s/c motor in the 55's to the n/a 6.3, they built a CLS55. I think it was a 2007 or 8. That would be an EPIC car to own. They are easily modded (pulley & tune give immense gains), the transmission is bulletproof, and they are some of the easiest to launch high-torque cars around since they are long sedans perhaps. The car still looks current, the power plant is IMO better than the 6.3s that followed it, and it's a one-year only car. On the other hand they might hold value as a result and not be a good deal, like the E55 wagon. That's another serious car, btw.

On the subject of which, what about going American and looking at a used CTS-V, either sedan or (if you can find one at reasonable cost) wagon? Brutal cars, also moddable on the cheap and a good companion to the Jag I'd think.

Skeeter