Hi Guys. I have numerous cars. From modern exotics (Lambos etc.), some older classics (Caddilacs etc.). But, in my garage has always been one of my favorites. My 2002 XJR. I use to own a 1999 XJR too which I sold in 2005 at that time for a new 911. For what I paid for the XJR, and sold it for five years later made me speechless. Having said that they are still in the $10-15 G range for years (for a nice one). We all know that the shape and the looks of the XJR are gorgeous! And sought of rare. I still get thumbs up all the time! We all know the back seat is small, as is the trunk. For me, the only negative, but that never deterred me. Now, my question is, why are M5's moving up in value, substantially, and not the XJR. I would guess that the ones left are the ones that have been maintained and are in excellent shape. So, for me, I would buy the XJR over the M5. Why haven't we seen appreciation? Is it the younger crowd thinks Jags are for old men? And they buy the M5's? Love to hear every ones opinion and where you all see appreciation. And with the new Jag line up (F type), people should start to show interest again in this beautiful classic. Also, in my opinion, our cars are the last of the Jags that looked like Jags. The new one does not.

 

The general public is afraid of Jaguars.

 

Exactly!

Most people think our cars are beautiful but.....

The number one question I get asked when I drive my XJR is, "Don't those cars require a lot of expensive maintenance?"

The image of poor quality from the old days has not faded from the public memory.

For a long time the Jaguar workers were paid piecework wages, which is not the best way to assure a quality product without very strict oversight. The more seats you installed, the more money you made, so a loose or missing bolt here and there was the norm.

Sir William used to drive a newly made car home from time to time and always had a list of issues to be addressed on the car the next morning.

Funny, when I drive my Ferrari, which can cost an absolute fortune to fix if it breaks, no one asks about repair costs!
Vector

 

I agree that the public is afraid of Jags. There were issues with timing chain guides / tensioners. Shops today are crazy expensive! My mother recently paid 4500 to have new tensioners / guides put in her BMW 735L 4.0 V8 It costs the same for a jag. The Value of XJR's is really low in my estimation. Search craigslist "South Florida" and you will find them from 2K up to 7K. A month ago I looked at a silver 02 for 7K. It was very , very nice. It did need a few minor things to be perfect. The dealer wasn't getting any action at 7K I told him I thought it was a 5K car. I noticed that he lowered it to 5700 and it disappeared
a couple of days later. I ended up buying a driver XJR which has a very nice interior, new tires, no dents, looks great from 20 feet but is starting to show some ghosting in the clearcoat. It also needs minor repair on the drivers seat base. I paid 2K for the car and I bought another XJR as a parts car for 850.

I think the XJR's are extremely under valued and the only way to bring value to them is to change the drivetrain so people aren't afraid to drive them and don't have to get a second mortgage to fix them when they break down. The computers are slightly clunky too. My Scion has 225K on it now and It has had a scan tool on it once in that time. It was a broken wire to a sensor. I carry a scan tool in both the XJR and the XK8. The only Jags that I see holding any value are the special ones. I test drove a 2006 XJR coupe Victory edition, (1 0f 1050) which is in museum condition with every option. The guy even sent the wheels back to BBS and had them factory renewed so they are as new, paint is flawless as is the interior.....He is asking 16,900 which is beyond cheap.....After I drove the Jag, he gave me a ride in his newly acquired 2011 Porsche mobile. He said after you ride in this you won't want to buy the Jag......HolyS..t that thing is quick !!!!.....0 - 100 around a sweeping corner in the XJR's 0 - 60 time....He paid 20K for the Porsche. His 2 cents was that people no longer want traditional Jag styling which is why I think the new Ftype looks Japaneese to me.....I drove one, ti was awesome but all I could think of is what it would cost to repair that computer nightmare !!!

 

It's because Jags aren't douchey enough for the younger generation and they belong in grandpa's garage (concerning x308s).

 

They made a lot of them .. no different then the "S" class or the "7" series .. old luxury sedans at 15 years .. no value.

Ford's one mistake was not increasing the warranty when the x300 came out .. that did the 4/50 with some clients -- should have done an 80k warranty. Jaguar was the leader when they introduced CPO vehicles to firm up 3-4 year values -- but they did not change the dialogue ... the Korean manufacturers understood the need to make an overwhelming statement in the face of overwhelming negative publicity. People still think Jaguars are problematic .. the Korean manufactures have no baggage remaining.

 

I agree with what most said. But M'5 of our generation are also fickle. Are also expensive to fix but a good example can be 35 grand! I also think that the issues that Jaguar had, have been fading in peoples memories since the new crop of their boring cars were introduced a few years ago (excluding the F). My son, who is 18, and his friends have no idea about the quality issues of the XJR. They think its a really cool car. And most people think its worth much more. Its usually the people that are not interested to buy it think its worth much more! Mine stays in Florida now and gets driven only a few thousand miles per year. I have someone start it once a month. Yesterday, he asked me, how much is a car like that? This guy is in his 30's. He was shocked when I told him. Over the years I have replaced much. I also do oil changes every 6 months. After all the issues are worked out, the later models tend to hold up well. Excluding the drivers seats. The reason the Mercedes' interiors usually look better, and BMW's, is that they did not always use leather. Which would have been a sin on a Jag but acceptable with The Germans. Labor tends to be expensive on these cars because most things are hard to get to (location where Jag put mechanicals in the car). Its very compact. But in my opinion, its a pretty car than the two that followed. Bottom line is, I wont sell mine, because, as you all think too, its a huge bang for the buck. It has depreciated as much as it will. Having many choices in cars (as I am sure many of you do too), I am still fine pulling up to any restaurant with my old Jag whether its Boca Raton or the Hamptons. It still stands out next to all the new Maserati's, S550 and 7 series. By the way, the XJS has seen appreciation in the last year. Convertible's are in the $20,000.00 range. These cars were considered junk for years. And now have doubled in the last year. The dealer by me said he has seen much interest in the XJS'. Maybe because only the good ones are left? As those prices rise, more of them get restorations.

 

One car that makes our Jaguars seem like Chevys (in the repair dept.) is the series 2 Discovery. I also have one of those. Its in good shape. About to hit 100,000 miles. But in the shop often. I always thought this car would have followed the Defender, and the G wagon in values. Never did. Also because of its iconic shape, I will keep it. Keep fixing it. Something special about this truck as is the Jaguar too. This is why we keep them. We do the repairs, and think, we are done. Until the next thing breaks. Maybe we are all a little bit crazy, but we love our cars (and trucks)!

 

I had a 2003 Range Rover .. next to my 1993 W140 MB .. most problematic car I have ever owned. My mother gave me her 92 XJ6 when I was in college and hating the XJ40, I bought a W126MB in the late 80's ... when I think how great that car was and how bad the W140 was -- unbelievable they came form the same place. I bought one of the first X300 VDB's that came to the states and never missed the W140. I had two Jeep GC's in the 90's and figured I would "upgrade" to the RR .. mistake ... glad a leased it ... bought a Cayenne S.

I have a 1992 Defender D in Africa -- green naturally. It always needs something .. but unstoppable.

 

With Jaguars: Past Truths and Perception.

Plus mid level luxury cars like MB, BMW, Audi, Jaguar, etc; they depreciate HARD.

 

Man you people have a lot of cars, lol

Agreed that my '02 vdp still stands out in the Hamptons and on 5th Avenue, despite being a "city car" (New York kicks the *carp* out of a car's body work) and parallel parked between Maybachs, Cadillacs, Benz'os and other ubiquitous luxo vehicles.

My favorite moments are always when the dudes in the factory-new Japanese compact cars (Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, etc.) assume my amply chrome+wood laden vdp jag must be worth a fortune and ask how much, then I get to drop the bomb and say you could've bought 5 of these jags for the price of your plastic boring new Maxima/Camry/Accord - haha!

 

Fear not, looking at the kbb value of the xj8 and xjr and I'd say that they are at the bottom of the depreciation curve. Expect prices to level up and maybe rise in the coming years.
Who knows in 15 years people may appreciate it as much with their checkbooks as they do with their eyes.

 

I agree with you vdpnyc. Newer cars are mostly boring and it looks like nothing between you and the road with all this thin metal and plastic everywhere. Besides Jaguars unreliable shady past that ended in 94' with the XJ40, the newer generations look at everything as being disposable. So with this being said, there's no way the value of these wonderful cars can't get any higher because of mass production and the newer generations. I always heard old people say "they don't make them like they used too." and I always believed them. Now, only a select group of people care.

 

I wouldn't say they made "a lot" of them..
From wiki only 125,000 X308's of all variants where produced over the 6 years of production. Most of which were XJ8.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_XJ_(X308)

 

Nikasil liners, plastic timing tensioners, bad water pumps and crap thermostat housings, suspect differentials plus the X-type were all after 1994.

 

I believe with what most said, but post 1994 to 2003, many cars that were produced were not really made well. Porsches, up to 2005 (the 996's, and the 993's), were not made well. Numerous problems, including engine issues. American cars including caddy, not well made. BMW', numerous issues. Ferrari too. The list goes on. It was a common time to really end up with a sub par car. It was the beginning of many electronics that were in its infantile stages. Experimenting with different metals. They all had many issues. But, the ones that survived, and have had all the issues worked through, are the ones that usually do well in the long run. Our cars now, 15-20 years old, have been maintained. It gets down to the classic look. That classic look of our cars do not resemble anything else on the road. Similar to Ferrari, RR, and Bentley. Also, I had to do the radiator hoses on my Series 2 Discovery. Land Rover is now making all of the OEM parts for these older cars similar standards as their new cars. The hoses and clamps are what you would expect from Land Rover. Probably Jaguar is doing the same. Parts are plentiful, which should also add to some value, if the next generation finds these cars attractive. As far as how many XJR's were made per year, I was under the impression that only 2,000 were made per year. That too should help to boost the value?? I also think that if Jaguar goes retro with the new xj8/XJR, this will also help boost the value. If the new one sells well.

 

FORD threw money at Jaguar. They spent an untold fortune on the XJ redesign ... bringing out the 1995 X300 ... in early 1994. By all accounts a year late to get it "right". The quality of the X300 was evident -- my 1995 VDB's interior was much nicer vs the the later X308 cars ... nicest interior of any car I have ever owned ... Including my 109 MB. The trim work, paint,leather, carpets etc all very high quality ... The V8 was late .. they did come out with a SC 6 later in production .. the cars needed more power to compete.

As I said they were one of the first .. if not the first with the CPO ... they had it by 1996. The x300 and x308's are just good cars .. the early V8's had issues. I don't see the tensioners being any different vs MB having chain/ sprocket issues -- or Porsche have IMS issues.

Garners: I had a 993 (1995) and I lost my 996tt (2001) in a fire a few years ago -- Porsche always had .. so so interiors ... and like every german car .. a few quarks. My 996 was rock solid -- unbelievable car ... and currently IMO an unbelievable value. I also liked the t's and later 996 headlights .. but I'm in the minority.

 

Garners: I had a 993 (1995) and I lost my 996tt (2001) in a fire a few years ago -- Porsche always had .. so so interiors ... and like every german car .. a few quarks. My 996 was rock solid -- unbelievable car ... and currently IMO an unbelievable value. I also liked the t's and later 996 headlights .. but I'm in the minority.[/QUOTE]

I had a 993 S coupe, 996 and a 997 C2S. The 993 was from a different era even when it was new. It was way behind in comforts and interior (only Celsius, no Fahrenheit) quality than any other car from any other manufacturer. I did like the 993 (use to track it). The 996, was plain wrong from day 1. The back bumper. The front head lights etc. Having said that, yes, the 996 is a great bang for your buck today. If I was to get a 996 again (not likely), it would only be the c4S or the turbo. Those seem to be getting a premium for the good ones. For Jaguar, the 6 cylinder needed to be changed asap to compete with BMW and Mercedes. A luxury car without a V8!! That's where Ford did what was needed. I'm in the camp of thank God for Ford. They were the savior. After Ford sold it to Tata, the new owners got stuck with designs (boring) in the pipeline and had to continue. Now that the XJ is almost done, and the XK is done, lets see what they come up with. If its boring again, then, it wont matter. They are hoping for money to come in from the XE. The XJ, if boring, will die off. I would love to see the 300/308, made into a modern interpretation today. The lines and curves are still sexy after all these years. The only reason anyone buys the new XJ is that's its $500 less than a S550. And yet a comparable car(?). If its the same price (lease), no one will buy the XJ. I do love the interior. But the exterior?? Not so nice. I do have faith in the company today. They need a luxury car to go with the F type. Unless I am reading it all wrong, and they are just going to depend on the XE and the Crossover for revenues. Lets hope the XJ survives and looks like an "XJ"! That will boost demand for ours.

 

The sedan market is getting smaller and smaller ... BMW's 7 is way behind the S class in sales .. and they are the competition ... MB owns that market. Jaguar has a difficult road ---- Jaguars always sold on style. The x300 was manipulated as much as possible to increase usable space in both the cabin and trunk .. but it was still too small ... as were previous examples vs the big Benz to compete with the whole market. People did not buy a Jaguar for practical reasons.

While I agree that the early 996 had some foolish boxer similarities -- they fixed it with the 2001tt and later 2002 996's. My turbo was a fantastic car -- the new versions have become too big. The 996 targa IMO is very good looking.

 

Couldn't agree with you more as for the Jaguar. When i bought my first XJ8-L in 1998, I didn't care about those things. But everyone who sat in my back seat and their head hit the roof did. Or when I really needed a trunk.

As for the 996. I think its subjective. I just thought my 997 was far superior and a leap forward than the 996, from the cut of the back bumper, to accent the rear to the interior. And the front lights! But, like I said, the turbo was different. As was the C4S.