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The Dr. across the street from me has a 90 XJ-6, which he drives all he can in the winter. But he also has a Chevy Impala to drive when the Jag's in the shop, and in the summer because the British A/C isn't up to the task here in the southwest.
i'm the mom whose hubby got her a tahoe instead of another jag....
so i've been in the tahoe for a few months now. i do love the roominess of it (looks much less cluttered than my old xj6, always full of boy stuff) but i still experience "car shock" on a frequent basis. and i'm always at the gas station.
i was standing outside a local restaurant the other night w/some girlfriends. i asked what the one was driving that eve (she has several choices); it was the bmw convertible. she said she still looks for my black jag at school, restaurants, parties etc. my next buddy then says, as the tahoe pulls up, "this is so not you. we really miss your jag!" no kidding, girls!
my husband is taking a beating on this as people often ask me, in his presence, how i like my new vehicle. i just cannot lie on this one!! and, to add to my distress, my 5 year old son points out every jag he sees on the road!! and there's lots of jags here in so. fla.- at school, in the neighborhood, etc.
if i'd have been thinking clearer, i'd have gotten a suburban that hubby could taken after a few years when his old one dies. then i could've begged and pleaded for another jag.
i see lots of the new '04s on the road. are people happy w/this car? looks like a ford to me. (wonder why?) and it seems like it's a bit of trouble to get body repairs on the aluminum...
best to all- heidi in so. fla.
Any suggestions on the 00-01 XJR anyone? I intend to purchase one with low miles, extend the factory warranty and I have a spare "Chevy" to drive when the Jag is in the shop. I did get pretty spoiled by the Infiniti and their incredible service Dept. I hope the Jag dealer is as good.
I'll keep the Chevy, you never know when it might come in handy.
How does the 2004 XJ8 drive in snow? We live in the Chicago area where a few inches of snow is possible a few times a year. We are considering this car for my wife and need to make sure that the new XJ8 will do ok in snow.
Thanks for your help
The '04 XJR is fast, but not scary, unless you take off the traction control and try to push it in wet or slippery conditions. I find the car very tame and lovely at normal city driving.
Of course, the XJR gets fast and gnarly when you push it, but it is very smooth and driveable in day to day driving....Better yet, I am averaging about 18 mpg in my XJR....I find that pretty incredible for a car with this HP. My 2002 Q45 with its lower HP V-8 got about 16.5 average MPG. The Jag's light weight and tranny give it great economy.
By the way, the alum body seems to actually be a bit tougher than my other steel bodied cars with respect to door dings, etc......I say that after watching a lady in an old car thump mine the other day...I could not find a mark!
With respect to the phone, I do not have the Jaguar phone, but my father does have an '04 XJ8 with the phone. He is not satisfied with the sound quality...but he is also 80 years old....so I offer that feedback with qualifier.
I have several questions
1. Will this car appreciate?
2. How much of a headache is this car to maintain?
3. Is it reliable?
4. Are there any problems/quirks with this particular year?
Thanks for any advice you can throw my way.
2) A big headache.
3) Sort of, it will leak like the Exxon Valdez
4) Electrical Gremlins - Air Conditioner stuff.
I am looking into trading in my car for a 1997-1999 Jaguar XJ. I have heard from several people that Jags aren't the most reliable cars in terms of their engines/mechanics. Can anyone offer some advice on this? Does anyone know where I can fnd out what specific problems to watch for in these years that I am looking at? Perhaps someone has advice in terms of which of these years would be my best best in terms of affordability and reliability.
Thanks!
now has 49,000 miles repair history:
Oil leaks from left and right side of engine(six trips to Dealer to get repair done)
Part load breather cleaned and replace
Driver side power seat switch replaced
Tilt motor replaced in Steering Wheel
Wood trim on dash glued back in place
Upper radiator hose replaced
Rear door lock replaced
Trunk lock replaced
Well you get the idea
Also, to the other poster; Ford had nothing to do with the design or construction of the XJ8. There is some platform sharing on the X-type and S-type; but not on the big Jag.
Have I been lucky? Maybe, but my mother's 2000 LS V8 has over 70K on it and has been as solid as a vault. I just dumped an E Class with 79K because after 60K it started falling apart. 67K Mass air sensor and front brake rotors, $1500. 69K front main seal blows leaving large puddle of oil in garage of new house. Another $500. If a Honda or Acura started blowing oil out of the front main seal at 69K miles, Mr. Honda would roll over in his grave. First and last Benz, my little 96 BMW Z3 has been a very solid piece, so I am not anti-German.
Which is why I'm here, having lurked and read BrentwoodVolvo for years, Looking at a slightly used XJ8L or doing A-Plan on a new one to replace the E Crap,,er Class. The newer Jags seem to be doing much better from what I have read here, if you want to read about English quality problems go over to the Range Rover board. The Jag's are in great shape comparably speaking. Anyone done an A-plan purchase outside of Ford's core brands (Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar)? Just curious as to how receptive these dealers are to employee purchases, and if is the same no-hassle process as Lincoln has been.
Thanks for the info over the years.
I'm lurking around here because should I go back to a sedan in 06, I'd consider an XJ strongly.
Does anyone have any thoughts on the price? Did Jag use an effective traction control in '98? This is of concern because we live up a steep driveway in New England. Or given where we live and the quickly depreciating X Series, should we just pop for a used X Series with AWD to satisfy her Jag craving, yet still ensure foul weather capability? I've read the preceding posts and frankly wouldn't feel too bad if we had to replace some belts, hoses, and had to throw say, $500 in AC work into it in May and maybe some brake work come summer.
(If anyone is still laboring under the impresion that a big Jag is a money pit, check out the posts on the MB E Class and the BMW 7 Series Boards. Those manufacturers WILL separate the gullible Americans from their money.)
Thanks.
at a Dealer $500 is not going to go far, I would check out your local independents repair facilities.
In large part due to this board, I've chosen to purchase a '98 XJ8 over the similarly priced same-year BMW 740i and Audi A8. Both are fantastic cars but lack the sex appeal of the Jag. And I'm now assured the Jag will be as reliable. (The last-generation 740 and A8 are both reliable cars. I've owned the former.)
I bought my Anthracite/Charcoal SWB privately from its second owner for $17.3K with 49K on the clock. It has premium sound, all records, a recent tune-up, and is in near-showroom condition. The water pump/thermostat, one of this model's few weaknesses, has been replaced.
Both the car's previous owners were rather obsessive about taking care of it, and the seller "selected" me out of a number of contenders because he thought I'd give it the best home.
(I don't think this is BS! : ) San Francisco Bay Area forum members may have seen this car advertised in the Chronicle last week. I've been shopping intensively and at $17.3K this unit compares well with similar models on the lots in the mid-20s (no warranty) and privately offered units in the low twenties. Five minutes into the test drive I was asking the seller when I could take delivery at his asking price.)
My advice to prospective buyers like Blockislandguy would be to buy privately! (Block: Why didn't you buy your wife's friend's XJ from her directly? You'd have saved thousands for both yourself and your wife's friend, who could have negotiated a cash price for her 530i.)
Buy a scrupulously maintained Jaguar from somebody who loves their car and has all the records. In other words, from somebody like us! Maintain it correctly and drive it like a Jag is meant to be driven: hard. (After thorough warm-up, of course.) If you do, you won't have to waste money on third-party warranty plans or other pitfalls for the insecure. You'll have a mostly-reliable and always-wonderful car.
And to those wondering whether to get a 2004: I compared the X308 and X350 yesterday at a dealer's lot, side by side. BIG DIFFERENCE! The X350 is substantially larger than the SWB in every dimension. It looks a bit bloated in comparison, and its lines are less defined. It's like your friend the runner who you haven't seen in a few years, and who has quit running and gained 20 pounds.
I'm 5'10", 160 lb and rarely take back-seat passengers, so the '98 SWB is just right for me. And it LOOKS so "just right." Lithe and graceful, perfectly proportioned, and yes, feline. (Comparatively, the LWB looks a bit taxi-like IMHO.)
Speaking of weight, we Jaguar owners seem to have become the guinea pigs of Ford's "Let's try aluminum and see how it goes" experiment. I'd be VERY leery of owning an all-aluminum car, for reasons Jagboy described so eloquently in #1750. The weight saving is nothing special, maybe 200 pounds. The original steel X308 was already the lightest car in its class. Don't get me wrong, I love the technology. But I think it will come back to bite the X350's resale. Just ask anybody who's trying to sell an Audi A8 on the used market.
The silver lining of the aluminum issue is that X308s should hold their value better than anticipated. Much as I'd love an X308 XJR, if I'd bought one I'd almost feel guilty driving it, knowing what a collector's item a low-mile unit will be in the future. But of course, that kind of thinking is okay for investment bankers, but not Felophiles!
Drive fast!
I love the SWB but envy the VDP's wood wheel, wood shift knob and more opulent leather.
Would it be unspeakably tacky if I installed a VDP steering wheel and shift knob on my "base" XJ8, and upgraded much of the car's existing vinyl to leather using the services of an auto interior customizer?
If such as thing is permissible, where would I have the best chance of finding the necessary components? For the steering wheel installation I'm assuming the dealer is the only way to go?
Thank you in advance for your kind advice.
If you could assemble all the available elements of the X308 series (wheelbase, interior and exterior trim, engine tuning and so on), what would your new model consist of?
My ideal XJ8 would be thus: SWB, supercharger at lower pressure than XJR, giving 340 hp; 17" wheels from the VDP V8, suspension tuned closer to base-model comfort rather than XJR firmness, base-model interior except wood VDP wheel and shifter (no boxwood or little trays!), and no vinyl, all leather. No black-out trim either, stay with the gorgeous stock chrome. Dark colors only. Updgraded stereo included. Model name: XJ Executive. Price point $10K above base model.
Over to you . . . . ?
crowd plus a Select Edition car will have an extended warranty. So do you want to step away from the crowd
That's not like a Lexus, but it's tolerable to me, and a worthy trade off for the fun of driving the Jag.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Is the 2001 XJ8 with 28K on the odometer, Select Edition, for $26-27 grand a good deal?
So ten miles into ownership, of course, the check engine light comes on, and there's an intermittent "reduced performance" indication light. Engine seemed to be performing ok, though. Took her in this morning to a shade tree mechanic with a computer to hook the engine up to, and he gets these codes:
P0171 System too lean, bank 1
P0174 System too lean, bank 2
P0335 Crankshaft position sensor fault
He didn't have time to mess with any of this now; I reckon I'll be leaving it with him for the week we're off on spring break. Meanwhile, does anyone recognize the most common causes/fixes for these fault codes?
Mucho obligado,
Eric
- John in San Francisco, '98 XJ8
:-)
If anyone's experienced these fault codes and can decribe their causes and fixes, please post. Where's that great brentwoodvolvo guy gone off to? Let's work this forum!
It has been cold recently, but I don't know if that's a factor. Several times, I start my car and try to shift out of Park into Reverse or Drive, and the lever fails to unlock when I step on the brake pedal.
This is most annoying... I have a service appt, but not for another week.
Thanks for any advice!
Eman5:
Since you bought an older car and it doesn't sound like the previous owner was very good about having regular service performed on it, you might want to dump a can of BG-44K into your gas tank. That will clean your injector system and might help improve performance a bit. Your Jaguar dealer will use the same stuff, only charge you much more than the $25 retail price for it. You can get it at most auto supply places.