Hello guys and gals!

I am looking at getting my first car soon (hear me out), and am looking at all sorts of options such as E39 5 Series, W210 E-Class, P38 Range Rovers, Lexus GS and LS as well as the odd C5 Audi A6. Another option is also the Jaguar XJ. From what I know, the X300 and onwards are not that unreliable. I know I'm making a poor decision by buying such a car for my first car, and I do not expect it to be a Toyota Land Cruiser. I know I'll need money set aside for repairs, and I know there will plenty of repairs. I know roughly what I'm getting myself into. However, I'm still not sure what one is the best, what one to avoid, what to look out for when looking at one, if there are any options to go for or avoid, what years are the best and what years are the worst, or even if the six-cylinder is the best engine choice. That's where I need help. I'm sorry if this drags on, but what is my best option for a Jaguar XJ, what do I avoid, and what should be on my checklist of things to look out for? Looking for Jaguar XJ X300, X308, X350, X358. Preferably the six-cylinder model. Fine with either petrol or diesel.

Thank you all so much!
Caleb.

 

Avoid 1998 - 99 X308 if your sulfur content in the fuel was high , and it has transmission issues ( ZF5HP24 but not the X300 ZF4HP22/24 ) along with engine valve train tensioners

These issues were later resolved with the V8 but not the valve train tensioners

The V6 I heard was trouble for some reason

 

I had a pleasure of using most of these cars apart from E39.
W210 is ok, just electronically its an absolute pain if something goes wrong and its not as easy to work on as Jag or P38. It has more toys and interior is better made than e.g. Jag or P38. Different styling too, Merc is typical german perfection, Jag is more of a hand built car, with lots of small imperfections here and there, that can make the car a bit more special too.
Lexus LS is by far the best made car out of all these. Build quality and everything else is superior. LS is generally better than GS. LS wont look as good as Jag though.
Jag(X300) and P38 are kinda same cars but also completely different. Build quality is the same, they even share a number of parts. One is obviously saloon and the other you can take it off roading, depends on what you need/want.
I do not recommend X308, only straight six engine cars(X300). The latter V8 will put you off Jags for good if anything goes wrong and I can assure you at some point it will.
Jag(X300) is undoubtedly best looking of the bunch, easy to work on, but it will come with its own issues. The more you spend initially the better experience it will be later.
Not driven X358 and I don't know much about them, I'm sure they are great cars.

 

that was a massive stretch, so hard you broke the rubber band. the solihull ****box shouldn't be in the same sentence as these cars

 

Hence why said kinda same cars but completely different and I'm sure I've seen the same thing said referring to Coventry ****box on P38 forums 🤣
Overall what I mainly meant was English cars are unmistakable, if I never saw both cars and got a hundred of them to compare I'd say they both came out of the same factory even if I was half blind, they feel very similar(parts, layout, size, even colours) even if they are completely different car types.

 

I've been very impressed with my 1995 X-300 and the reliable in line 6 cylinder. It's a daily driver with over 100,000 miles on it and is so comfortable when driving down the road that we even take it on vacation. We use the Honda if there is rain or snow but otherwise I trust the Jag mechanically.

 

I got a 95 XJ6 at 68000km and had it until 170000, in that time replaced the water pump (easy and cheap), starter (not easy but cheap), had front wheel bearings done (cheap) and a crack in the downpipe welded (cheap). Bloody loved that car but moved to the snow belt and needed more ground clearance.

Me dad now has a 95 XJR and it will be staying in the family as long as fuel is still available.

 

With the important health warning that by definition everyone on here is more or less talking their own book, I would comment as follows:
Discard the P38. Even when they were new, they werent great,(I had one) and the passage of time will not have been kind to them. Their sheer scale makes them difficult to work on, and parts are expensive. The L322 Range Rover is infinitely better in every respect, and early examples can be picked up quite cheaply now. Still not easy or cheap to fix, but you will likely be doing it less often, and they drive beautifully.
I dont know much about the Merc or the Lexus, as both tended to put me to sleep. The Lexus will be much better built and more reliable, but ultimately it lacks the Kudos of the Merc.
The BMW and the Audi would be much of a muchness in my book; interesting with the right engine in the right spec and colour, but they dont get my pulse racing.
The X300 remains one of the best looking cars on the road, and the passage of time seems to make it more attractive and eye catching ( I did say we were talking our own book!) For real world driving, their smoothness and comfort remains difficult to beat, and reliability wise, although not perfect, they are pretty much a known quantity and very robust. Ford had a point to make with these cars, and they made it; there was a clean break from what had gone before in terms of Jaguar poor reliability and rust.
You will have guessed by now that my vote would be for an X300, but well done in recognising that classics offer a viable choice for a first car.

 

My previous car was a 1998 BMW E39 V8 purchased in 2004 with 90k miles. I owned it for 12 years and about another 70k miles. I sold it when the ABS, Air Con & Exhaust all needed major work. Before that the only problems I had was a leaking valley gasket and a central locking fault. The front passenger door wouldn't open for a couple of months then it would be OK for a few weeks before failing again. Eventually it remained closed for many months and I had to cut the door card to replace the mechanism and get a second hand door card. It was a good car but I never had an emotional attachment to it. This was why I moved it on when it needed major expenditure.

I'd never previously owned a Jaguar and liked the look of the XK8/XKR. I went around most of south and central England looking at them but so many had problems, particularly significant corrosion. Then a 1995 X300 XJR came to my attention and after a quick bit of research I bought it. That was in 2017 and I still have it despite a bad beginning when the water rail to water pump hose failed on the motorway when driving home on the day of purchase. This is cheap to buy but difficult/expensive to replace so if you go for an X300 check when & if this and the bottom (octopus) hose have been replaced. If they are old then budget for replacement. Like many others I've had some issues with the idle speed so check this is OK when cold and hot. In the first year of ownership I also had the gearbox warning light come on and the car go into limp mode but switching off and restarting would resolve this; since replacing the gearbox oil this hasn't happened again. The crankshaft sensor is a common failure (mine failed in 2020) so replace this if it's more than a few years old. Cracks in the exhaust manifolds are common, I've had to replace both of mine. You should be able to hear any leaks but ideally inspect them by removing the heat shield. Water can run down the wiring into the ECU and corrode the connections so take off the trim panel to the right of the driver's feet (in right hand drive cars) to check - yes, this happened to me. Any car of this age is likely to have some corrosion, particularly inner sills, rear wheel arches and sometimes under the front and rear screen seals.

Although the BMW was more technically advanced than the X300, eg 5 speed v 4 speed auto box, variable camshaft timing, better fuel consumption (average 28mpg v 23mpg) I much prefer the styling and character of the Jaguar. This also appears to be the view of the general public as I frequently get 'nice car mate' comments at the filling station and I never had any for the BMW. For me the X300 is the peak of Jaguar design and I don't like later models nearly so much. This is the first car I've ever owned that I actually like spending money on, so I'm treating it to a programme of refurbishments and upgrades to exhaust, brakes, suspension etc and intend to keep it for as long as I can drive it.

With any old vehicle it's important that you have access to a specialist repairer for those jobs you can't do yourself. Apart from coding a new key there's not much that a main dealer can do for you. I'm fortunate with having Swallows nearby. I'd also join an owners club, eg JEC, for further help and support and discounts with parts and service suppliers.

 

Being a Toyota Supra fanatic, my first luxury sedan was briefly a 99 Lexus LS. I considered them grandma cars because that's mostly who I saw driving them, but I was fully intent upon having the silver lower half painted black to make it monochromatic and installing some custom wheels to give it a little flair. I never got around to it because it got destroyed in an accident within I think five weeks. It was replaced with the XJ8. It too is often associated with older drivers, but at least its a grandpa car and not a grandma car. And up through 15 years old and about 100K miles it was just as reliable as any Lexus product.

Of course they're very old cars now. That's why I'd suggest getting the last year model of the X308. Not only had they worked out all the bugs by then, but all else being equal, you're better off with the newest car you can afford. I'm not as familiar with the X300 but all the organic components, i.e. gaskets, seals, bushings, etc. will be up to five or six years older than an X308 unless you can find one that has been fully refreshed. That's why old luxury cars are so cheap - because they they tend to leak and squeak and its rather expensive to refresh all of those components on most any luxury car. Of course the styling change to the X350 was rather polarizing. I thought Jaguar did a pretty decent job of keeping the traditional form while increasing the space to satisfy the marketing focus groups, but sales tanked when the X308 lease returns didn't lease the new model. But if you like the style and can find an X358 in good shape, again, there's that reliability advantage in getting the newest car you can afford.

 

I had an X300/XJR as a daily driver for several years. Bought at 30k miles, sold at 171k miles. It was 100% reliable in the sense that it never left me stranded by the side of the road. It always took me from Point A to Point B, without fail. But, as magnificent as it was, it was by no means trouble-free. I had to perform a lot of repairs along the way. The X300s represent a great improvement over the older Jags but age and mileage eventually take a toll. This is compounded by owners who stop spending money on them......undertaking only the bare minimum of repairs and servicing. This leaves second-third-fourth owners with a laundry list of work to be done.

At this stage, 20-25 years on, I'd consider any of the 90s vintage luxury/performance/specialty models to be "hobby cars". If you have the right frame-of-mind going in they can be very rewarding and satisfying.... and can be great daily drivers, if that's the goal. But, it'll take some effort, money, and patience.

Cheers
DD

 

I have been using a 97 XJ6 (Vanden Plas) as a daily for more that 4 years now. The cars are reliable and will serve you well, as long as it is properly maintained.
The kind of work involved is a combination of regular maintenance and troubleshooting for failures relating to the car's age.
There will be problems relating to age, such as plastics and rubbers (bushings/hoses) failing, which need to be replaced, but once they have been done the car will serve you well.
You will find age related issues with any car that is over 20 years old, so it seems to be a case of either finding one that is on top of the maintenance so you can have an easier experience, or preparing to do the work yourself and then staying on top of it.
There is something special about these cars and you will see the appreciation from onlookers and car enthusiasts. I guess now they are 25 plus years old, you will be driving a 'classic' after all.

 

Couldn't agree more. I've had my '97 XJR for months now and the list keeps growing. Cracked exhaust manifolds, crank seal leaking, power steering bottle leaking, steering column reach and tilt failure, power seats not functional, truck struts toast, LTFT too high. And all these are the USUAL fails. Nice car but hardly something you can expect to not have to work on.

Looks real nice, like a high maintenace girl friend.

 

That all sounds very familiar

WRT exhaust manifolds I was fortunate that, at the time, good used ones were not too hard to find. I suspect the supply might be dwindling, though.

But replacing worn or broken parts wasn't so bad. 'Twas the raft of weird driveability/engine performance/OBD issues over the years that was frustrating. I referred to the car as "The Tormentor" .

But, jesus, what a great car to drive. Jaguar did a lot of things right with the XJR/6.

Cheers
DD

 

I'm a 95 XJ6 (X300) owner obviously have my own bias. That said lots of others have recommended the jag from your list so I would advise reading the X300 buyers guide featured in the X300 forum. https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/a...yers-guide.doc

 

Hi Caleb,

You have received excellent input so far. I'll throw in a few more thoughts.

I have owned several Jaguars and work on dozens of them and I love them irrationally. But their particular combination of luxury, ride, performance, beauty and elegance is nearly unmatched by any other make of car.

Avoid the X308 and X350 as a first car or first Jaguar - you have to become fully addicted before you can put up with one of those.

I have owned and still work on many BMWs. They are fine automobiles and I definitely prefer the straight-six non-turbo engines due to their overall better reliability and easier servicing. E46/E39 are my personal favorites in terms of reliability and performance/handling, but E30 & E36 have their charms. But prices are rising on good ones that haven't been thrashed.

The W210 is another fine automobile, but as has been mentioned, all of that technology that was state-of-the art in its day eventually goes on the fritz and will drive you mad. A friend's '98 wagon was driving me mad just last week.

I have never owned a Land Rover or Range Rover but I work on lots of them and they tend to have some of the most expensive problems of any vehicles I know of. Unless you just have to have one, think thrice.

Audi's are also fine automobiles (I currently own a Q5), but depending on the vintage you may find that working on them requires special tools, even for basic jobs like changing brake pads.

Lexus/Toyota products are among the most reliable in history, and I personally work on several that have done well over 300,000 miles and still run like sewing machines. But driving them is like driving a La-Z-Boy recliner, and of all the vehicles you've mentioned, Lexus styling tends to be the most bland (or on more recent models, just plain ugly IMHO).

If you want a distinctive vehicle that will give you pride of ownership, be generally reliable, and be mostly serviceable and repairable by you (with the help of a forum like this), then I would encourage you to look for the best Jaguar X300 you can afford. There's an old saying in our world, "The most expensive Jaguar you can buy will come at the lowest selling price."

Cheers,

Don