Prince Lucas Haunts Jaguar XF
Before setting off on a 2000 mile roadtrip around the Great American Southwest in a loaner Jaguar XF, my co-driver and I commented, "We are taking a brand new, unproven, Jaguar, across barren deserts and across mountain passes, through blowing dust and drifting snow, and the nearest Jaguar dealership lies over 300 miles away. How much water did we bring?" The Jag proved faultless no matter what we threw at it– until now. Arriving back in Oklahoma City, in true Labor Party fashion, the headlights went on strike. The local Jag dealership proved very useful in not only taking immediate care of me, but also gave me coffee and a loaner Toyota Camry– which while not as much fun, will probably have working headlights. Due to a parts shortage on the new XF, the Jag rep had the dealership cannibalize a new XF to provide the parts. Stay tuned for a full second take on the Jaguar XF.
More by Mike Solowiow
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No comment about electrics, but it always amazes me that a dealer would give a lesser Loaner car, in this case a Camry for a Jaguar owner. The customer could say, "Wow, this car runs, starts at is a great value. Maybe I should buy a Lexus." THey should give them a better car to move them upscale?
Oh, come on, Nicodemus! Out of 100 parts now 30 years old, 5 of them failing is one thing. But how many parts were made 30 years ago? 10,000? I lived in the UK during the 1970's and also 1980's and early 1990's, and even the British gave up buying British cars. Lucas headlights have three positions. Flicker Dim and Short (circuit) I can distinctly recall wet mornings (i.e. virtually all of them) when others would be grinding their starters until their batteries took a dump (because they did not open the "bonnet", take off the distributor cap, wipe down the minute amount of condensation, re-attach, genuflex, pray, and say the appropriate swear words) while I jumped into my craptastic Volkswagen 411, which would start up every time, right away. Until the craptastic German automatic transmission exploded (literally), that is. British electrics, German automatic transmissions, communist Italian steel, an American four cylinder engine, Chinese crash standards and Russian assembly would be the complete "nightmare car".
I never thought "higher-end" dealerships did such a thing, but my dad and I learned the hardway with the 2002 E430 4matic. Always wondered why the Bose stereo (Already sub-par) didn't have any subwoofers...after it was too late. Dealer must have borrowed them for another vehicle. That car is turning into a POS now, AC compressor just went out. It was the last of the good ones...which doesn't say much then. European cars are no longer better than Japanese or American. And I really hate admitting that...
Always wondered why the Bose stereo (Already sub-par) didn’t have any subwoofers Boses' claim to fame was the 901 which has 9 small speakers , 8 facing backward. Merc's A/C can be expensive to fix, my bro's 98 E320 had sank total of 5 grand in it. Last heard is still blowing cold air, will it stay cool till Labour day wknd? We need Pope Benny to say a prayer for the car. Pope Benny is German perhaps it would work.