I started looking at Jaguars and I was amazed at some to the prices that I saw - a 06 XJ8 at a dealer in great condition for $19,000. I asked the salesman that I know there and he said that they are very hard to sell due to frequent mechanical issues. I thought that the parts were prohibitively expensive but when I went on the Mercedes, BMW and Audi forums, it didn't seem like those parts and labor were any cheaper, in fact, they seemed to cost more. So I guess my question is - what gives? It is a well deserved perception or one based on misinformation.

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Mostly old legends that never die, I think.

We ...well, some of us....don't try very hard to dispell the rumors. It's what keeps used Jags low priced and therefore one of the best values on the used car market.

Cheers
DD

 

Poor craftsmanship and bad reps in British Leyland era could blame to it ,I think Doug has a good point in his reply

 

I agree with Doug's reply also. The old stereotypes have yet to go away in many places. The problems from the old BL era really aren't an issue any more, but it means great values for those of buying used Jaguars.

 

All above is true but the flagships of any range get hammered more than the cooking models.
Take a look a BMW 3 to 5 to 7 prices new then say 4 years old, you will see that was the cheapest then becomes the most valued as the prices flip flop.

 

My 04 XJ8 has been the most reliable car I have ever owned! Now that I have said that, I have to replace a low beam headlamp for the first time today.

 

A lot of us on this forum and elsewhere have been driving Jags we could otherwise not afford due to the depreciation characteristic of the marque. Don't look a gift Jag in the mouth.

BTW. Have any of you blokes ever considered that all the weeping/wailing re high maintenance costs relates more to the "bargain buyer" mind set so many Jag owners exhibit?. Our cars aren't any more expensive to maintain than other cars in the same class. The only difference may be a lot of owners expect the same bargain basement prices in maintenance that they enjoyed at 2nd hand purchase.

 

I have owned them all, and several models in each, BMW Mercedes & Jaguars.
I have had used and new on all models, and I can assure you that maintenance on a Jaguar is much more cost effective, that is CHEAPER then any Mercedes, BMW and wait for it, the absolute highest maintenance of them all AUDI. They absolutely ROB you at the dealer or independents, parts are higher than Mercedes who in turn is a bit higher than BMW. And yup Jaguar parts are relatively comparable to some US mfg. So keep it yourself and when someone asks, tell them yeah, they are (Jags) expensive and not so reliable. Oh and by the way the 2 XJR's i have owned have been extremely reliable!

 

I think this may be changing a bit, at least in my market. From time to time I visit my local Jag dealer as I have bought all of my Jags from them, we have a good rapport and know the majority of the staff there. A couple of months ago, as usual talking about cars, the topic of pricing came up. Apparently the sales prices of their used inventory have been going up. The car buyer had just sold a white 2006 Super V8 with 20K miles for $44K that he bought in Texas for $35K the week before, they had been asking $49K. And they are always asking to buy mine.

 

That is not typical,did you ever ask what they would pay you for yours just as a purchase and not as a trade>?

 

 

No doubt it may be a fluke. I actually saw the car listed on their website. I have not asked since I have no interest in selling and doubt I would receive a "real" number without be serious about it. Super V8s are relatively rare and that particular car had very low miles, one third of what I have on mine. They now have a 2005 listed for $25K with 55K miles.

 

The depreciation of used cars has slowed across the board. It's true for Jags and any number of attractive cars. The cause is the economy and the down market for new car sales. A lot of folks who were previously buying new are now buying used. There is definitely a "bubble" in used car prices.

This is particularly true of Jags and the like, many of which were leased for executives or bought with bonus money by the "broker class". God bless em all.. It was my intention to have a nice used XK or XKR in my garage by now but given the prices that is not to be for awhile.

 

Opps!

 

Perhaps, but I do not have any hard numbers to support that theory. I just have noticed in my market that seems to be the case. It is also dealership dependent. I shopped three of the local Jag dealers when I bought mine, plus one down in Lauderdale. All but one had little interest in negotiating every single time. The S-Type R was not a stock vehicle and had to be ordered IIRC the MSRP was around $69K, I got it for $54K in October 2004. The Super V8 I also got for over $20K off and in January 2008 the same dealership gave me $29K for my 2003 XK8 with 50K+ miles and sold me a $90K MSRP XK for $72K.

My point is deals could be had on new vehicles too. Now I am curious as to what number we settle on when the XKR-S I have on order arrives in November.

 

Looking at your list of cars,and whats coming....I think you may be able to open your own dealership !

 

Lol! That's what my sales guy at the Jag dealer has said many times. A buddy of mine and I came pretty close to doing just that a couple of years ago since we both go through a lot of cars frequently and I already had the warehouse space but decided we were both too busy to add anything else to our plates. Maybe one day.

 

It's a secret....shhhhhhhh!

 

I've been a BMW, Audi, Porsche and MB owner for 30+ years and would really like to buy a used 2005 -- 2008 VDP. The biggest issue keeping me away is the lack of independent specialists (I stay away from dealerships no matter what make).

Denver has over a dozen great independents for German cars. There is only one Jag specialist, and he is on the opposite side of town. Many independent specialist are not willing to spend the $20k+ on the diagnostic computer, software and specialist tools if they only see one or two cars a month. This is one of the biggest reasons Jags are going for cheap here in Denver.

 

Jagaur is not the only car that has low resale, all the European luxury makes take a huge hit, and Jaguar is in the middle of the pack. They all have the reputation of expensive repairs, dropping the used resale value. I have had some of these cars and my experience is that Audi has the biggest drop and requires the most repairs at the highest prices. Its amazingto me but thecar I have experiecne with that holds its value is a Jeep Wrangler. A couple years ago I bought an 04 Wrangler and an Audi A6 at the same time with the same miles and condition....the Audi had an original sticker of $46K and the Jeep had a sticker of $20K. I paid $12K for both of them!