The demand for luxury cars has spiked in recent years due to the ever-increasing incomes of potential customers, more tangible luxury offerings, and the sheer progress in the automotive industry as a whole. Luxury cars tend to provide higher levels of comfort, better safety features, and a futuristic driving experience, but they do boast a hefty price tag.
And not many other brands have been around as long as Mercedes or Jaguar. You might prefer the sleek and low-slung British GT’s, or the ”best or nothing” Mercedes cruisers, which have single-handedly dominated the luxury car segment in recent years. The question still stands, which is better, a Benz, or a Jag?
Mercedes vs. Jaugar – Which is better when it comes to Styling
A manufacturer’s ability to show the convolutions of their design language has been made possible by new advancements in metalworking known as hydroforming. A technology propelled by water pressure ensures precise and detailed moldings of the metal sheets that create the pronounced body creases associated with luxury automobiles such as a Jaguar or a Mercedes.
While the primary purpose of car design, in general, is to make sure that form follows function, the form also needs to correspond with a specific brand image. And that’s an area where Mercedes and Jaguar differ quite substantially.
Mercedes design philosophy is often referred to as ”Sensual Purity” by its designers. The idea is to create clean designs without the need for over-styling. Some would argue that particular Mercedes designs ooze more feminine influenced lines, and are a bit ”too blingy”, but none can argue the sophistication of the final product.
On the other hand, Jaguars share a more brutish approach to car design. Heavily influenced by the British idea of class and style, many Jaguars are kitted with fine-wood trims and high-quality leather. Jaguar operates at a lower production volume compared to Mercedes, which results in Jaguar’s design being inherently a bit more exclusive as a result.
Mercedes vs. Jaugar – Technology
Car buying decisions are often decided based upon the tech features a car possesses. Infotainment and safety features are widely considered as key components in buying a new car. While Jaguar and Mercedes are both considered hi-tech brands, there is quite a difference between the two.
Contemporary Mercedes-Benz infotainment systems are known as MBUX. The system boasts artificial intelligence architecture capable of tailoring almost every option for the needs of a specific user. Its cutting-edge designs, high-resolution screens are incredibly futuristic and fairly intuitive.
Safety technology, suspension comfort, sound systems and headlight technology offered in Mercedes models are often considered the best in their class. Mercedes operates with higher volume and tends to invest more money in R&D, and as far as technology is considered, the supremacy that Mercedes has over Jaguar is significant.
While Mercedes is considered superior when it comes to technology, that does not mean that Jaguar is far behind.
Modern-day Jaguars come fitted with contemporary technology and offer a wide spectrum of different safety, comfort, and tech features. While the level of sophistication is on a very high level, its execution is what sets Jaguar apart.
Mercedes vs. Jaugar – Comfort
What sets these brands apart from more attainable car brands is the luxury vehicle designation. A luxury vehicle needs to able to transport you in cavernous amounts of luxury, offer unparalleled amenities, stellar quality, and status, when compared to a more average automobile. While all of the aforementioned characteristics do matter, comfort is the one making the biggest difference.
Imagine taking a long trip in your cruiser of choice. As you arrive at your destination you don’t feel tired, you feel fresh and relaxed. And that’s the level of comfort brands such as these tend to offer. It’s the story of the package being more impressive than some of its parts alone, which earns these brands the premium brand designation.
Ride quality more akin to a magic carpet, noise insulation executed so perfectly that it completely washes away the annoying noises of everyday commuting. Incredible multiple ways adjustable seating, silent air vents, hi-fi sound systems, and many more quirks and features are the party pieces of these chariots.
Both Mercedes and Jaguar excel in these conditions, which is a prominent reason why you should spend that little extra to buy a Jag or a Benz.
FAQs about Mercedes and Jaguar
Is Mercedes more reliable than Jaguar?
As of late, Jaguar models boast admirable reliability ratings. The improvement curve in the reliability sector has been continually increasing. This makes you wonder about all those comments about Jaguar’s reliability not being up to scratch. They perform exceptionally, offer beautiful handling characteristics and fuel economy, and are associated with a cult following among the enthusiasts.
Jaguars were once very unreliable, but are adequately dependable at the moment. Gone are the days of Jaguars coming in the bottom of the reliability charts. Recently many Jaguar models are steadily creeping up in the reliability segment. However, some reliability chart results still say Jaguar’s reliability is questionable.
As far as Mercedes is concerned, its reliability results are not premium either. A major gripe of modern vehicles is the sheer complexity in which they operate. And that is especially true for feature-packed luxury cars made by Mercedes. This means that there is a lot that can go wrong if not maintained properly.
Mercedes produces great long-lasting engines, but it’s the technology and the sheer build complexity that earns Mercedes only a mediocre reliability score. Mercedes brand name has always been associated with quality, not necessarily reliability. This can be said for Jaguar and Mercedes, but if they are properly maintained and well looked after, they should provide the premium experience as expected.
Does Mercedes produce better electric cars than Jaguar?
As of now, both Mercedes and Jaguar produce only a few different electric models, but considering the recent trend towards electric cars, both brands are working rapidly to expand their electric car offerings.
The benefits of electric cars are numerous. They are more eco-friendly, cheaper to own and even exempt you from taxes in some countries.
The most prominent electric Jaguar as of now is the I-Pace. Based on a chassis developed specifically for the I-Pace. And that’s a rare sight nowadays because car brands tend to use modular chassis for multiple models as a cost-cutting measure. All of that means that cars made on the same chassis can’t differ substantially one from the other.
That’s partially the reason why the I-Pace conveys a fresh design, which is distinctly different than the rest of the lineup, but still keeps with the brand’s identity. This in turn resulted in Jaguar taking home 62 international car awards, most admirable of them being the European Car of the year award, the first Jaguar to ever accomplish such a task.
Over in the Mercedes corner stands the EQC, a compact luxury SUV based on the GLC. Underneath all the fancy lighting is an electrically-propelled GLC, which is not as exciting as the original. But rest assured, more models are coming as Mercedes plans to expand its offerings to include 10 new EVs by 2022.
While it is too early to say which brand produces better EV’s, both Jaguar and Mercedes are swiftly expanding their EV offerings. As of now though, the Jaguar I-Pace seems a lot more exciting than the Mercedes EQC.
What are the ownership costs for a Mercedes or a Jaguar?
If you are interested in the best or nothing Mercedes, or the exotic Jaguar offerings, that means you want the best features the market has to offer. If you want your new purchase to run at its peak performance, all those attributes need to be maintained as recommended by the manufacturer.
You should consider monthly or by mile maintenance plans to ensure your new car stays in optimal condition.
When it comes to leasing/financing or buying, it depends on what you want. The benefits of simply buying a new Benz or a Jag outright are tempting, but the high price tag is a deterrent.
New luxury cars tend to be leased more often than purchased outright. That’s mostly due to the fact that spending a huge sum on a depreciating asset seems a bit irresponsible, but it also makes sense if you are one of those people who buy and sell cars regularly.
If you finally decide to buy a shiny new car from these brands, you have to think about insurance as well. Both Mercedes and Jaguar are luxury vehicles, and the costs of insurance for these brands are exorbitantly expensive. Pair that with questionable reliability, it’s safe to say that the running costs for both are a bit much.
