I was thinking about getting a jaguar xj8 brand new.(since you guys help me with lots of stuff),should i get the base model or step up and get hte vanden plas?
If you have your heart set on a Jag, the choice is entirely yours to make. One man’s beloved Vanden Plas is another man’s waste of money.
If you really want a Jaguar, I would stick with the simplest model, so you can enjoy your purchase without constantly having to worry about breakdowns.
If youn caught the evening news last night, Jaguar and land Rover have just been sold to the Indian company Tata, the truck and micro-economy car ($300)manufacturer. From a prestige point of view you may not like driving a “Currie Cooker” , which your car will likely be called soon.
I have to assume that you have done your “due diligence” and are aware of the poor reliability of Jaguar vehicles. That being said, if it makes you happy, buy whichever one you like.
(Parenthetical note: Now that Jaguar is in the process of being acquired by Tata Motors of India, will they be able to justify the inflated price of Jaguars?)
Ford was stupid enough to sell it. but i hope the price drops 50%.
Huh? Oh no, not Tata! Land Rover will be Tata’s new benchmark in reliability!
I missed that article. I have GOT to get out more!
After Tata Motors begins contracting the manufacture of some of the parts to crude Indian home workshops in order to save money, it is possible that the retail price may drop a bit.
The better news is that the reliability of Jags couldn’t possibly drop any lower than their current level.
;-))
Tata trucks and busses are actually quite good by local standards. They would not rate high by our Mack, Navistar, or Freightliner reliability standards.
I would prefer a Cadillac STS-V to the XJ8. It’s far more reliable and much, much faster. Or you might wait for the 2009 CTS-V.
Actually, Jags made after the Ford take-over are much more reliable than they were previously. Perhaps you’ve forgotten the electrics by Lucas, the company that invented darkness.
If you did not know it already, Tata is one of the oldest Indian mfg giant comparable to GE. They have been making diesel trucks with Mercedes technology since the 50s. Initially they were branded Mercedes-Tata but now only Tata. They are into still mills, locomotive, IT and anything else you can think of.
In their own right, every bit as good as Mack, or Navistar, and of course Freightliner uses Mercedes truck engines already.
Long before US was a refuge for immigrants, India was the place to go to seek refuse from religious, cultural persecution. The Tata family is no exception, when the Muslim religion was spread in the middle east, people in old Persia (now Iran) who was practicing an ancient religion fled to India along with Armenians, Jews and other ethnic group.
With the historical link of India to Britain, this will go well.
It is quite possible that Jaguar and Land rover are in good hands…
If all you know about Tata is the new, much publicized micro car then you’re missing a lot.
Benzman
How old are you?
NYBo–You are correct that Ford did effect some improvement in Jaguar reliability, especially by eliminating the electrical components made by Lucas. (There was certainly a legitimate reason for Mr. Lucas to be known as “The Prince of Darkness” in the UK!)
However, in the luxury class in which Jaguar competes, they still lag behind all of their competition in terms of ride, handling, and reliability. They are better than they used to be, but they are still not well-rated in terms of reliability.
“If you caught the evening news last night, Jaguar and land Rover have just been sold to the Indian company Tata, the truck and micro-economy car ($300)manufacturer. From a prestige point of view you may not like driving a “Currie Cooker” , which your car will likely be called soon.”
I hadn’t heard that news. Sounds like a giant step up from ford. Hopefully they are in the hands of a competent company. I wonder how long it will take them to “de-ford” all the designs.
I though you looking for a truck? (-;
My guess is about 12, but we get to have fun talking about this stuff anyway.
However, in the luxury class in which Jaguar competes, they still lag behind all of their competition in terms of ride, handling, and reliability. They are better than they used to be, but they are still not well-rated in terms of reliability.
You won’t get an argument from me on that. Just pointing out how dreadful they were before Ford; your statement is clearer than mine.
The selling price was $2.3 biliion, and Ford will initially provide drivetrains. I can see Fords becoming more Tata-ized over the yeras, just as Chrysler will end up being owned by the Chinese!
Don’t laugh, I’m typing this email on a Lenovo, Chinese made IBM laptop!
Yes,Lucas, Prince of Darkness. Even the Britishg called them that!
I’m not laughing, U.S. manufacturing is dead, and the sooner they pull the plug on the patient they better off we will all be. Hopefully, the chinese are smart enough not to buy chrysler; DB tried to save them and lost about $30B in the process. I think they will just continue to shrink and sell off pieces until they disappear completely.
Well, the “big 2.5” is now officially the “big 2.25.” It is kind of sad to watch these folks manage themselves out of existence, but they probably deserve it (with a lot of help from the UAW).