Why get an M3 when I can get a Jag XKR?
Discussion
Similar mileage, similar age, similar price, simlar tax, similar insurance for a E92 M3 or a Jag XKR 5.0 supercharged. (about £25k )
If I don't care so much about the rear seats, what's the point of an M3. With respect the Jag has the better name, looks much nicer, is much faster (every youtube vid I see has the XKR 4.2 or 5.0 destroying the M3) and so why am I so drawn to the M3?
I think it's because I'm assuming maintenance costs are less with a M3 than a Jag, and also it'll probably depreciate less than a Jag. Plus for some unknown reason I'm assuming teh BMW will be better for driving like a maniac around town (I don't do track days but not every road is straight!) but the Jag might be better for straights. Plus for some reason I'm assuming the M has more safety? Struggling to convince myself though to drop money on something uglier and slower... no offence intended!
If I don't care so much about the rear seats, what's the point of an M3. With respect the Jag has the better name, looks much nicer, is much faster (every youtube vid I see has the XKR 4.2 or 5.0 destroying the M3) and so why am I so drawn to the M3?
I think it's because I'm assuming maintenance costs are less with a M3 than a Jag, and also it'll probably depreciate less than a Jag. Plus for some unknown reason I'm assuming teh BMW will be better for driving like a maniac around town (I don't do track days but not every road is straight!) but the Jag might be better for straights. Plus for some reason I'm assuming the M has more safety? Struggling to convince myself though to drop money on something uglier and slower... no offence intended!
LordHaveMurci said:
Different cars aren't they, do you want (need) a 2 seat GT or a 4 seat sports saloon?
Or just buy a 997 & be done with it
Well tbh I don't *need* either... but don't tell my wife that!Or just buy a 997 & be done with it
I just *want* something that looks very good and goes very fast
I don't like the look of Porkers at all.
The M looks ok to be fair, it's not ugly. But the Jag just looks sublime.
Are they actually different in driving them? Like, around town and surrounding windy coutnry roads being a boy racer when I want to be is the Jag too unwieldy but the M more agile?
woogie said:
Jags are old mans cars lol
Maybe when your 60 lol
Drive both and see, I know what I would rather as I have it
Mate I may be only 40 but I sure as hell feel like 60 with my toddler keeping me up all night! I don't care about age image. I feel like an old man so have no worries having a Jag!Maybe when your 60 lol
Drive both and see, I know what I would rather as I have it
BuzyG said:
Or buy a Z4M for half the money and have more fun.
XKR might be fast on a dual carrage way but down a nice B road they are floaty boaty fat things, that a hot hatch or an Z4M will destroy. Never ever been tempted by an M3, it's a taxi IMHO, so can't comment there.
Loved Z4Ms and almost bought one. But far too low, small and impractical. And quite slow as well according to stats. XKR might be fast on a dual carrage way but down a nice B road they are floaty boaty fat things, that a hot hatch or an Z4M will destroy. Never ever been tempted by an M3, it's a taxi IMHO, so can't comment there.
Interesting what you say about XKR being fast on a straight. Why is that? Is it the length? The wheelbase? Will it not be nippy arond town or windy country lanes?
LordHaveMurci said:
What's your car histoty up until now, what are you currently driving?
Ok... so I've had s
tcar followed by stcar. Then thanks to various unfortunate events got into a bit of money and so bought my first nice (and my current) car which is an Audi TT 2.0TFSI DSG.
Incredible looks, incredible DSG, awesome speed, and great practicality (put my baby in the back several times when desperate, large boot with seats down, bought building supplies in it when desperate etc).
It's time for a change though and I can't get over a) the weird slight lag from standstill when pushing throttle (I've started another thread here about this issue) b) the speed being 'only' 6.2s 0-60 - yeah it's quick but to be fair it looks faster than it is. Boring looking hot hatches can cane me!
Quickmoose said:
The route less travelled for me.
The Jag.
The traffic light GP is a waste of time these days, and even the power war is tiring.
A nutter in a hot hatch will still run a M3 or Jag close, depending on how brain dead the driver is...
I'd be getting the Jag, because of the comfort, the interior ambience, the sound and of course the looks.
The only negatives are the slush-matic and the ZX spectrum instead of a media/control interface.
It's not that heavy is it? aluminium construction?
Either way, BMW's success is the main reason I'd not get one, purely because I'd not want to confuse my hard earned reward with one of millions pounding the streets....The Xk is either a wafty 4.2, a thrusty supercharged, or brawny 5.0.
Beemer wise it could be a derv, a 1.6 an estate a hatch a saloon, an M branded wannabe, an actual M....
Actual alternatives would be a BMW 6, or a Merc SL...neither of which have the looks for me.
Funnily enough I'm eyeballing a 4.2 SC as my next car..... quite, quite different from my current one though....hoping it won't be a mistake, I just fancy some comfort, a bit more space and more muscle from the engine, for a change.
Useful thoughts, thanks. Yeah you're right it's not heavy but it's just so long and unwieldy looking. There has to be a reason why people say Ms are more nimble and Jags are better on straights only but I can't think why. Either there's truth in it or it's a poor excuse for the youtube vids proving Jags beat the pants off M3s....The Jag.
The traffic light GP is a waste of time these days, and even the power war is tiring.
A nutter in a hot hatch will still run a M3 or Jag close, depending on how brain dead the driver is...
I'd be getting the Jag, because of the comfort, the interior ambience, the sound and of course the looks.
The only negatives are the slush-matic and the ZX spectrum instead of a media/control interface.
It's not that heavy is it? aluminium construction?
Either way, BMW's success is the main reason I'd not get one, purely because I'd not want to confuse my hard earned reward with one of millions pounding the streets....The Xk is either a wafty 4.2, a thrusty supercharged, or brawny 5.0.
Beemer wise it could be a derv, a 1.6 an estate a hatch a saloon, an M branded wannabe, an actual M....
Actual alternatives would be a BMW 6, or a Merc SL...neither of which have the looks for me.
Funnily enough I'm eyeballing a 4.2 SC as my next car..... quite, quite different from my current one though....hoping it won't be a mistake, I just fancy some comfort, a bit more space and more muscle from the engine, for a change.
As for traffic light GPs. It's almost as though you're suggesting Jags are no good off the line? The slushbox slow to leap off is it?
Thanks Quickmoose that's helpful stuff...
as you've been looking into it yourself have you been able to find any useful info about maintenance costs. It seems people automaically say "Jag!? Maintenance will be astronomical!" But is that really so? Is it likely a 10 yr old well looked after Jag will just need teh yearly services and that's it?
as you've been looking into it yourself have you been able to find any useful info about maintenance costs. It seems people automaically say "Jag!? Maintenance will be astronomical!" But is that really so? Is it likely a 10 yr old well looked after Jag will just need teh yearly services and that's it?
Gemmot said:
I have had a 130i and a 4.2 xkr
Totally different machines as would be an m3 vs xkr.
In a straight line, an xkr would easy win a drag race..... until the first corner arrives
My xkr was fragile and i was comstantly worried about what would fail next. In 18 months of ownership, it needed a new cat on the left bank... good job warranty covered it otherwise that would have been a grand and the passenger seat belt warning came on randomly and annoyingly.
I suspect an M3 wpuld be better built, but looks wise thr xkr wins. Both cars attract positiveand negative attitudes on the road, but gemerally people were nicer to me with the xkr. In the bmw, every barry wanted a race and no one would let me in a queue.
Hope this helps
Interesting. So the Jag is useless doing anything around a corner? I can't think why, for a car that's built for performance, but I've seen it said in some reviews too. Totally different machines as would be an m3 vs xkr.
In a straight line, an xkr would easy win a drag race..... until the first corner arrives
My xkr was fragile and i was comstantly worried about what would fail next. In 18 months of ownership, it needed a new cat on the left bank... good job warranty covered it otherwise that would have been a grand and the passenger seat belt warning came on randomly and annoyingly.
I suspect an M3 wpuld be better built, but looks wise thr xkr wins. Both cars attract positiveand negative attitudes on the road, but gemerally people were nicer to me with the xkr. In the bmw, every barry wanted a race and no one would let me in a queue.
Hope this helps
As for people trying to beat an M3, that would be annoying. Also not letting me into a queue would be annoying. I'm a nice chap and let people in all the time.
In fact the reason I bought my TT instead of a Z4 coupe is pretty much because I hated the association of nobs and BMWs and didn't want to be classed as a BMW driver.... so it's clearly still an issue so something I have to think about.
gareth h said:
What he said!
Waft to the Italian lakes in the Jag, or thrash the M3 around the Nurburgring, your choice.
See this is what I don't get.Waft to the Italian lakes in the Jag, or thrash the M3 around the Nurburgring, your choice.
Is there something inherent in the damping, suspension, stiffness, handling, wheelbase, engine, gears or Godknowswhat that makes one more of a track car and the other more of a distance car?
Or is it just that the Jag is longer and looks more sophisticated and more comfy inside so therefore more suited to long journeys?
I have zero interest in track days. I do £5k miles a year in town. Occasionally I may venture out into country roads that bend around a bit but not often. I want a quick beast of a car that also looks good. If the only advantage to the M3 is that it is specifically built for doing better around a track I'm not sure it's that much of a big deal. But if it means it's more versatile and will give me better safety when I do go too fast on a bendy dual carriageway or misjudge a country bend then yes that is important and I'd rather go with it. And with the Jag if it's in its element when cruising down a motorway but not so comfortable in bendier situations then perhaps it isn't for me as I won't be going anywhere far with it.
Quickmoose said:
I reckon M3's have better balance... because despite the Aluminum stuff, they always do get described as unwieldy when compared to similar cars.
I've no doubt at all the Jag is awesome off the line...just me personally, bored with that aspect of driving...that the quality of a car is best made obvious by mashing the throttle in a straight line.
So what if a Ford/VAG/Renault mega hatch thing can get away better or go round a corner better.... clearly if you wanted that kind of car you'd get one...if 'winning' matters.
I'd wager that a few weeks into Jag ownership your average speed reduces as you appreciate real power, comfort and the things a Jag offers that a more mass produced 'white good' doesn't/can't
...and then now and again you'll mash the throttle and enjoy the thrust...
ThanksI've no doubt at all the Jag is awesome off the line...just me personally, bored with that aspect of driving...that the quality of a car is best made obvious by mashing the throttle in a straight line.
So what if a Ford/VAG/Renault mega hatch thing can get away better or go round a corner better.... clearly if you wanted that kind of car you'd get one...if 'winning' matters.
I'd wager that a few weeks into Jag ownership your average speed reduces as you appreciate real power, comfort and the things a Jag offers that a more mass produced 'white good' doesn't/can't
...and then now and again you'll mash the throttle and enjoy the thrust...
Gemmot said:
I wouldnt say the jag is useless around a corner but its a big car, especially compared to a 130 or M3. The jag is a GT but you will be best mates with petrol stations. I remember filling up... about 80quid and put the sat nav in to scotland which was 270 miles and i got a warning on the dash... You do not have enough fuel to reach your destination.... lol
The V8 makes a sublime noise from the jag but again the BMW engines are sweet.
Maybe i just bought a dud, but... when the sun was shining and the roof was down, the jag was a lovely place to be. Forget about the rear seats for anything other than kids under 7.
The best think to do is take them both for a test drive on the same or similar roads and also roads of all kinds too.
The comfort on the jag was amazing compared to my bmw
The jag was on normal 20s but the bmw was on 18 runflats
The jaguar owners club is excellent in terms of assistance and guidance with trouble shooting so there is non dealer back up if needed. Hope this helps a bit
Yeah helpful thanksThe V8 makes a sublime noise from the jag but again the BMW engines are sweet.
Maybe i just bought a dud, but... when the sun was shining and the roof was down, the jag was a lovely place to be. Forget about the rear seats for anything other than kids under 7.
The best think to do is take them both for a test drive on the same or similar roads and also roads of all kinds too.
The comfort on the jag was amazing compared to my bmw
The jag was on normal 20s but the bmw was on 18 runflats
The jaguar owners club is excellent in terms of assistance and guidance with trouble shooting so there is non dealer back up if needed. Hope this helps a bit
Quickmoose said:
buying into the whole "Jag is pipe and slippers" suggests you're more worried about other people's opinions than your own.
It'd be a bit like not buying a BMW because they're driven by 'cocks who don't know how to use indicators lol', which is equally daft.
it's all bullst.
Drive/own the car you prefer, sod the blinkered opinions.
I certainly intend to test all I can....but I know personally I prefer a rarer car, even if it's slightly less capable. I'm not a racing driver, so the last 2/10ths don't concern me in the slightest. In this instance the 3 series is more common than a Mondeo, so as much as they dominate the sector for good reason, I don't warm to it....
TrueIt'd be a bit like not buying a BMW because they're driven by 'cocks who don't know how to use indicators lol', which is equally daft.
it's all bulls
t.Drive/own the car you prefer, sod the blinkered opinions.
I certainly intend to test all I can....but I know personally I prefer a rarer car, even if it's slightly less capable. I'm not a racing driver, so the last 2/10ths don't concern me in the slightest. In this instance the 3 series is more common than a Mondeo, so as much as they dominate the sector for good reason, I don't warm to it....
Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff