Ok,

So I've been lusting after one of these cars since I was 10 years old, (I'm 27 now). Being bored one evening, I did search of XJ8/R's to see what was out there. I realized that 2001-2003 XJ's, at this point, are relativelly inexpensive and still in good condition with decent mileage. So I think I might take the pludge, by years end, if I can find the right car.

This is what I need to know from you guys, and gals.........Is buying an XJ financial suicide? Everyone has heard a Jaguar horror story, so I'm a little apprehensive. I'm well aware that maintanance and repair cost on one of these would be higher than a typical domestic, (my daily driver is a Saab, so i'm used to higher mainenance costs), but what exactly would I be looking at.

What are the maintenance intervals and typical costs?
Are there any know reliablitiy issue with this vintage of XJ?
When buying a pre-owned XJ, what should I look for or avoid?

I looked at a 2002 dark blue XJ8 with 65000 miles that was being sold for $8900, but the leather was grungy and worn.

Im going to look at a 2003 black XJR with 770000 next Saturday that is selling for $11,500 2003 Jaguar XJR - City Imports Inc Matthews, NC

I really would love to own one of these Jags, because its such a timeless design. Plus the fact that I'm in grad school means that it'll be years before I can buy brand new car for paying back student loans, LOL. With an XJ I'd always have a nice, classy ride that wouldn't be seen on every block.

Thanks in advance for any insight

 

If you look at 2002-2003 versions, the worse of the mechanical issues have been remedied by upgrades. However, owning any of these cars can be challenging because of mysterious electrical gremlins that can crop up. In many cases, these are caused by dirty contacts in connectors, which can be tricky to track down.
So I would advise you to NOT buy one of these if you want a bulletproof daily driver. But if you want something sexy for the weekends, and don't mind some detective work when odd things happen, go for it!

 

Low mile 02's and 03's are the best .... The XJR transmission is more robust then the non SC cars.

You want to find a car that has not been messed with too much and has had the proper service. More likely to get this with a low mile car.


As these car pass to more and more owners many don't maintain the cars correctly -- they take shortcuts. Not changing or using the incorrect fluids can cause all kinds of problems

 

I have the '03 XJR, also in black. Mine has a black interior also, but I love the cream as well. My last XJR had the cream. I see it also has the R1 Performance package (Brembo brakes, larger rims)
I followed the advice of getting a 2003 since it is the finale of this style - X308 to those purists. The bugs definitely have been worked out. Read through the forum and you will see the difference over the model years.

Mine needed a few goodies done after I bought it. A few gaskets and seals were dried out and leaking. I also replaced the front brakes and all 4 tires. Don't look forward to owning the Perrelli's for very long - they chew up pretty fast.

Also, I noticed the dealers literature on the attachment. The X308 is 370bhp, not 400 as stated. It will still do 0-60 in 5.4 sec.

The nav system is a joke. I use my droid. Also, I added bluetooth hands free for the phone. The premium audio is very good.

This is my 3rd jag and so far, my favorite. Good Luck!

 

I keep regretting not getting an XJR... The car hasn't got as good of a stereo,
and in the 2 years I've owned it the performance in comparison to other cars
keeps slipping. A 4cyl 3 series would run off and leave all N/A X308 Jags.

The thing is, that the XJ8 has the potential for some pretty good economy.
On the way home tonight, on empty city streets, only stopping for the odd
light, I averaged 24.8mpg. No highway at all. On a solid highway trip, I average
24.5-26 over a few hundred miles. My car is a 2002 XJ Sport, the N/A, firm-suspension, 18" wheel spec. Middle of the range.

An XJR can't do that, but then again, it will still out-perform a few modern cars.

The XJ8 will have to be a 2002 model, I recommend cars made in late Sept 2001 (2002 model) because they have the final engine design, and are equipped with metal timing chain tensioners. a 2001 will have some crack-prone plastic ones. Also, If the car is left to run on low oil for thousands of miles, the rod bearings will let go. So see that it's had its oil changed (same with every car, in this respect).

I recommend a S/C 2003, that is the epitome of this bodystyle. Newest, most reliable, and fastest. By the way, the R1 does not have larger rims. They are 18" like the rest of the range, including the sport. They are, however, a different 5-spoke style.

I have not experienced gremlins, and I think that the car has been more reliable than I would expect from any new car. let alone a 10 year old Jag.

Best of luck, I highly recommend one of these beautiful things. They are not only the most dependable European car of this era, but arguably the best looking 4d. And the best interior by far. Also, there are lots of thoughtful little features.

Every trip feels like a European grand tour... its a charming ride, I love it and recommend one.

Welcome to Jaguar Forums, and congrats on deciding on such a marvellous car. I can't wait
to see you around the X308 sub-forum! Also, I am formally requesting some pics when you
pick the car up

Cheers!

Ian

 

From all reports very little changed in between 2002 - 03. They did a bunch of little things for 2002 .... The R will use more fuel ... As I have said before with the X308 .... getting the more complicated R gets you more reliability.

The R does not have VVT. Has Mercedes transmission - better brakes -- short WB - metal thermostat cover.

The supercharger is very reliable and the shocks look to be holding up well -- they are more expensive on the CATS cars.


This car you are looking at has the correct tires installed - if they are newer and the last owner installed them -- this is telling you that they did things correctly and did not skimp on the maintenance. I would give this car a good PPI and if it checks out ... buy it. Pay the extra few K's for the better car and you will be happy.

The brakes on this car do look to be the Brembo upgrade -- they will be more expensive to replace the Pads/rotors .. check to see if this has been done with 77k you could have all new parts -- worth almost 1.5k from a dealer. I did not get the upgrade when I bought mine - I drove both and did not see a big difference. I was a few thousand dollars extra.

 

Thanks everyone, this info is calming my nerves a little toward this potential purchase. Whether I'm able to get this particular car or not, I will most defintelly narrow my search to only 02-03 XJR's (which is what I REALLY wanted anyway). I wasn't sure about the supercharger becasue I didn't know if it required extra maintenance.

I did get in contact with an independent Jag shop, which is only about 6 miles from where this particular XJR is. They offer a full pre-purchase inspection for only $80, so I would definitely to that with any XJ I'd purchase.

I was thinking that even though the maintenance may be higher for than what I drive now, an XJ would not be my daily driver. I wouldn't even bring it up to Boone with me. I would leave it at my Mom's house and drive it when I came home until I got out of school. (snow=salt, plus people LOVE to ding doors on campus and at my apartment complex)
I was told by a Jag dealer that the service intervals are 10K miles, other that oil changes it would take me two years to hit that, so it should be too bad. (besides my 2001 Saab only has 95K miles and I bought it used)

yeldogt mentioned the shocks. Anyone know about how much a set would run? I did the front shock on my Saab last year for $550, if its anything close, I can manage.

 

Oh, I meant to ask...does the $11500 sound like a fair price for this car relative to the year/model/condion/mileage?

 

Extremely good price, in my opinion...
An XJ Sport goes for about the same as this, with
this mileage. And not only is yours an XJR, its an
R1. Depending on if you like the wheels, it is
hands-down a better car to go for in terms of performance.

Looks more than fair to me. And it's an ideal colour combo!

Go for it, it looks excellent.

By the way, some X308s consume oil. Mine, for some reason,
doesn't anymore. Well, anyway, you can't not change the oil
for 2 years. Do it every 5000 max with syntetic. You don't
want this car low on oil for long.

 

11.5k does look like a good price -- especially if it is up to date and the interior is in good shape.

The headliners fail above the rear seat.


Have it fully checked out.

My car does not use any oil at 55k. Mine got regular oil for the first 6 years under the Jaguar maintenance program - after that I used synthetic since I usually keep it in for more than a year ... I don't use it all that much.

Remember it holds 9 quarts

 

I think you found a little cherry in the 03 R'....

 

I have owned my 01 XJR since last July, it has been a wonderful car. I have put about 4K on it since then.

I did the timing tensioners myself, and a few other minor repairs.

Mine was the result of a 3 year search, so it was the ultimate cream puff. Perfect service records, garage kept and I paid top dollar for it. The headliner had already been re-done on mine when I bought it.

I am very happy with the car and love driving it.
Vector

 

Definitely get the R. I have an '02 and love it. It hasn't been in the shop once in the past year that I've owned it. I've had a 97 XJR and 93 XJ6 VDP and I've really never had a problem with any of them. All this talk about reliability and cost of ownership is what's brought the price down for the used ones. You don't see many '02 M5s or E55s going for $7k or $8k.

Going back to cost of ownership, I'll bet that it will be cheaper to repair than your Saab....and it will probably need less repairs. Mine has the CATS shocks and those are about $300-$350 a piece, if I remember correctly. When you said you did your front shock, did you just change one? If so, $550 is steep for a shock....it's steep even for two not being adjustable.

Don't worry about the broken cupholder......on whichever one you buy. lol.

 

I would definately change the oil before two years, I always go between 3k with synthetic with my present car. I just meant I wouldn't be comming up on major service intervals very often since it wouldn't be a daily driver.

I meant to say a set front shock at $550, so if the Jag's are only marginally higher, thats not so bad.

 

If that '03 looks as good as it sounds, I would buy it if I were you! It is a bargain!

The only negatives for maintenance are the Brembos and the CATS shocks, expensive to replace.
Vector

 

You don't need to change the oil at 3k - the car holds 9 quarts.

And Synthetic oil is fine for extended durations.


You will be surprised how clean the oil is at 6k

 

770000 miles? for $11,500 I hope it's got at least a Borla exhaust with a million mile guarantee

 

Hello Adam, your note riminded me of my own yearning for an XJ8. About a year and a half ago I finally found a great 2003 Vanden Plas. I did a lot of looking and research. This was a 1 owner and traded in where it was first purchased with a good history. If your not in a great hurry I suggest you get the book; THE ESSENTIAL BUYER'S GUIDE by Peter Crespin. It has an excellent rundown of the xj models from 1994 thru 2003. I found my copy on Ebay. As far as my XJ everything has turned out very well. I have replaced the shocks, sway bar bushings, and brake pads. Rear shocks were a bit of a job but it was worth it. I love driving my Jag, its not super charged but does move on pretty good. Besides I have slowed down the last few years. Anyway good luck in your search, if you take your time and do your research you will find the right one and you won't regret it. By the way I noticed you are from Boone N. C. I went to a couple Harley meets there back in the 80's. Nice riding.
Dave

 

Thanks Dave for the tip on the book. I actually ordered a copy on Amazon ($7) since I had to order another book for school.

It would be nice if the XJR I'm checking out Saturday pans out, but I'm in no really hurry. I would like to find one with lower mileage if possible. I've never bought a car with more that 35K mile on it. Granted I've also never bought a car this old before, so I know theres some give and take with that. I'd rather find one that wasen't black, because they are beautiful, but such a pain to keep clean. My first car was black, and I said I'd never do that again. But used car buyers cant be too choosey.

However, I might have a little ammunition for negotiation on price. I found a 2001 XJ8 VDP supercharged with 35K miles for $14,500 at the Volvo dealership 2001 Jaguar XJ for sale in Charlotte - SAJDA25B51MF25817 – Volvo Of Charlotte
It looks nice, but again its black, plus I never really cared for the long wheelbase XJ's or any luxury sedan for that matter. What do y'all think?

 

Most of the R's you will find are silver or black with a black interior.

That SC VDP could be extremely nice -- when you find the correct car - you need to buy it ... trying to save $500-1k is not worth loosing it.

Once these thing get into multi - ownership they go down hill ... fast.