I ve always thought it very funny that people are so very afraid of flying. I mean, ok, they say that if God had meant us to fly he d have given us wings, that it s not natural for us to hurl ourselves into the air in vast metal containers... but no one ever says that if god had meant us to cross oceans he d have given us gills. Or that if he d meant us to travel at 80mph he d have given us wheels... People are very selective in matters such as these.
Equally, I find it odd that people comment on something as being “as safe as houses”. What does that mean exactly – that it s as safe as if it had a yale lock on the front? That it s secure enough that someone could get in if they wanted to, but not without a little bit of effort on their part? That it s surrounded by bricks and mortar?
The statistics for the number of people who die on flights are widely told as being considerably lower than the number who die in car accidents. This must be at least in part down to the fact that a smaller number of people fly than drive on a daily basis. This must also relate in some way to the fact that, in the case of an afore mentioned vast metal container falling out of the sky, there s a lot less we can do about it. Whereas in cars we can apply all sorts of safety measures.
When you re buying a used car you take a lot of things into account. The mileage, the body work, and the reputation of the dealership are all important factors. The make and model of the car, the number of doors and the additional gadgetry are also relevant. But how often do we take safety and security into consideration.
Going back to the plane analogy, and considering the relative likelihood of being involved in an accident on the road, the safety features of a car should be considered as, if not top priority, high upon the list. And this is where buying a used Jaguar could provide the ultimate peace of mind.
Take the Jaguar S type saloon as an example. Although this car has not been tested by Euro NCAP, it features a reassuring amount of safety equipment. These include six airbags as standard, anti whiplash seating, dynamic stability control and emergency brake assist – all standard expectations from a modern luxury car. The S type suffers few problem points (zero reported in the body, one diesel engine recall in 2007 and one automatic gearbox fault in 2004) and is very high ranking in both UK and US customer satisfaction surveys.
The XF Saloon also provides front and side airbags, as well as a pop up bonnet to add protection for any unlucky pedestrians that get in the way. This model also offers an optional blind spot warning system, which alerts the driver to vehicles in their blind spot by illuminating a light in the door mirror glass.
The XJ Saloon, meanwhile, is popular with politicians, and as such exceeds safety and security expectations. 2006 models feature a tyre pressure monitoring system and uprated brakes, while armour plating is available for the paranoid amongst us, the lightweight aspect of the original car saving the plated model from being too heavy a drive.
As for security, the Jaguar comes with deadlocks, and alarm and an immobiliser as standard. All of which means that you can venture out in your used Jag knowing you really are as safe as houses... Whatever that means!