Hammer Time: What the Hell is That?
Most folks don’t know a Pontiac Torrent from a Joe Torre. Those of you immersed in the labyrinth of automobilia know that the former is a glorified shitbox. But everybody else? Not so much. By the same token, there are some excellent cars that don’t appear on the new car buyer’s radar. Terrific vehicles that get lost in the shuffle of pointless new names and missing marketing campaigns. As Buickman will tell you (and tell you and tell you), there are an awful lot of excellent cars that don’t get the attention they deserve and therefore don’t sell. And when they do sell, they depreciate alarmingly. Even when the chips are down, or especially when the chips are down, used car buyers are far more conservative than their new car counterparts. Unfamiliarity breeds contempt.
Worries about the cost and availability of parts and service hang over the industry’s lost toys like the cloud of dust over Pigpen. Which makes them stonking used car bargains—if you’re willing to trade risk for reward. Until recently, the Suzuki SX4 was my favorite of these overlooked oddballs. Now? The Jaguar XF. In supercharged mode it’s wonderful. But who knows? Public awareness—or lack thereof—puts the XF on a slippery slope to . . . your driveway? Would you adopt an unloved model?
If you do, make sure the car is thoroughly inspected by an independent expert and check the forums for known problems. And remember: loving neglected models often leads to another passion: car collecting. But that’s a story for another day.
More by Steven Lang
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I'm still holding out for a "too low to resist" price on Pontiac G8...new or slightly used.
The XF is EVERYWHERE here. They're beautiful, too. I want one.
The XF is a beauty, stands out from the herd of Bimmers and Mercs. If I had a use for a sedan I would have one. I've got an '05 XK8 that has been trouble free and a pleasure to drive and own. I can afford to buy them new, but never do, always buy a low mileage creampuff a year or two old. Let someone else take that big first and second year hit of depreciation.
IIRC in spite of being brand spanking new, the XF came 87th out of 100 in reliability reports in a recent Auto Express survey in the UK. They again invested a lot of effort into making it drive beautifully, which very clearly shows through. On the other hand the design is too Lexus GS - the concept was striking, the real thing simply has a startled look from the front and is not particularly memorable generally. The interior has improved on previous Jags, though - now even the seats look like they will not require a chiropractor as additional equipment ;)