Whichever way you’d cast your vote in this Mercedes vs Jaguar battle, the outcome is something extraordinary – the chance to get a V12-engined luxury leviathan for less than a price of a secondhand Fiesta.
It’s a tough call – a 1994 Jaguar XJ12, or a 1992 Mercedes-Benz 600 SEL. Both were the range-topping offerings from their respective manufacturers when they were new, and both offer you managing director levels of gadgets and performance. Best of all, they’re both up for sale at the moment, at a fraction of what they cost when new. Let battle commence…
Which will get me away from an assassin fastest?
We know this isn’t going to be a scenario that occurs often on the Sunday schlep to the supermarket, but as both were designed with conveying VIPs around it’s still nice to know both can make a speedy getaway. Both are limited to a top speed of 155mph, but the more powerful Mercedes edges in front of the Jaguar, with its 6.6-second sprint to 60mph just two tenths of a second in front of the XJ12.
Which is the best value?
On the depreciation front it’s the S-Class – in the 1990s you’d have paid £102,490 for a long-wheelbase S600, which makes this £2-3k being asked for this one astonishing value. However, it’s got an expired MoT so we’d plump for the Jaguar instead, which has plummeted in value from the £67,123 when it was new to a much more reasonable £2500.
Which is going to be easier to live with?
Neither is going to rival the MGB on the servicing and running costs front, and the added complication of getting the Mercedes roadworthy again throws it in favour of the Jaguar. However, both have signs of being cherished in the past, which is a good sign – the XJ12’s outgoing owner is a Jaguar Drivers’ Club member who has made sure all the toys – even the electric sunroof and the air conditioning – work, while the Mercedes was previously part of a private collection.
Which offers the better investment potential?
The Jaguar is the one which will be more immediately recognised in the classic world – it’s rarer than the S-Class, for starters, and it’s got a ready-made audience in the form of all those Brit luxury car fans who lapped up its XJ12 Series III predecessor. There are plenty of buyers who appreciate the Mercedes’ luxuries too, but if prices of these cars predecessors is anything to go by it’s the Brit that offers the better long-term investment.
So which is best?
The S600 offers an incredible amount of luxury metal for the money – can you imagine getting a car with a V12 engine, a self-closing boot and double-glazed windows for less than £3k?
It’s phenomenal value, but we’d take the Jaguar. It’s better looking, nicer to drive and – in the case of this particular car – an easier ownership prospect. All we need now is a chauffeur to sit up front!