Jaguar XJS vs Aston Martin DB7 - Great British V12s (1988 XJ-S Convertible & 2000 Vantage Road Test)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 มิ.ย. 2024
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The Jaguar XJ-S didn't have the smoothest introduction to life; replacing the E-Type was hard enough, but throw in unreliability, divisive styling and a V12 engine managing just 11MPG during a fuel crisis and Jaguar looked to kill it off! Its steady improvement to include a six-cylinder engine and convertible variant broadened the XJS' appeal and it went onto be Jaguar's longest-lived model, but the platform lived on yet further in the Aston Martin DB7, another British sports GT which would later gain its own V12 engine - so is the Aston a new take on an old favourite, or just a box of reheated leftovers? Jeff and Joe went for a drive to find out...
Thanks to WB & Sons for loan of these cars: wbandsons.com/
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Chapters
0:00 V12 Stablemates
0:54 Jaguar XJ-S
4:36 Aston Martin DB7
9:38 Which Is Best? - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
I ran a 1985 V12 XJ-S as a medical student back in the early 00s. The trip computer on a cold start would read 2 MPG!!!!! I loved it though, silver with red interior. Factory fitted spoiler and obligatory sagging headlining, which I hacked out with a dinner knife!! Got replaced by a 944 which was newer on a F plate but never felt as special!!
Had my XJS V12 5.3 He 1990, for 26 years it still looks beautiful a real head turner. It has never let me down. Drives great. I have probably spent about £7000.00 on it over the years, mainly cosmetic, new interior lining, respray for the wheels, front suspension, general maintenance. Milage is about 107,000 . My only problem is I live in central London and Sickly Khan (London Major) wants me and all classic car owners off the road, because of his trumped up pollution nonsense. I will not pay his tax £12.50 ULEZ charge. I will find a way not to pay.
Had the V12 back in the day. It was beautiful. However, mine if I recall only did around 9 miles to the gallon around town. Needed a petrol tanker to follow me around. But I enjoyed every minute driving it. Great car.
Disagree strongly with the conclusion. I’ve had 3 XJS’s, a 3.6 and two V12s. The V12s were great, but woefully unreliable. One was absolutely mint but broke my heart with its refusal to behave - I threw thousands at it but it always developed yet more faults. In 2 years of ownership I genuinely didn’t venture further than a 15 mile radius from my home in it, such was my trepidation. The other two loved to rust... Conversely, I had a DB7 Vantage until recently, and what a machine that was. I disagree that it’s a weird hybrid ‘neither sports nor GT’ - it was clearly firmly in the GT class and as such is a masterpiece, even if it had some bits from other cars. Genuinely staggering performance - its party trick was to terrify my passengers when I’d floor it on the deserted country lanes where I live; such was its ferocity that even seasoned petrolheads would swear or grip their door handle for support as it surged past 50, 60, 70 in no time, hedges flashing past and the engine roaring. Not to mention the attention it got - every little drive felt like an occasion; thumbs up from van drivers, glances from women in car parks, points from school kids, you name it. And it wasn’t dear to maintain, as I had a great rapport with one of the UKs leading DB7 specialists who kept me right. All in all then a much more accomplished car than the XJS (which I do love, and whose looks I probably prefer even over my E-Type.) I only sold my DB7 when the kids outgrew their baby seats in the back, and when I got a couple of older Astons from the 50s and 70s. But I still miss it, and would have another in a heartbeat. Might get a manual next time though…
I disagree with the conclusion too, but am biased as a fellow owner of both :) Besides, both cars have pedigree. Certainly with Aston Martin, they have a lot of that. I've learned to adore the heritage, marque, and brand more than the obvious shortcomings. To many of the people commenting on this video, you don't buy a DB7 for practicality--buy a Toyota if you want that--you buy one because you love hand-built, traditionally British, and very timeless qualities in a car. Driving for a day, or a week is one thing, but I've learned to love living with them. :)
I owned a 1991 XJS V12 Convertible for about 6 years. I never had problems with it and it was great fun to drive, including long distances. It's no sportscar at all, but that's not what the XJS wants to be anyway. It's a fantastic cruiser. It's also a heavy car but it can drive quite quick actually. Also, I think the XJS is a very classy, elegant car.
I sold the XJS in 2021 and bought a DB7 V12 Vantage (i.e. the Coupe) with a manual transmission (stick shift). The DB7 is obviously much more dynamic than the XJS. Still, the DB7 is also no real sportscar, but that's not what it wants to be either. The DB7 is also a cruiser, but a much more dynamic one than the XJS. The DB7 is very quick and great fun to drive on overland roads and especially on the German autobahn, as it runs close to 290 km/h. Shifting gears with the stick shift and accelerating is really great fun! The engine noise is fantastic. Like the XJS, the DB7 is also a very classy, elegant car, with lots of style. Of course, the prestige of the Aston badge is second to none.
Today, the XJS has already been a classic car for quite some time. Not sure prices will increase significantly in the next 5 years or so. I am convinced this is a different story for the DB7. The DB7 is still a 'young-timer', as we say in Germany, it still isn't a real classic car. But it will become one, I believe in 5-10 years from now. Production numbers of the DB7 are relatively low, in contrary to XJS production numbers. Only around 1,200 DB7 V12 Vantage with a manual stick shift were built. An Aston Martin with a naturally aspirated V12 and a stick shift and low production numbers - what else can you want? This is a recipe for a guaranteed future price increase!
PS: The use of Mazda etc. parts in the DB7 is absolutely meaningless. I have no idea why so many people make such a fuzz about that? The DB7 is a fully fledged true Aston Martin and will always be.
I still like their looks from when I was a car mad boy in the 70,s.Also possibly my favorite Top Gear episode was when James May got an old V12 upto 140mph.Ok it chucked oil everywhere but managed to do it somehow.
A facelift 4.0 XJS with the moulded bumpers would be my choice, sensible fuel consumption and less of a whiff of the antique grandfather clock than the original. The DB7 is glorious to behold but it's a bit of a dog's breakfast and the maintenance costs would be horrific.
Thanks for the review. I've owned a 5.3 HE and a 6.0 convertible and loved them both. The HE ate me alive in running costs, but the 6.0 didn't, unfortunately it died in a 5 car pile up (#3 car smack in the middle) kept me safe, but died that sad day. Best memory of the HE was coming back from San Diego to Silicon Valley after visiting relatives, when on Interstate 5 North, I was being trolled by 3 Toyota Maximas, when my wife noticed and asked what was wrong, I told her what was happening, then 15 mins later she said 'are they still there?' - I replied 'No, they have a limited top speed of 130 mph' she asked 'How fast are we going?' and I replied '145' :-) She had no idea, because the Jag V12 is SO smooth
Come to think of it, we've owned a 323F and and MX-5, so that's basically two-thirds of an Aston Martin. 🤣
Get yourself a Granada and you've completed the set! 😉
@@ClassicsWorldUK Oh wow, I hadn't thought of that. I've owned 3 Granadas and a Scorpio over the years. That's a fleet of Aston Martins!
Another good video and a trip around Killingworth!
I do not own a car but am interested in cars generally. I do favour Jaguars so admit to prejudice.
In my opinion the XJ-S is a very attractive car. Its appeal, to my eye, seems to increase as the years pass. I used to think it looked too "American" but that was only when I compared it to elegant classic "English" Jaguars like the Mk2.
Thanks for an interesting video. It's good to learn that the Jaguar's quality only increased as the clock ticks the years away.
I absolutley loved the DB7 when it came out, but seeing them side by side, I'd go with the XJS too. I didn't think that would be the case by the end of the video. It's amazing how tastes change over the years.
Both cars owe a lot to the XJ40, the 1989 XJSs had lots of the XJ40 underpinning as did the DB7 and also the 3.2 litre AJ6 engine.
XJ-S pre-dates the XJ40, it was a "Special", as in XJ Special development of the original S1 XJ6. Are you thinking of the outboard rear brakes from 1991 onwards?
@300bhpton
Yes the improvement from then on yes, transformed the XJS
Great video! Maybe one day I'll own an XJS, but for now, I have my XJ40 and I'm happy with it.
Nowt wrong with an XJ40! Video coming soon on one of those ;)
I had a 1994 Daimler Xj40, built like a tank without a spot of rust at 23 years old. The Ford money sorted out the XJ40 and turned it into the car it always should have been.
Both of these cars owe the XJ40 a great deal. 👍
It’s the XJ-S for me… it oozes class
Another good video 🚘🚙🚗👍👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Also odd you make next to no mention of the XK8, as that also (X100) uses the XJS platform.
We've covered the X100 XK8/R several times before in road tests and twin tests like this, didn't want to repeat ourselves too much :)
It's a strange one this, I've been looking at XJS V12 and XJR-S V12 and looking to do a manual swap and perhaps fit individual throttle bodies at huge cost. Yet in theory there already exists a V12 Manual XJS in the form of the DB7 with a more powerful and impressive engine - but I'm not sure about the image of having an Aston Martin and they have been criticised dynamically....
I suspect your green example is a bit tired - a DB7 should handle very well. The XK8 however just showed how old the DB7 really was.
Good video
Always wanted an XJS
The DB7 vantage I drove a fair bit in the 2000’s snd I remember loving it I thought the engine was fantastic and found it good fun to drive unlike the Supetcharged 6 DB7 that I thought was a load of crap, heavy slow and dull. Have you driven the 6?
The i6 gets panned generally for being slow- especially the auto cars. Not a great driving experience by any means. Back in the day, motor tests compared the early 4.0 XK8 to the Aston i6 and the general consensus was that the cheaper XK8 was the better car- although perhaps not quite as good looking depending on your opinion.
We used to own a 3.2 and agree completely - arguably more fun to drive than the V12, but very wheezy! Check out the "We Bought Another Aston DB7" video on our channel!
@@ClassicsWorldUK you thought the supercharged 6 DB7 was more fun than the V12 DB7? Wow I’m surprised as I found the supercharged 6 full as dishwater but loved the engine in the V12 for fun
Luckily I have both in my collection🙂
I would say, a DB looks like an XK's competitor rather than like an XJ's one.
Such a shame to keep a DB7 in this condition !! The engine bay really needs a strong detailing as well as the rims and the headlining... some jobs to do to get it more presentable as it should be...
Severely mismatched re-painted front wing too, such a shame
The Aston will always have more street cred. I adore the Aston it is such a gorgeous looking machine, for all its faults the Aston always will be the one for me.
Seen a few DB7's at car shows and yeah, they really don;t seem to have held up very well.Interiors always seem tired, trim gone wonky,many had rust bubbles on the rear arches etc. By contrast, these late 80s and onwards XJS's still suffer rust obviously, but actually seem reasonably well built which seems crazy to say. I'm really beginning top think that 90% of the XJS 'bad rep' was due to the earlier cars & Jaguar did much to fix the issues, which was just never really properly acknowledged in period.
Agreed! Few DB7s seem to last well without constant attention in our experience - Aston Martin Driver editor, Paul Walton said he thinks the XJ-S feels more like a complete car, whereas the DB7 feels like a collection of parts...
@@ClassicsWorldUK Mr Walton is incorrect.
@@therustcollector5040 You are right. The DB7 in this review is only in bad shape because off lack of maintance.
I've had a 1993 Miata that I've been daily driving for about three years, so that door release is burned into my memory. It feels cheap in a Miata. If I was looking at an Aston Martin I'd pass just based on that. It's fine in a tiny, cheap, lightweight convertible, but in what's supposed to be one of the top luxury brands in the world it's almost blasphemy.
A late XJS would be my pick, and still a great usable classic buy I reckon. The DB7 is just too much of a bitsa, and too pricey to run.
Imagine a '95 or '96 XJS fitted with the supercharged 6 from the XJR6...
We can certainly comment on the "pricey to run" part...
@@ClassicsWorldUK wouldn't be more than the V12...unless you meant in speeding fines
@@Suprahampton no I'd go with the XFs supercharged 5.0ltr V8 (503-542bhp! 542bhp is what the XJ220 ran with!) You can tune and bore out the V12 up to 7ltr and/or twin supercharge it like Lister did for 550+bhp. But even standard that Jaguar V12 has utterly horrendous mpg figures, like single figure to (if you were VERY lucky!) maybe 12-15mpg. For only at most 300bhp! Even the V12 Aston engine would be a superb swap for a LOT more power, torque and fuel efficiency. Both engines would mean parts would be a lot easier to get hold of and they'd be better made and possibly cheaper too (the Aston engine is basically 2 Mondeo V6s bolted together so there must be a reasonable amount of part crossover)
@@davekennedy6315 that's why I thought of the XJR-6 engine, plenty of power & torque but more tractable
Nice
If James Bond hadn't driven an Aston, where would the company be now?
Instead of the xjs I would pick an xk8 better looking especially the soft top. As far as the db7 it’s very pretty but the db9 is even more pretty and better
It sounds like the DB7 is a by-product of British Leyland. Oh well, at least it looks nice.
They didnt have to spend a cent with that Ford derived v12. AJ6 & AJ16 bolts straight on the old v12 (granted one side with no dramas). What let it down was cold start warm up. I heard easy remedy was reverse the water flow heads down instead of block up. Anyway they have all become controlled by accountants as apposed to purists. I love jags but we are seeing the brand disappear slowly.
Bypass either of these cars. The Aston will be hideously expensive to maintain, the XJ-S has a cramped interior, pre-facelift cars suffer with corrosion and they retain the rear in-board brake discs. The V12 is a proper juice guzzle- but offers mediocre performance. The sensible buy is an XK8- a better car all round than the Aston 3.2 litre, better built, nicer interior and faster than the XJ-S and significantly cheaper to buy these days. XJ-S values have soared, but you can buy a nice XK8 for £5-6k. The XK8 values are going to start creeping up now as sensible people abandon the idea of buying an over priced XJ-S and buy the bargain that is the XK8. It's a no brainer frankly.
To add to that, a fettled XKR may even be a better buy than the XK8; sure it’ll be a bit pricier, and slightly more complicated, but it doesn’t have the fragile ZF 5-speed automatic, and has added performance and style.
Having owned an XK8 as well, I agree with you price-wise. However, if you aren't sensible, only the Aston Martin was offered with a manual, and has the Steel Wings badge.
Just by an SL
Jaguar always build a better car XK
Db7 don’t get the respect it deserves! I’ve had 4 Aston Martin in my time and I can say that db7 was lovely to drive ! Aston Martin v8 vantage was a load of shit ! Wasn’t a good drive the one worse out the lot !