Taking possession of a red, '05 S-Type 4.2 VDP with 71,000 miles on the clock - a two-owner car - in a couple of weeks. It'll be my first Jaguar after having some fun with Alfas the past 5 or 6 years. I'm buying this one pretty much sight unseen but it's got a clean CarFax and the seller seems a guy who knows his way around cars. When I get it back to Seattle the plan is to take it to our local Jaguar guru known as "Jag John" for a run through.

This is going to serve as my daily driver.



Any reason I should expect more problems with this car than my buddies do with their BMWs? :-)

I realize maintenance can be on the pricier side but from my reading these cars seem pretty solid and reliable with a typical bunch of problems that crop up and must be fixed. Looks beautiful, has power, and should be a comfy ride to work 3 days/week.

 

Congrats on your new baby! I've got an '02 V6 coming up on 350k miles and am amazed at the reliability.

In my over-inflated opinion, you may encounter a few issues related to the low usage on your garage queen. Not show-stopper stuff, but stuff to keep in mind. For example, my car's suspension is getting pretty tired from the high miles and all those Portland potholes, but inactivity can be just as rough as rubber bushings dry out.

Brakes are another area that come to mind. With daily usage, pads obviously wear out but seals tend to last a long time. But with limited use, corrosion can set in where the seals ride and cause leaks.

I guess what I'm trying to convey is that low mileage cars aren't necessarily trouble free. I work in commercial aviation maintenance and the planes that were recently put in long-term storage have been giving us fits now that they are back in service. Things like fluid leaks, failing pumps, etc. Meanwhile, the planes that had remained in daily service are much more reliable.

2003+ models are VERY finicky about battery condition. Unless recently replaced with a quality brand, I'd suggest planning on a new battery sooner than later:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...attery-193787/

The climate control system has a known weak spot, the Dual Climate Control Valve (DCCV). Post #2 in this troubleshooting guide has details on how to easily test it:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ol-how-185002/

 

The 4.2 was a very reliable engine with no issues. If the car's received lots of love I would expect you'd have little to worry about.
The regular maintenance things to look out for are well documented in this great forum.
For me, the supercharged 4.2's alloy thermostat housing should've been fitted in the NA 4.2's but not that big a deal.
I've found the less owners a car has the less *******ised.
That's a beautiful looking car in red with the touches of chrome. As stylish if not more stylish than most Alfa's of the same period and many beyond.
It's replacement, the XF just never quite cut it in style. The current XF's interior is not bad (aside of it's gear shift which looks like an unsightly large pimple). The exterior has some pleasing elements but still just too anonymous looking. And as for the engine choices? Just laughable, unless you like the looks of a sewing machine..
Enjoy!

 

That is a beautiful JAG-U-AR. I'm looking for one as well and have identified a couple of 3.0's. Would prefer a V8 4.2 but the 3's seem really nice. One in blue and one in black. These tend to be old people cars so are driven carefully and well maintained. Prices are quite low right now even in these crazy times, as no one wants these cars, even well maintained models. Test drives show them to be very stable, excellent handling, and very quiet.

Hopefully this will be a great ride for you.

 

+1 on the advice given above.

If it hasn't been done recently, replace the water outlet and thermostat as the plastic parts can only withstand a finite number of cold to hot to cold cycles before failing. Refill the system with DEXCOOL.

Another cooling system area to pay attention to is the EGR valve feed hoses. The one going under the inlet manifold can fail leaving you stranded, or can cause the engine to overheat.