well.... Just as title says. I like the bigger cars for room and i love the lwb. That being said what year and type of the xj series is the best? Good tensioners, good transmission, solid suspension, what is the best year for our cars? 98-2007 xj series or any year xj series.
Thank you!!

 

2003 xjr

 

X300's - and you don't have to stare at an S-Type dash all the time!

 

"Most reliable" or "Most trouble free"? Two different things

My XJR/6 has been utterly reliable. That is, I've never had to walk to work and it has never left me stranded by the side of the road in over 100k miles of use. However, it certainly hasn't been trouble-free. I've had a slew of various problems.

I can't comment on modern-ish Jags. If we're talking about X308-and-older, well, they're all getting old and age and mileage take a toll on any car. AFAIC on anything over 10 years old and 100k miles "reliability" and "trouble free" have much more to do with the care a car has received than any original design issues. The car has already stood the test of time, so to speak. Many of your problems and expenses will be related to repairs the previous owner elected not to do. As cars age and value drops the typical owner is increasingly more likely to do only the bare minimum required to keep the car on the road...leaving the next owner with weak-ish shocks, worn bushings, dirty fluids, repair of non-essential gizmos, and the like.

An exception to that might be the early V8s. If you happen to get an early V8 that hasn't had the updated engine parts then you're in for some expense that most certainly IS related to original design issues.

It's fair to say that all these models are durable. With care it seems like they'll soldier on darn near forever. Many owners report over 200k miles (or even more) and still running nicely. However, successfully accumulating tons of miles doesn't mean the car has been reliable or trouble-free. In some cases owners have spent quite a load of money getting there.

Um.....what was the question again?

Ramble switch turned "off"


Cheers
DD

 

I'm also with danielsand on this-2003 XJR...

 

the one you feel confident of fixing

 

96/97, 02/03, 04^< except air susp. Is a damn great car. Those are your yr for the past 12 yrs of xj's. The x350 has known issues mostly with air suspension. But tell me another real world 4 door big luxury car that actually does get 30-33mpg on the freeway

 

We all know that the most reliable Jaguar is our own model, or we'd have bought a different car

I found that you really can't beat a 2001 XJR

 

I have had 2 X308s, build dates 09/2001 and 04/02
both have been utterly reliable over a combined 30,000
miles (50,000km), save for a partial load breather failure
on the XJ Sport at 50k. (minor)

The XK8 was great, with only one issue, a coolant leak,
over 3 years and 15k miles
but the 4.2 has a lot of plastic cooling system parts. ($500
fix for that coolant leak) it was an 03. So, 4.0, 4.2, 4.0sc
have been great in my experience.

 

The in-line 6 in the X300 was perhaps one of the most reliable motors Jaguar built. I originally was looking at XJR-6 before getting a 2001 XJR but couldn't find a clean well maintained one.

 

My vote goes to the x300 series, 95-97 inline 6. 2nd would be a late x308 and third x350 series.

 

I have found several 01 xjr and 1 03xjr up here with 70k to 120k for around 9500 dollars. Gonna have a look : )

 

Would i be stupid to keep this car and strip it down and completely rebuild it like brand new for my wife? We are painters and body guys but if i DO it she will be like brand new showroom! And i would get the 03 xjr?

 

No you wouldn't be stupid do it! I did that with mine, worth it an 03 make's it easy.

 

Completely stripped down 03 XJR, with a new custom (but a stock color, nothing funky) paint (at least five coats of clear!), is my wet dream! Depending on the mileage, new shocks, springs, bushings, different (bigger) SC pulley, and that thing would outlive me.
If you go into it with a plan (and PATIENCE!), you will have a car to enjoy for many years.

 

I've got a 03 XJR... Rock solid. Only things going now are the rubber pieces after 146k in hot Florida weather.

 

02-03 are identical, I prefer the 02 if its an XJR 100

 

I am going to go with the x350,why? Because the previous xj 4.0 308 and xk 100 serious was horrible with timing chain issues,and electrical gremlins.The older 5 speed tranny was problematic with the modules....Also the throttle body was a heacheache from time to time.The x-type for me was not as mechanic friendly I should say, with the engine configuration, and if the battery dropped below threshold it could ruin your security set up and inition be permanently damaged.And dont forget the cv joints...The x350 for me was the Jaguar that really raised the bar during the early 2000's and onward for the BIG cat and the brand and was given many awards for reliability and came with a 100k mile powertrain.This was done at a time when Audi,BMW,and Merc only came with 3 year 60k or 45k mile factory warranties.The upper,and lower part of the 4.2 engine is solid,and I have 163k miles on mine and the valve covers are all orginal.No leaks,and yes I had to replace one shock,thats all.It has less moving parts than a x type,and gets great mpg.This is my 3rd JAGUAR,and I have owned two 7 series...and the Jag to me is a better car.We all have our picks,but the big cat really reestablished my confidence in the cat.

 

Like you said,....we all have our favorites. But,......02-03 X308 XJR is a SOLID car. No tranny issues (MBZ), no timing train issues, no VVTs, no air suspension (I am SICK of working on this on my W220!!). Guess it's just matter of preference, however ......X350 to ME looks less "Jaguar" than the older models, and I have no interest in it.

After fixing all the potential problems (never had ANY issues) with my 98, I am actually eyeballing an 87 XJ6 (low mileage cream puff), to have something to tinker with. My 98 doesn't need any tinkering, and I get bored.

 

I'll take that a step further and quote an old bumper sticker:
I MAY BE FAT, BUT YOU ARE UGLY AND I CAN DIET