I’m starting the hunt for an XJ, and am considering all models, all years (with a preference for British Racing Green, wow that color looks great on this car).

I'm in the US, a Massachusetts resident and am casting a broad net, nationwide, in my search. Having not done this before, are there any hints or suggestions on shopping nationwide (avoid private party, certain dealers, etc.)? Can anyone recommend an inspection service, if I feel that's necessary, given that most of these cars will be too distant for me to examine personally?

I love the idea of the 5.0 liter supercharged engine in the XJR. If any of you have one of these, do you use it as a daily driver and what would you say are the pros and cons?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

Barney,

I suspect my advice would be the same if you were buying a Yugo or a Rolls. Buy the newest, lowest mileage car that your budget can stretch too. The CPO warranty is fantastic and will cover cars to 6 years. A 2019 will have free services for 5 years, worth thinking about.

Your big question is the engine. Do I want the perfectly acceptable 340 bhp V6, or the more than adequate 385, 470, 510, 550, 575 bhp V8s. I own both a 385 V8 and a 575....totally different cars that I love for different reasons.

wombat

 

Barney, I think a deal breaker for most is a function that gets very little discussion. This would be the START/STOP feature. If you are not familiar with it, this is the short of it: when you come to a stop, the engine turns off to save fuel and when you let your foot off of the brake, the engine restarts. There is a little more to it, but that sums it up for the most part. How do you feel about starting your engine 30 times on a normal commute? Some see this as very bad, some do not see a problem with it at all. If this is a concern to you, then you have to look at the 2012 and older cars as everything in the XJ has this feature from 2013 on. Are there ways around it, kinda. Depends on the year and the laws of your community. By definition, disabling this feature permanently violates the EPA rating of the car and therefore makes it illegal to drive on the road (if you read the laws in a very strict manner). Sure, there is a button to turn this feature off, but do you want to hit that button every time you get in the car?

I have the NA V8 wit h385HP. It is more than adequate for your driving. Do I want a supercharged car. Of course. Would I use the supercharged V8 all that much, probably not. So, I would say to keep your mind open to the supercharged V6. Yes, it ONLY has 340 hp. But, the car still gets up and moves.

Something else you may want to consider is the lack of 3G service now. In 2017, there were some systems that allowed you to use the internet. With 3G getting shutdown, that is a null and void thing. So, why pay for something that you won't use.

Another thing I will say to ponder is "how often am I going to have someone in the rear seat I need to impress?". This is where getting the XJL with the airline trays will be an attention getter. Then you can also get the reclining massage rear seats, etc.

One last feature you may want to consider because of where you live, AWD. Unfortunately, this is only available with the V6 motor. But, safety in the snow may override the need for speed.

As for other models, if you want speed, then I would recommend looking at either the XFR or the XE-S (with the supercharged V6). The XFR is going to have the same engine as the XJ, but in a slightly smaller car (considered midsize, where the XJ is full sized). Yes, the XF is going to have slightly less nicities to it, but do you need them? The XE-S is going to be a step down even further. BUt, where this car excels is that you have a high horsepower to weight car that has AWD. I have driven the XE-S and is a blast to drift. BUt, now you are into the smaller midsize car. Still more than adequate for 2 adults and 2 kids and will have lots of toys for the techies.

If you have specifics of what you are thinking you want, state them. We can give you pros and cons to these systems. Keep in mind thta a "bare bones" XJ is still more optioned that a lot of other cars that are fully optioned. So, keep that in mind when looking at prices.

I guess the one final question I would leave you with is this: How often do you see yourself using the full capabilities of the supercharged engine and is it worth the extra cost and more research you will have to do to find what you are after? As you get closer to 2019, the number of supercharged V8's went down.

 

Thermo,

When I climb in the 575, I press START, deselect the AUTO STOP/START and plug in my seat belt. I really don't understand why people get so bent around the axle over a feature that is so easy to disable. I suspect that it is now impossible to purchase a post 2020 ICE vehicle, or newer, that doesn't have an ECO function.

I remember folks saying that they would never entertain seat belts, SAT NAV, ABS or all the other driver/safety aids that we now demand as standard.

For me, if I forget to turn off the S/S, it really doesn't ruin my day, or make me regret my purchase.

wombat

 

Thermo,

Thanks for the response, a VERY good perspective. I'm open to the supercharged V6, but there's something esoteric about the V8 (I have a '95 V12 XJS). I certainly don't need 550HP (and would rarely use it), but a normally aspirated 385HP V8 just seems more reliable (probably because I've never owned a supercharged car before). AWD is definitely a consideration.

My wife's 2017 CTS has the start/stop feature, very annoying but press a button and it's off. 3G also isn't a problem as long as I can pair or connect my smartphone (works great with my 2013 CTS). Any issues with pairing an Andriod phone?

So I guess for specifics, I'd prefer a V8 but don't need 550HP. Color is important: black, British Racing Green, or one of the shades of red. Good audio that I can pair a smartphone to.

Again, thanks very much for the response.

 

wombat, I have heard a number of people here say that the S/S feature is a deal breaker. Is it that big of a deal to push a button? Of course not. But, I see it this way, my car, let me do with my car what I want to do. If I don't want the S/S feature, then let me turn it off permanently. Kinda like if you don't like a heated steering wheel, then you never have to turn it on. It is there should I want it. Granted, if you are getting to pick your "dream vehicle" and this is coming into the equation, atleast knowing about it is vital if you ask me.

 

put the car in Dynamic, drive it as it should be driven, and forget about it as it will be disabled - there are more permanent solutions if you want to go that route

 

I suggest doing a search on CarGurus and once you find the color and specs you like put the sales person to work with pictures, videos, service records and anything else you need to see.
I have purchased two XJ's from the West coast and used the sales person to provide me with everything I needed to see.
On both, I had the Jaguar dealership inspect the vehicle as if it was being certified (one was).

I daily drive my XJR LWB and couldn't image anything less than having a supercharged V8. The instant power for passing or merging lanes alone is enough reasons for it.
I drive in rush hour traffic and have places to be lol.
If it was me looking, I would only consider a XJL Supercharged 2016 and up.
The XJR comes with all options so you don't have to worry about what someone else didn't put on the build sheet.
The "LWB" comes with rear side curtains where as the "SWB" does not.
All works great with Android or iphone

Pros: Instant power
The car keeps pulling until you let go of the gas
Brakes do their job well
Interior comfort

2016 and up Pros:
The InControl allows you to use the app to remote start the car, which I use daily.
Traffic sign recognition (I use daily)
360 camera
Park Assist (I've never used, as I don't have that much trust)
Rear traffic monitor (has saved me more than once)

Cons: It's long and takes some getting used to when parking.
When it rains camera gets blurry
I hate front heated window

 

A Pre-Purchase inspection is a must when buying a car in the US nowadays. The shortage of new cars plus stimulus money and low interest rates has driven the price of used cars up, while simultaneously driving the quality of product down. I dodged a bullet on my XJ purchase (PPI flunked the car), got a flesh wound (2 one-way air tickets; car was crap), and am now a firm believer in PPI. While there are nationwide aggregators of PPI companies, every one I've seen is an independent contractor. If you find a car on the Internet that meets your specifications, do a Google search for PPI contractors only in that city. Be a cautious buyer, but be prepared to act immediately for the right car. I agree that BRG is a spectacular color on the XJ, but it is rare. As you start your search, most of the cars you'll see are white, black or silver. If you're having trouble finding a PPI contractor, post here, "anyone in xxx available to look at an XJ for me?"

I have the 385 hp V8, and have never been in a situation where I felt inadequate (pun intended).

It is my understanding that the 2014-2017 XJs have 3G telemetrics. It is unclear exactly which features using cellular technology will be unavailable once 3G is discontinued. Some of these features are probably non-essential to you, others may be highly desirable. JLR USA has remained mum on the subject. As you may know AT&T has already begun exiting 3G, and T-Mobile will be gone by the end of 2022. One member of my car group recently received a notification from Audi, stating that a workaround for his particular Audi is available. It consists of a dongle that plugs into the OBD port. Other brands are replacing circuit boards in the car; who knows what JLR will do. I suspect nothing, as they are a low-volume manufacturer.

 

I recently bought a 2018 XJR 575 from 1200+ miles away which was a whole new thing for me. I strongly recommend a PPI before entering into any price negotiating. Although I was unable to use a Jaguar dealer do to distance I found a perfectly acceptable inspection service. Long story short there was very little "wrong" with the car. I took it in to my local dealership whee I have a relationship and had them check everything out and change the oil. They confirmed what the distant inspector said. By the way I also had the car shipped to me. The whole purchasing experience was rather time consuming. It took six weeks from start to finish. Bottom line; pretty much know what you want when you start, be patient and painstaking and you should end up with XJ you want.

 

Guys, thanks so much for all the valuable insight.

The PPI will be done, but what if the XJ is at a Jaguar dealership? I'm actually looking at one that's at a BMW dealership. Would you still recommend the PPI?

Thanks.

 

I think the need for a PPI depends on the known history of the car.

In my case I am 3 for 3 on buying remotely without PPI, but I have been driving/buying these cars for almost 20 years, on my 5th car now, and think I am getting the hang of it.

If you share a link to the car in question we could give you more insight into the viability of a purchase.

 

All great advice given in the above posts but you have not stated what price range your working with?
Also can you DIY ANY of the repairs?

As you know with your CTS these are complicated expensive luxury cars. They get no less expensive to repair as they age.
But this forum is what I depend on and have a 2014 XJR tuned to 600+ HP and race it as well. It's a daily driver and I got it with 20K miles 3 years ago. Now at 52K miles and no warranty anymore.

Have had only 2 repairs. The very common leaking water pump done under warranty which also changed the front cooling plastic pipes out. Then I had an O2 sensor fail that I replaced myself.
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.
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Thanks for the help!!

The XJ in question:

https://www.bmwofmtlaurel.com/invent...a1ce7gmw03116/

 

This particular car has accident damage that may or may not be repaired correctly. I would not buy this car without seeing it in person. Would also want to see the repair order for the body damage so I know what was replaced and with what parts exactly.

Even with the low mileage the price is higher than I would expect for a car with a dirty carfax. But I know car prices are crazy right now...

Doubtful I would buy this one if I were in the market.

 

Many thanks Rothwell, the Autocheck from Edmunds didn't show any sign of an accident, the Carfax from the dealer link did. I guess that explains why it's been sitting for so long.

Anyways, it's a drivable distance for me and I still plan to check her out personally, pending satisfactory answer of questions including the ones you've raised.

 

Thanks for the response clubairth1.

In terms of budget I'd like to be under $40K, which from what I've seen so far puts me in the 2012-2015 range (and I've seen a few good candidates). I'm aware of water pump problems, particularly with the 2012-2013 era, so that would be factored in.

In terms of DIY I'd be very comfortable with the basic stuff, maybe even replacing a water pump if there's sufficient documentation (Youtube, etc.. Time is a bit less on my side for DIY right now, rather than skills. I've got a '95 XJS V12 that so far has blessed me with very few problems (the Marelli meltdown being the most serious, and I dealt with that).

 

Interesting that Autocheck did not have that data. Good to know for the future.

Glad the info came to light before you get too emotionally invested in it. These cars can make you enamored pretty quick .

Still worth looking at I agree but I think it is maybe 5-6K overpriced based on history. Perhaps more if details of accident indicate.

 

You can't tell a book by its cover. The X351 Jaguar XJ has an aluminum body and chassis and requires specialized tools and knowledge for repairs. Even if it looks perfect to you, you should have it inspected before you buy it by a body shop that has been approved by Jaguar to perform those repairs to determine that they were done properly.

Moderate damage can be substantial and sight unseen. If it was 2 or 3 years older, it probably would have been totaled.

I have no problem with an XJ with minor body damage only and nothing damaged underneath. Straightening a bent chassis isn't for me.

Sure, I'd take a look at this XJ. But the Seller would have to convince me to buy it. Especially at that price. I'd have to see the repair invoice including all the parts and labor.

 

https://www.autobahnluxurymotorcars....97d767ac9712d3

Here's a 2013 V6 Portfolio I'm considering going to look at locally this week, seems priced below market and decent mileage. Some interior wear particularly the buttons but I've had success fully removing the buttons lamination on my previous 15 XF, which I am looking to replace after getting rammed into on the fwy recently, really wanted another Stratus Grey which was the main draw to the XJ since the color is so hard to find now.

Thoughts on this listing? CarFax looks relatively clean https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistor...wa1c77d8v49760
just trying to negotiate out a supposed 'mandatory' $2K anti theft accessory fee the dealer is claiming all their vehicles have added on

also maybe a bit skeptical why the it hasn't sold being listed over 5 months, would def get a PPI and beforehand grill the dealer on if anyone else has done so previously or why other viewers backed out