The Jaguar vs Aston Martin Debate: A Personal Perspective

As someone who has been lucky enough to be involved with both Jaguars and Aston Martins, we've had the pleasure of testing out long-term examples of each on our fleet. After a combined 12,000 models, we're still eager to know which of these two icons of British GT engineering reigns supreme.

The SKR, my long-term car, feels significantly lazier and more relaxed than an Aston Martin at first glance. This is no accident; it's a deliberate intention that has always been at the heart of Jaguar's DNA. They've made a conscious effort to create cars that are comfortable, refined, and easy to drive. The XKR takes this philosophy to an extreme, transforming into a fully-fledged sports car only when you start using the throttle and paddles shift gearbox. It's a thrilling experience that feels like being in a hot rod - one that could easily get you unstuck from any situation.

In contrast, the Aston Martin accelerates much more quickly than expected, without requiring a low gear to achieve its pace. This is largely due to its impressive torque output, which allows it to monster the roads with ease. The key difference here is that you don't need to be in a specific gear to get the most out of the car; simply put your foot down and it will go. It's an incredible feeling that's hard to match.

One of the things we appreciate about both cars is their beautiful cabins. They're not just functional spaces, but rather places where you can spend time and enjoy the drive. The Aston Martin's soft top is a particularly nice touch, making it feel like a luxurious convertible even when the roof is down. Similarly, Jaguar has always managed to strike a balance between sportiness and comfort, resulting in cars that are both fun to drive and pleasant to sit in.

Speaking of which, our personal preference between the two models has become clear over time. While we appreciate the Aston Martin's sporty nature, we find that it can't quite match the Jaguar's unique blend of capabilities. Specifically, we love how the Jaguar's paddles shift gearbox allows you to use the clutch and throttle yourself - it's a truly old-school experience that feels both refreshing and modern at the same time.

Another aspect where the Jaguar excels is in its handling. While the Aston Martin does change direction crisply when you hit the brakes, it can feel slightly heavy by comparison. In contrast, the XKR responds eagerly to every input from the driver, making it an absolute joy to drive on twisty roads. The steering, too, is more precise and direct, with a greater sense of connection between the wheels and the road.

Of course, there's one area where the Aston Martin takes clear lead: speed. As we've seen in our tests, even at low speeds, the XKR can accelerate quickly enough to leave most other cars in its dust. While this is certainly exhilarating, it also means that the car isn't as practical for everyday driving - you need a larger garage and more parking space to accommodate it!

Overall, both the Jaguar and Aston Martin are exceptional cars in their own right, each offering unique strengths and weaknesses. After extensive testing, our verdict remains clear: while we appreciate the excitement of an Aston Martin, the XKR's combination of capabilities makes it the better car for most people. Plus, with its soft top, it offers a more versatile driving experience - one that can be just as enjoyable on long drives through the countryside as it is in track tests.

We should note, though, that the real value in either car lies not in their raw performance figures or features list, but rather in how they make you feel. For us, driving an Aston Martin has been a thrilling experience - one that brings out our inner speed demon and makes us smile every time we get behind the wheel. Similarly, driving a Jaguar is about enjoying a beautiful drive, appreciating its comfortable ride and responsive handling.

The debate between these two British GT legends will likely continue for years to come, but one thing's certain: both cars are truly special in their own right - and each has earned a loyal following among car enthusiasts around the world.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enjaguar versus Aston is a contest that's raised for years and it's one we've been lucky enough to be involved with personally for the last few months with long-term examples of each being run on our Fleet but after a combined 12,000 models which of these two icons of British GT engineering do we prefer and why and what are the key differences between them when you're behind the wheel although they're both British they both cost near enough 100 Grand and they're both three-wheel drive it's amazing how different these two cars are to drive the SKR which is my long-term car very fortunately initially feels a lot lazier and a lot more relaxed and comfortable than the Aston and that's a deliberate intention it's always been Jag his DNA to make really nice comfortable beautiful riding cars the xkrs pushes that um philosophy right to an extreme where it's never really been before cuz it is a properly thrusting sports car and you only really find that out when you properly start to use the throttle and use the paddles shift gearbox a bit and lean it through a few corners but when you do that the xkrs really does come alive it feels like a total hot rod to be honest it actually feels like a car that you could come hugely unstuck in very very rapidly indeed and that's cuz it's got 542 horsepower from its supercharged 5 L V8 engine the thing about the way the Jag accelerates you do not have to be in a low gear in the Aston you have to be above four maybe even 4 and a half thousand revs you have to work the engine hard in the xkrs you doesn't matter what gear you're in you just put your foot down it goes that's all to do with its torque it Monsters the ASA when it comes to torque they both have beautiful cabins um I think if anything I actually prefer the Aston to the Jags just cuz it feels that little bit more bespoke that little bit more special but this is a lovely place to spend time in this car it's it's got a nice balance between feeling really quite sporting you get this suede Rim steering wheel and these really heavily bolstered bucket seats but it's also chilled and comfortable and refined when you're on the move even though this one's the soft top that's great that's typically Jag I absolutely love the latest Aston V8 Vantage for all sorts of reasons but mostly because you can do this kind of thing in the moment you climb inside the Aston it just feels that much more intimate little bit smaller a little bit Cozier and slightly more claustrophobic maybe but it just it just feels more compact around you and the moment you start to move in it it feels more alive more sported more urgent than the Jaguar I'm a big fan of the Jags paddle shift gearbox but there's something really nice and oldfashioned and real about being able to do that yourself and use the clutch and BP the throttle yourself and that kind of spreads to the Aston throughout there's a little whiff of old school about it which is just so refreshing nowadays and I really do love it I love the way it sounds too it feels quite a lot more agile than the Jag the Aston it changes Direction more crisply when you hit the breaks it absolutely just you lose speed just like that whereas the Jag feels like you got to throw the rains out a bit before it really starts to stop there's more noise in this car the ride is less comfortable the steering is more immediate and heavier the whole thing just feels much more like a sports car than the Jaguar but it is not as fast nowhere near this is how much faster an ks's compared with an Aston Martin V8 Vantage we're both in third gear go that's outrageous come back oh man he is just torn away I think I actually accelerated slightly before him as well wow oh I don't know I mean I really do like driving this Aston Martin I love the steering and the handling feel the intimacy of the cabin all that it's fantastic but when an xkrs does that to you out of a roundabout I'm not really sure I care that much about steering feel anymore so which one overall do I prefer out of the xkrs and the ason um I do genuinely and honestly prefer the Jag just because it can do that much more Under One Roof and in this case you can lose the roof as well it's just got more range of abilities more flexibility as a car as an everyday car it's not as much fun as pure as the ason when you're really going for it but for 97% of the rest of the time I think it's the better car ajaguar versus Aston is a contest that's raised for years and it's one we've been lucky enough to be involved with personally for the last few months with long-term examples of each being run on our Fleet but after a combined 12,000 models which of these two icons of British GT engineering do we prefer and why and what are the key differences between them when you're behind the wheel although they're both British they both cost near enough 100 Grand and they're both three-wheel drive it's amazing how different these two cars are to drive the SKR which is my long-term car very fortunately initially feels a lot lazier and a lot more relaxed and comfortable than the Aston and that's a deliberate intention it's always been Jag his DNA to make really nice comfortable beautiful riding cars the xkrs pushes that um philosophy right to an extreme where it's never really been before cuz it is a properly thrusting sports car and you only really find that out when you properly start to use the throttle and use the paddles shift gearbox a bit and lean it through a few corners but when you do that the xkrs really does come alive it feels like a total hot rod to be honest it actually feels like a car that you could come hugely unstuck in very very rapidly indeed and that's cuz it's got 542 horsepower from its supercharged 5 L V8 engine the thing about the way the Jag accelerates you do not have to be in a low gear in the Aston you have to be above four maybe even 4 and a half thousand revs you have to work the engine hard in the xkrs you doesn't matter what gear you're in you just put your foot down it goes that's all to do with its torque it Monsters the ASA when it comes to torque they both have beautiful cabins um I think if anything I actually prefer the Aston to the Jags just cuz it feels that little bit more bespoke that little bit more special but this is a lovely place to spend time in this car it's it's got a nice balance between feeling really quite sporting you get this suede Rim steering wheel and these really heavily bolstered bucket seats but it's also chilled and comfortable and refined when you're on the move even though this one's the soft top that's great that's typically Jag I absolutely love the latest Aston V8 Vantage for all sorts of reasons but mostly because you can do this kind of thing in the moment you climb inside the Aston it just feels that much more intimate little bit smaller a little bit Cozier and slightly more claustrophobic maybe but it just it just feels more compact around you and the moment you start to move in it it feels more alive more sported more urgent than the Jaguar I'm a big fan of the Jags paddle shift gearbox but there's something really nice and oldfashioned and real about being able to do that yourself and use the clutch and BP the throttle yourself and that kind of spreads to the Aston throughout there's a little whiff of old school about it which is just so refreshing nowadays and I really do love it I love the way it sounds too it feels quite a lot more agile than the Jag the Aston it changes Direction more crisply when you hit the breaks it absolutely just you lose speed just like that whereas the Jag feels like you got to throw the rains out a bit before it really starts to stop there's more noise in this car the ride is less comfortable the steering is more immediate and heavier the whole thing just feels much more like a sports car than the Jaguar but it is not as fast nowhere near this is how much faster an ks's compared with an Aston Martin V8 Vantage we're both in third gear go that's outrageous come back oh man he is just torn away I think I actually accelerated slightly before him as well wow oh I don't know I mean I really do like driving this Aston Martin I love the steering and the handling feel the intimacy of the cabin all that it's fantastic but when an xkrs does that to you out of a roundabout I'm not really sure I care that much about steering feel anymore so which one overall do I prefer out of the xkrs and the ason um I do genuinely and honestly prefer the Jag just because it can do that much more Under One Roof and in this case you can lose the roof as well it's just got more range of abilities more flexibility as a car as an everyday car it's not as much fun as pure as the ason when you're really going for it but for 97% of the rest of the time I think it's the better car a\n"