How to Buy a Modern XJ
Even if you’re not in the XJ market, this Jaguar Forums thread is fun read that’s full of great advice from Jaguar fans.
If you’re looking for information on all things Jaguar, it goes without saying that Jaguar Forums is the place to go. Because regardless of how weird or unique your question might be? Some member has likely wrestled with it before. On that note, I recently stumbled across JaguarBarney’s post about purchasing a modern XJ, and just as you’d expect, the membership provided loads of great advice. For clarity, here’s his full question:
I’m starting the hunt for an XJ, and am considering all models, all years (with a preference for British Racing Green, wow that color looks great on this car).
I’m in the US, a Massachusetts resident and am casting a broad net, nationwide, in my search. Having not done this before, are there any hints or suggestions on shopping nationwide (avoid private party, certain dealers, etc.)? Can anyone recommend an inspection service, if I feel that’s necessary, given that most of these cars will be too distant for me to examine personally?
I love the idea of the 5.0 liter supercharged engine in the XJR. If any of you have one of these, do you use it as a daily driver and what would you say are the pros and cons?
Now, as someone who is constantly observing and commenting on cars I see in the wild, I immediately started pulling for JaguarBarney. Because the XJ is a relatively rare bird to begin with, and even when I lived in Los Angeles — where they’re more common than they are in Seattle — I can’t remember seeing one of these big cats in that most classic of all Jaguar colors.
Unfortunately, my instinct was confirmed by Baltobernie, who said “I agree that BRG is a spectacular color on the XJ, but it is rare. As you start your search, most of the cars you’ll see are white, black or silver.”
Along with plenty of comments about how irritating the stop-start feature can be, and the importance of getting a pre-purchase inspection is, I particularly liked a pearl of wisdom posted by Stuart S. In his comment, he highlighted some of CarFax’s terms of use, and said that while the service can’t be relied on to buy a car, “you can rely on CarFax to not buy a car.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m putting that nugget in my back pocket to drop on anyone putting too much stock in a clean report.
That said, one of the most comprehensive comments came from NvmyJag, who along with saying how “he couldn’t imagine anything less than having a supercharged V8,” listed some great pros and cons about models from 2016 and up:
2016 and up Pros:
The InControl allows you to use the app to remote start the car, which I use daily.
Traffic sign recognition (I use daily)
360 camera
Park Assist (I’ve never used, as I don’t have that much trust)
Rear traffic monitor (has saved me more than once)2016 and up Cons:
It’s long and takes some getting used to when parking.
When it rains camera gets blurry
I hate front heated window
Overall, even if you aren’t in the market for a modern XJ, this thread is a great read, as it highlights some of the things that Jaguar owners love and hate about their cars. So if you’re an XJ owner who wants to share your experience about the last Jaguar flagship with an internal-combustion engine, head over there and chime in!
Photos: Jaguar