I am in the market for an XJ8 and have noticed prices are all over the place. I found a 2004 XJ8 VP with 40k miles for $17,000. I can't find that many VPs to compare the price to. There are many base XJs and those seem to be quite a bit cheaper. I am really after a low mileage XJ but not sure what kind of premium to pay for it. Thoughts out there?

I also found a one owner 2005 XJR - 63KM with 9 more months of factory warranty for $18k. Seems like the ongoing costs might be more with the XJR - tires, etc.

Looking for some input from the experts out there.

Thanks

 

The VDP can be equip'd with a bit more than a base and the only thing additional with the XJR as far as maintenance is the super charger and it may have Brembo brakes depending on the year.

Take into consideration how well the car was cared for and the service history. Worth paying extra for peace of mind.

 

Not sure about the X350/51 series...but in general, Jag equips their supercharged models with larger tires and brakes than the NA versions resulting in a significant spike in operating expense. Not only are the tires normally a more expensive size, but also a high-performance variant meaning a significant cost premium, and as an added bonus, they'll only last 1/2 to 3/4 as long as what the NA versions are equipped with. I think this is what Derrunner was getting at. If you drive it less than <10k mi/yr, probably no big deal....but put 75-100 mi/day on it and those costs start to add up.

 

Ive actually gotten longer wear out of summer performance tires then all season tires. they also handle better and make less noise.

as far as 04 XJs go, there is very little difference between the base car if you have navigation, heated seats, and 18" wheels from a VDP. In fact ive seen 04 and 05 VDPs without navigation and/or xenons. In 04 all cars were short wheel base. A good fair deal for an 04 would be $15k with 60K miles or so. The mileage premium for the $17k car sounds fair for someone wanting a low miles example.

XJRs bring a premium upfront for their rarity and added performance. add $3-$5k over a normal XJ for the R. Maintenance costs arent terribly more over the standard XJ.

 

I just picked up a 2004 XJR FULLY equipped with 80k miles for 10 grand. It took quite a bit of searching, but i am EXTREMELY happy with my find. Satnav, rear DVD, you name it lol. The only thing that's wrong with it is one shock is worn and needs replacing. Getting the part from arrnott and doing it myself it is still loads cheaper than most others out there

 

even with the fault you got a GREATTT deal on the if its very nice otherwise!

clear title? good carfax/autocheck? any previous paintwork?

how much do you expect to spend for the shock?

enjoy it!

 

My uncle is a dealer and he said the same thing. We called him while looking at this car to look up the carfax. The car has a full service history, no paint or body work, and new tires. I expected to pay roughly a grand on the suspension bc i looked it up prior to buying. But finding the $400 shocks made it all the better! The stereo and rear DVD player was not working, and the trans was shifting oddly. I took it to a Jaguar dealership, they re-flashed the trans, stereo system, and told me exactly which shock was broken all for under $200. So i could not be happier. Just goes to show, if you try hard enough, beggers CAN be choosers haha

 

Congrats!

 

Good for you Adam, happy safe driving

 

I just acquired a 2004 XJ8 with 148K in a trade for my 2003 GMC Yukon with 97K.

Seemed like a fair trade to me, and I'm very pleased with the transaction.

The previous owner of my Jaguar kept it in immaculate condition, and had just replaced the entire air suspension before I bought it. The only thing it needs is a brake job (which I'm dreading paying for).

 

It should not cost that much to do, the brake pads are readily available and depending on what type you want , not very expensive either.

 

Thanks for the info. I found a Silver 2005 XJL with 63KM for $13.9K asking price - I don't think the $4k premium for the XJR is worth it, for me anyway. Besides, the XJR is black and after having a black car once before I swore I would never do it again. :-)

 

lol black is about the hardest to keep looking clean and silver/gold the easiest. seems like a good deal for the 05, a lot of them r asking/getting near $20k for. is it a local car you can go look at?

 

Derruner,

You might want to consider that no matter high many miles you put on an R you will be able to find a market when you are thru with it. A non R car with 100,000 + miles is hard to sell at any price. IMHO

A local car dealer here in cent. Fla. had a nice looking 04 XJ, nicely equipped with 137,000 miles on it. I drove buy that car twice a week for 7 or 8 months before it was gone. I don't know the car business from a dealers perspective, but that's not good in my book.

BTW a good compromise on color is metallic slate grey. Jag has 2 or 3 of these variants for each model year. It's dark enough to show off the lines of the car without looking dirty with a little dust.

 

yup, I can vouch for gray agree with tarheal. my car sure could use a wash about now.

 

I had a silver XJR and it was very easy to keep clean. It seemed like I was washing my black one almost every other day. But when it was clean it was beautiful.

 

Hey whats up friend?... I just purchased a 2004 VDP and I paid 168000 plus tax and my car has 72000 miles on it.. The car is my daily driver and I bought it in mint condition . It has almost every option. and the interior/exterior are in phenominal condition. I can send you pictures if you like. I purchased the car in May and now have 76000 miles on the clock.. The car is mint so far .. Everywhere I go people stare in awe and ask a million questions. The car really does have a beautiful design. Some words people use over and over seem to be "Classy" and my favorite "A gentle mans car"... No problems to report other then minor bs . The headliner is the only problem thus far and I am in the process of getting it re-done in Alacantara. I have added new sub woofers as the stock ones I thought were weak. I added the Video module to the front screen so I can watch TV with the guys in the back, a new shift knob and xenon fog lights ... THATS IT !!!! The car runs beautifully and I am totally in love with her ! The only thing I hate are the brakes ! I think they feel spongey as hell and that translates into **** for me... For what it worth maybe you can keep my experience in the back of your head... Ask me ANYTHING and I will give you my honest opinion and advice. you can email me at jsedita74@verizon.com. like I said I have some pics I can send if you like ... Ive taken quite a few with my phone lol...

 

thats actually .net.. Oh and the color is platinum silver with ivory interior and brown piping..

 

I looked at an '05 XJ8 for $14k and it was a POS - not cared for at all. I then looked at an '05 VP at a Porsche dealer for $18.9k and 69k miles - the ladyowner had paid cash for it new and it was her car - she traded it in on a new Panera - must be rough. Anyway, I found it, well, I can't quite put a word to it - maybe too over the top for me with the wooden trays in back, etc. I felt like the Queen of England should be in back. LOL. Beautiful car and very well taken care of - but maybe not sporty enough for me. I am sure I could get a good deal from the dealer. But, alas, back to the '05 XJR with 63k and warranty for 10 more months. It's a one owner and he is asking $18.9k. I don't know where all these people find the good deals on these cars - prices seem to be pretty firm for the better examples down here in Texas.

 

Just my opinion here, but fair prices and which model years may or may not be a good choice are often greatly colored by the buying decisions that someone has ALREADY made - for example, if they paid $10,000 for an 04, then it wouldn't be too surprising to have them tell you that not only is the 04 a great choice, but $10,000 is a great price.

I had to replace my 2000 XJ8 two years ago after it was totaled. I spent about 6 months looking for what I wanted. Back at the BEGINNING of 2010, I felt that $10,000 for a 2004 XJ8 VDP with close to 100,000 miles was a fair price, but only if the car was in excellent shape. I actually passed on two of those at that price because they were just in "good" shape. There is an extraordinary independent Jag specialist here in the DFW area that I use and trust, and much of my opinion on these cars comes as much from my own experience owning them as from their inspections and discussions with me about the cars I was considering.

Back then, I was just learning about the X350 platform, so I was considering them all. I eventually bought a pristine 2007 XJ8 in the spring of 2010 for about $25K. Personally, from what I know now, I would not consider an 04 XJ8 at all, and only an 05 if the price was fantastic. But hey, that is just my opinion, and all the owners of those years are free to say how wrong I am!

Now here is my suggestion - go to this web site: Used Mercedes Benz | Jaguar | Land Rover | Texas Cars Direct, Dallas, TX and look at their inventory. They specialize in Jags, and they have an excellent reputation. They do not haggle on prices, so they have not jacked them up first - their prices are very fair, so if you want to see what you SHOULD be willing to pay for a specific model or year, that will give you the best information. They buy and sell cars nation wide, even though the buyers are responsible for arranging any shipping. The good news for you is that you are actually close enough to just drive up there if you happen to see something you like (assuming your Austin is Austin, TX). But the main reason I suggest them to you is just to answer your original question about what is a fair price.

If you do see something you are interested, the independent shop I like so much is very close, so it is easy to get an expert opinion. In fact, I would be happy to go over there and take a car to the shop for a detailed inspection for someone who can't be here to do it themselves. Their cars do tend to move fast, so if you see something that looks good, do not think about it too long.

Good luck in finding what you want!