I have been looking for an XJR but the junk I've been finding has made me re-think my plan. I have found some nicer XJ8s and have done some soul-searching and know that I will be just as happy with the XJ8, so I'm going to look at one tomorrow for the second time. So far it's checked out and if we can come to an agreement on price, I might just pick it up tomorrow.

When I say "junk" I'm talking about things like this -- one of the ones I was looking at has a check engine light on but I don't know what the OBDII code is, the salesman told me it's an O2 sensor but I think he's just BS-ing. I was also told that it was a one owner car but my research shows it's a 6 owner car -- I don't like being lied to, so I've lost confidence in that one.

Another one that I looked at was nice, but they wouldn't let me test drive it without making an offer!!! It had way too many dings and dents and scratches for my tastes, so I'll pass on that one, too.

I didn't even bother to drive a couple other XJRs that I saw because of the general appearance - worn and abused interiors, and high mileage.

So, rather than trying to put a square peg in a round hole, I'm going to get the XJ8 if it works out. I know myself very well and know that I'll be very happy with it and will never regret making the decision.

 

XJ8s are perfectly good cars, especially if you go for the higher spec cars. You can get sport versions which look like the R but without the supercharger if you want a sporting look.

As far as dings go it may not be a reflection on the owner, it is more likely a reflection of society. We live in a selfish era, where people can get a new car every three years so they don't care about their car, and extend that feeling to other people's cars. Which is why my XJ8 has a new ding in the rear door.

The Car enthusiasts plight for a perfect body is a hard and difficult one.

Good Luck with your search.

 

^what Stu said^ - good things come to those who wait, patience is a pre-requisite when buying a car that was made at least 10 years ago.....keep looking and keep the cash in your pocket until you're 100%. It's a buyers market for these cars.

 

I agree .... I would love to find a ding-free car, and this one looks like the real deal. I will take another look at it today. It was serviced for the past several years at the local Jag dealership, same place one of my family members services her Jag, so I know it's been taken care of. Hope I can swing a deal. Nice thing is, I can walk (drive) away if they don't like my numbers, I'm don't "need" this car.

 

Yes ......... Patience. It many take a few months ... or more.

The good cars are indeed around -- I saw one a few months ago. Low miles ... one owner ..... always garaged.

The really good ones don't last -- you need to know what you want, be a bit lucky and buy it when you see it.

 

i too am big on the idea of interior maintenance as being a reflection of attitude towards the car. i cant believe some of the cars ive seen... looking like a pack of wolves were locked inside overnight with their prey! as the other have said , i also have my share of dings and dents, but hope to slowly have them PDR'd out and i can do the touchup with some factory match paint.

good luck with your search

 

I was able to find a perfect-body (except the paint on the trunklid, which I noticed in the garage that night), 41,000 mile XJ Sport in Miami too (I lived in Orlando,
and we were only in S. FL for the day) so I knew I'd be buying the car that day. I never even got the chance to drive an XJR. The only one in Miami at the time was a 2001 XJR, silver, with a dark tint, and 111,000 miles. I never looked at it.

I now regret the lack of power. Having driven a supercharged one now, and a BMW M5, I now, 19 months after the purchase, regret my lack of a supercharger.

As an enthusiast, I like the idea of having a sufficiently fast car. And now, a 2012 A4 2.0T Quattro posts better specs than my Jag. Same .88G of grip, 14.4 vs my 14.9 in the quarter, 0-60 in 5.6s, versus my 6.6 (or so).

Here is my advice/experience on the subject!

I now have been scouring the Miami Craigslist, and I just know that my car is one of the better XJs on the market. I can't find any nice low-mileage R1s anywhere. (XJR with uprated brakes)

There is one with 56,000 miles, but its a 5-owner. Multi-ownership is bad for these cars. Even I have contributed new, unresolved problems. I can't even fix the stuff that my own car had when I got it. (ashtray lid wont close, sunroof hangs down on tilt setting, I'm awaiting paintwork on that trunklid)

The Sport is rare, but far better looking than XJ8s are. It is more like a 740i MSport than a 540i, though. It isn't terribly quick as I once thought it was.

I currently have found an XJR-100 with 76k, one owner, $15,000... wouldn't you like to be in Dallas? lol. I want that one.

If you can deal with the power deficit, it's great! The confort, style, luxury, and torque aren't too bad. One complaint with the engine is the lack of power at high RPMS. If it decides to rev to redline, Elvis has left the building at 6100, so you're pointlessly revving to no avail. I've noticed that on entering the highway. If it is in S, don't floor it. Put it out of "S" before going WOT. The shift points are better for highway acceleration.

If you're ok with a tensioner job, this car looks super-nice.

2000 Jaguar XJR with 62,000 miles(absolutely beautiful)

Please note, that a normally aspirated car will need options that are standard on the XJR. My top 3 that I really wanted were

1.) Upgraded Alpine stereo (rare!!!)
2.) Heated seats)
3.) Wood steering wheel

I ended up finding one with heated seats, but no other options.

Most of the XJ Sports I see have no optional extras.

The Sport trim level doesn't have CATS, but, like the XJR suspension, it has a
stiffened spring-rate, and a rear anti-roll bar. The N/A ones normally don't have rear sway bars. The seats are also exceptional, they are XJR seats.

If you don't mind window tints (I specifically wanted an untinted car, they look older with tint)

Cars for Sale: 2003 Jaguar XJ Sport in Sarasota, FL 34233: Sedan Details - 315464139 - AutoTrader.com

This one looks good. The interior looks nice, and that is the hard bit to fix.

Collision repair guys never get the front fascia to fit properly again, so
avoid that 56k one in Miami... It has been in an accident. I have learned to
spot this, my car's gap widths in the front are forever not factory. It looks
fine on camera, but crappy in person. Also, look out for a front bumper cover that is in line with the fender-well. Mine is not, and I do not like.


Cheers and Good luck!

Ian

 

you should of course do what you want to do, but my advice would be to hold out for the right XJR.

 

In general, the XJRs appear to be more reliable than the XJ8/VDP. I wish I had known this when i got my VDP which suffered from transmission failure (common on the non S/C XJs, much rarer on the S/C).

The V8 in the non S/C XJ is fast for my soft sprung long wheel base VDP IMO. The transmission is lazy, so if you test drive a XJ, make sure 'S' aka Sport is activated, it shifts much quicker. I don't find myself lacking in power at all.

 

I drove a pretty nice 2003 XJ8 today -- Zircon (light blue) with a tan interior -- the VIN says it's a Sovereign edition/model, but I was a bit unhappy with the lack of certain features that I would think should be standard on a car like this -- one such feature is DCC (dual climate control), although I can live without DCC, I'd like to have it. Also, what's with the sunroof not having glass? I, again, can live with that but it would be nice to have a glass sunroof like the S-type that I'm now driving. Can't remember if the XJRs that I drove had glass or not.

The bad things about the car I drove today are few, but could be serious/costly -- first, the driver's door doesn't shut without a good hard slam (it appears to be properly aligned, but a soft push won't shut the door), the rear door on the driver's side was obviously painted, and not all that good to boot - you have to get the light just right (didn't have a paint gauge) but you could see that the majority of the door had been repainted -- in my opinion, that kind of marginal paint job has no place on a nice car - the entire door should've been painted. There's one mark on the rear bumper that could be touched up, other than that no door dings, dents or other blemishes on the exterior.

The interior was another story. The driver's seat is the only seat the isn't "like new" -- so it really stands out. Nothing serious, and a bit of elbow grease and the right products might bring it back to life - not a huge issue to me. The wood on both front doors appear cracked - don't know if they're really cracked or not, but sure looks like small cracks. The wood around the shifter has a spot on it that looks like someone tried to pry the wood off for some reason with a screwdriver. Again, not a huge deal, just a bit ugly.

The big deal to me are the two cigarette burns (oh yeah, I forgot to mention, the car has been smoked in but you can't smell it at all - the front lighter is a bit worn and missing, and the burn holes are the proof that someone smoked in the car) -- the burns are in the leather piece that goes above the radio/console area -- looks like the driver might've hit that leather area with his butt when shifting the car into park -- I could probably get that fixed without too much trouble or expense, but for now it looks pretty ugly.

The car ran nice, smooth, but seemed slow. I drove it in the city and on the interstate -- seemed to be a bit of a dog. I've driven V6's that are faster (Acura, Jaguar, Honda, etc.) and this is a 4.0 V8, I would expect it to be faster. I didn't check to see if it was in S mode, would that make a big difference or is this an indication that the engine is wearing out?

Finally, there was a very slight (maybe my imagination) pull or fade to the left when cruising at highway speed. I checked it in several lanes and several areas of the interstate at 60 to 70 mph and it seemed to fade ever so slightly. Didn't notice any unusual wear on the tires.

All in all, I was okay with the condition of this car, but I don't like the price - he's asking just under $11k for it with 63k miles. I might make him an offer, but I have first make sure I can live with this car just in case he accepts! LOL

Thanks for all the advice, and thanks for "listening," it helps me sort through things if I can write it out like this.

Mike

 

Just a few things to note:

none of these series jaguar XJs have dual climate control

none of these series jaguar XJs have a glass sunroof

 

Thanks for that information -- now I can put that issue to rest. I kind of figured that was the case, but didn't know. Thanks again.

 

Well, it looks like tomorrow I'll be getting my new Jag. I made him a low-ball offer with my complaints, he agreed to fix the door issue and the burns and made me a counter-offer that I accepted. I should be able to get it after lunch tomorrow. Can't wait!

Thanks for everyone's help and advice.

 

One note -- The ACC in the x308 works as well as any car I have ever owned -- and I have not owned one without ACC in 25 years. A lot of the duel and even quad systems don't improve the comfort level.

No glass roof ..... Originally Jaguars were all about style ... with the low roof you would see the glass........With Jaguars ........design the car and then make it work --- the germans ........made it work and then designed the car.

 

You don't buy a Jag to go fast, you buy a Jag because it's a Jag. There are a great deal of small saloons that are as fast or faster than the XJs but it doesn't make them better does it?

If all you care about is speed and performance I suggest you buy a Nissan Skyline and join the other rice racers. If you want to be a real enthusiast then you need to understand what Jags are about.

@Mike:
I hope your issues with your new purchase are resolved, they should though. I had a car that had been smoked in once, and I had a treatment done that fogged the interior and removed all traces of smoke odour. The ZF box fitted to the XJ is lazy and doesn't change down when you want it to, which is why it is best to use the J Gate to get any sense out of it. As regards to the slugishness you mentioned, the throttle cable may need adjusting back to the factory setting, which will make a world of difference when done. There is a thread about this in the XK8 area.

All in all, Good Luck, and look forward to seeing some pictures. S.

 

I have no idea what you just said! LOL

The funny thing about this car - the only evidence of smoking in it are the burns and the cig lighter -- no smell or odor at all. I've looked at a lot of smoker cars and can't stand even being inside of them. I wonder if someone did what you suggested.

Thanks.

Mike

 

OK I'll translate to American for you What I meant was use the manual gear selections on the shifter to change the gears when you want to haul *** a bit quicker.

J gate is the name Jaguar gave to their design of automatic transmission selector. If you look at the way it is laid out, it resembles the letter J and the manual selections are separated from the auto ones. It is a wonderful piece of design which, when used properly, really brings out a different side to the car and it follows the way your arm moves perfectly.

Hope This helped. S

 

Bought the XJ8 today -- love it! Will post photos when I get a chance. Right now I have to pack for my trip tomorrow.