...but none seem to quite address my question.

After sleeping on driving the silver '05 XJ Super, yesterday, this morning I got up, went directly to the computer, and applied for a car loan.

Don't need one, but 3.39% is pretty much inflation, and I'll be forced to pay it back. It's a little scary one can get a loan for $10K in about 6 minutes on your credit union's website.

Plus, I want to be ready...y'never know when the right machine comes along.

My question is, being I'm lusting after, I mean, still considering this '05 XJ Super V8, for those who have more miles/experience with 'em, do you think it's in my best interest to shop for an "extended warranty"?

To be fair, I personally think "extended warranties" are expressly designed to hoodwink those who have little mechanical knowledge and they prey on those who are afraid their car will strand them. That's the polar opposite of me.

I have no fear of pretty much any automotive system, even if I've never seen it. The first timing belt replacement I did was in a rest area south of Colorado Springs. Took me a few hours, but it wasn't horrible. I knew it was a non-interference engine, though it happened at a bad time, and about 20K miles sooner than it should have. My options were not any better than fixing it, myself, even though it required quite a bit of transportation creativity. We lived in Park county, at the time.....

However...a car which was $92K when new, still requires parts for a $92K car.

This car has 88.5K miles on it, is quite clean on the exterior, the Carfax has no unpleasant notations, but I know around this mileage, I'm likely looking at a suspension air pump and may be a damper in the relatively-near future. The first owner sold it after 18 months, the second was a three year stint, which sounds like a lease to me.

The CarFax shows a keyless remote has been replaced, the A/C has been recharged, the coolant tank replaced, a parking sensor went bad, and it's had boht a new thermostat and brake booster. The booster is odd, but every vehicle has its own issues.

The car is under Jaguar's Select warranty until October or 100K miles. The issues it has are all cosmetic, and minor ones at that, so there isn't anything which I'd bring it in to have examined, immediately. I wish Jaguar offered an additional 3/50 warranty which covered powertrain and suspension. I can live if some of the little things fail, but the big $ parts would be a real bummer if I still have two years on a small, but still not paid-off, note. It's more of a "damn, I'm still paying for it, yet having to shell out big bucks to fix it", kinda thing. I know the car, any car, will need repair/upkeep, but powertrain costs, and in this car's case, suspension, it could get ugly in a hurry. I'm unconcerned about the engine. It's the transmission, with the ludicrous "lifetime fluid", which concerns me. I'd change it ASAP, just 'cause it's past time, IMO. With no visible seat bolster wear, I'd like to say it's done some road-trips, but that's not a certainty.

I'm very seriously trying to decide if I should take Monday off, and be at TCD before they open, to see how much the suspension 'settled' over the weekend.

I did notice, when I was looking at the LF tire, trying to figure out what treadwear was on it (like it's going to matter), the XJ8 next to my left shoulder started letting a bit of air out. Was kinda endearing. Then again, I'm not fixing it, either, or chasing down some odd behavior.

Sorry for the tangent...

Examining the CarFax points out, at least the way I read it, there haven't been any official maintenance performed since 42K miles, though there is an entry @ 54K for "vehicle serviced" at a Jag dealer, but absolutely no detail. It was in Austin at the time, and I've verified they're a dealer. There are no other records besides the CarFax data, which puts me off a little.

I guess the best thing to do, if I move forward, is to hope anything faulty shows itself before October, and when something fails afterward, dig in and learn everything possible about whatever it is.

TCD claims they have about one Super V8 per month come through, but also that Jaguar isn't leasing as many as the years go by, so the number available for sale as lease-returns may drop. I know they're no-pressure sales place, and I really appreciate that, but this the kind of thing which isn't all that easy to verify.

I'd be hacked at myself for leaping at this one...get it, 'leaping'...and in a month or two, one equipped the same, and possibly in better condition on the inside, with significantly fewer miles comes through and it's maybe a couple of grand more. Then again, I'm going to put about 17K a year on it, and that assuming nothing but commuting. At least my commute's miles are ultra-gentle. Mostly empty freeway.

Hmmmm. I hate being on the fence....

 

Yep, making the decision to buy any used car is going to eat you up for awhile. Even after you buy it you will probably have mixed emotions regarding "did I buy the right car".

I bought my car at TCD in Dallas. Yep, they don't bother you, just ask for the key and let them make a copy of your drivers license, and test drive whatever you like. They don't repair cars, change the oil, yes. If it's a warranty car you take it to get it fixed.

When I asked about testing the bluetooth function, I was told they know nothing about them.

Their office is air conditioned, the warehouse is not! If you go in July you will be soaking wet by the time you have looked at those cars!

Manuals, keys, etc. You get what they get. I got one remote key and one valet key. No manuals, no carpets! They did give me a 2004 manual that I'll sell on ebay. I paid cash, they will do loans though. Get the exact amount in a cashiers check and you are all set, they will get the plates to you, and give you a temporary tag. Title is mailed to you in about 6 weeks.

All the cars at TCD I looked at from 2005-2008 were in very nice condition. All the cars are washed and waxed. The leather on every car I inspected was very nice. Very few dings, but the usual tiny paint chip issues on any used car. Tires on most cars were excellent.


I priced Jag's on the internet for about 14 months before I finally decided I was going to buy an XJ8L. I test drove a 2005 VDP at Texas cars Direct 8 months ago. It was exactly what I wanted. Black with cream interior. It had 53,000 miles on it and priced at $25,000. But my time frame for buying was January 2011! So I continued to lurk on their website, checking everything that was coming in. Naturally some cars had a deposit on them before they even arrived, so cross those off!

Finally, two cars were in their warehouse that I would consider. Test drove a 2008 in pearl with dove interior. Got in the car and just about gagged on the cigar stink. It was thick. $27,000 and 50K miles no warranty. It drove fine, liked the cooled seats. Noticed some corrosion in the battery area and on some of the aluminum suspension,maybe salt? Brake rotors were very worn. If the car didn't smell so bad I may have bought it.

The 2nd car was a 2007 XJ8L BRG with barley interior, 35,500 miles. No GPS but that didn't bother me as my Garmin 1490LMT was far superior. Drove great, could not believe the power available in that car. I looked this car over carefully. Checked all the numbered body panels, oil clean, tires have about 15k miles left on them. Paint was nice. A few smudges on leather that cleaned off. I checked everything, except the electric headrests didn't work and I didn't check the bluetooth which didn't work. Okay, so it has a warranty till August and all that should be taken care of at the dealer. I bought the car for $25,000.

I'm satisfied! I've put 2200 miles on the car in the past few months, all is well. For the price this is one heck of a car. What can you get for that price. How many people told you your ford, chevy, toyota, or whatever was a beautiful car!

Personally I wanted a car with some warranty left to resolve things I missed or would come up in the near future. My last great car was a 2001 Mazda Millenia S with 115,000 miles on it. Waiting for the timing belt to go at $1500 a pop. Sold it! We're to old to get stuck in the woods at night.

Your choice to buy a high mileage car for daily use is your business. Hell, I bought a 1999 XK8 with 108,000 miles a month before the XJ8L, but it's for fun!

Extended warranty, I chose not to buy it.

Good luck with your decision. The Super V8 is so tempting!

 

Thanks!

I appreciate it, 'cause while I'm not put off by high mileage...the '95 W124 Mercedes sedan I have now I purchased with 153K on it, the W126 before it had 139K, but then, I could have three each of those, and money for repairs, for what the V8's going to run me.

I figure I'm gonna get it. I've been looking at wire instructions from Schwab, and I'm kinda planning on taking Monday off. I want to be there after it's been undisturbed all weekend, to make sure everything is as good as I determine.

The no smell in this one is a big thing for my wife. I've owned previous smoker's cars, and yeah, it's funky, but it goes away after about a gallon of Febreeze and a summer airing out.

Like you, I look at what I can purchase for $20K, new. Um...nothing I'd sell Baby Beater Benz for, I can tell you that much. Hey, it's old, and has its issues, but it's solid, and I'm never concerned I'm going to be walking.

I did the math, and keeping it 10 years, assuming my commute does not change (which is highly unlikely), it'd have 260K on it by the time I was most likely tired of looking at it/fixing it/etc. IMO, pretty much any semi-modern automobile can go a quarter-million miles, if you're intent on keeping in good enough shape to do so.

Yeah...I've got a feeling I'll have a picture post on Monday....

 

One thing I have learned from buying a ton of cars is Carfax is not the end all, tell all that everyone thinks they are.. different states require different reports.

The air leaking out of the XJ8 you noticed is normal.. once they sit for a while they relieve some pressure from the suspension.

Just buy it already.. you wont regret it.. the Jag hands down will make your Benz feel like a work truck..

 

88.5k sounds like quite a few miles to have on it already. Especially if you are going to put 17k miles on it per year, even if they are "gentle highway miles". I know you have a lot of faith in modern automobiles, but the Jaguars that can even make it to 200k cost effectively are very few and very far in between. Then again, there are many fewer XJs than there are Lexuses, etc. And I also like to keep my cars running like new--annoying suspension rattles/squeaks can be very costly and annoying to repair on any car.

How much are they asking? (Not $10k I assume?)

 

That is high for most places, but here in north Texas...actually, most of Texas, high-mileage is not the exception.

My wife's '02 RX300 just turned 90K miles, but then, it was in-storage for a few years while we traveled.

This machine has a price of $19,950 on it, and 15K/yr is about average.

A good friend of mine, and fellow petrol-head, is trying to convince me to buy an Acura, but those things lack anything resembling what "luxury" means to me.

BTW, I'm with you on squeaks/rattles. I came this close to removing the hood on a vehicle several years ago, because when it was latched closed, it made a squeaking noise over the slightest road imperfection. Did it since the day it was new, too.

 

$19950? Seems a bit steep. Then again, it does have all the bells and whistles.

I'm not surprised that the RX300 has lasted 90k miles (problem free, I assume), but then again, it's a Lexus. That's their selling point! (Longevity, reliability! Although my previous '97 LS400 with 120k+ miles on it was still costly to maintain because I kept chasing down every little noise and clunking sound in the suspension.)

 

The Super V8 books out at around $27K from a private party, with only $130 off for excessive mileage, so it's priced pretty well. It has literally every goody. The rear-seat DVD system will likely see almost no use...save for me plugging in an MP3 player.

When my wife picked out the RX she has, even though it was two years old, I told her, she'd better like every single thing about it, 'cause it was the last car she'd ever have. It has every option but a trailer hitch, and I'm happy about that.

It's a half-a-million mile car, honestly. And it's a great road-trip machine. Involving? No. Boring? Yeah. But it's ultra-comfy and will go places off-road I wouldn't take the modified '99 Suzuki Grand Vitara or the slightly-modded '94 Grand Cherokee Limited V8 we used to have.

And no, not one thing has failed on it. Well, the OEM battery gave up after 8 years. Tough to complain about that.

 

What kinds of cosmetic problems does it have?

Edmunds TMV, which I consider to be more realistic than NADA and certainly KBB, has a "clean" (you said it has some minor cosmetic issues) SuperV8 at the following:

Pricing Details for a Jaguar XJ-Series Super V8

4.2L V8 Supercharger 6-speed Automatic
Customized True Market Value® Prices


Trade-In Private Party Dealer Retail National Base Price $17,848 $20,905 $23,407 Optional Equipment $85 $99 $123 Bluetooth $85 $99 $123 Color Adjustment - Platinum Silver $0 $0 $0 Regional Adjustment - for Zip Code 20598 $0 $0 $0 Mileage Adjustment - 88,000 miles $-1,763 $-1,763 $-1,763 Condition Adjustment - Clean $0 $0 $0 Total $16,170 $19,241 $21,767

I really think $27k for private party is completely unreasonable for a car with that many miles. You are not I almost jumped on a 2005 Super V8 a couple months ago on eBay for $30k, and it had 30k miles on it or so. I think you should be a little more cautious and shop around! There are other Super V8s out there!

EDIT, I completely misread. The price is $19.9k. Could be a decent deal, then.

 

The exterior is as perfect as I can expect for a car driven more than 500 miles in this town.

I saw three rock 'chips', and I was looking. Two were miniscule, and the third, while touched up, was at just the wrong place on the driver's fender, so it stood out.

I don't know if it has Bluetooth, but thankfully, the wheels are original painted silver, and not so much as a scuff on any of them. That, alone, surprises me.

I'm still waiting it out. If it's around Friday afternoon, I'm going to request a day off work for Monday, and go check the suspension after sitting all weekend. They're closed Sat/Sun, and the car is stored indoors, so it should be easy to measure and whatnot.

The only cosmetic issues it has are inside, and the only one which causes me any concern is a cut on the RR door sill, near the B-pillar. It's about 1.5'-2" long, and has been filled with some kind of epoxy to prevent it from spreading. It's a cut from something, but what, I haven't a clue. Otherwise, I noticed the slightest bit of discoloration on the driver's B-pillar trim from getting in/out, and the sun visor/headliner cloth could use a small bit of cleaning to make it look perfect.

As a bonus, this car has the Jaguar Select 100K mi. warranty, which is good until October 2011. I figured I'd just about cover that 12K miles by the end of October.

The rear console has a broken tab which holds the A/C controls in-place, but it's not flopping around, just moves a bit when you push on it. There is a kick-panel at the rear of the passenger's seat bottom which has come un-clipped. I'm bringing my killer LED flashlight and a mirror-on-a-stick to see what's up, there, if I go back.

If I get serious about the car, I'm taking it to have a PPI at a place recommended here, and which has good reviews, otherwise. The tires are in much-better-than-average shape, and I think the spare has been on the ground for a max of 100 miles. No leather wear/cuts/damage. Haven't "tested" the sound system to check for blown speakers, but I will have a disc for testing it (and the changer/in-dash player) on-hand.

One other thing...the outside passenger's side headlight washer, in the bumper, has been barely pushed into the bumper. Ultra-minor. I did notice when I first retracted the mirrors, the driver's side didn't come in quite as far as the passenger's side, but a bit of help remedied that after the first couple of actuations. I'd wager it's not been used more than three times in the car's life.

 

The B pillar trim only costs maybe $200 to replace (I have a worn B-pillar myself, only on the driver's side). Sounds like the car is virtually flawless on the outside. I thought you meant it had door dings and scrapes!

Be very VERY careful with headliner cleaning on this car. Virtually all of them develop sagging headliners which will require replacement.

Best of luck to you!