A lot of generalizations in this thread. To say you'd take ANY Benz over ANY Jag is not really that great a statement. Jag has some decent rides. Maybe not all of them are great, but some are.

The 2004 Jag XK has pretty nice looks. Decent specs too,
ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN
Engine Type 90° V8, aluminum alloy cylinder head/block, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
Displacement- liters 4.2 liter
Bore x strokein. 3.39 x 3.56
Compression ratio 11.0 : 1
Maximum horsepower - (SAE) 294 bhp at 6,000 rpm
Maximum torque 303 lb.-ft. @ 4,100 rpm
Ignition system Electronic
Fuel system/Fuel grade Electronic fuel injection/ Premium unleaded
Transmission type 6-speed automatic transmission
Top gear ratio 6th - 0.69:1
Final drive ratio 2.06 : 1
I'm not saying its the end all sports car and ATX is kind of lame, but I'd take this above several Mercedes vehichles.