Hi!
I want to buy my 1st Jag,an 04 with a manual trans.
Currently have a few Subarus,including an 04 WRX.Also had
an STi and many other vehicles with standard trannys.So I'm
used to how they're supposed to work and feel.
Took an 04 Jag for a test drive last Friday,my first ride
in a Jag.It has about 70 K on it and sounds/rides fantastic!
Definately love it and want one!
BUT,the clutch just didn't feel like others I'm used
to.Seemed kind of soft,used to a more positive feel. I
believe that Jags have some kind of two stage
clutches,which other vehicles I've driven don't have.
Plus the cabin had an odd smell after the test drive.Not
real stong,but it has me wondering if the clutch might be a
on it's way out.
Priced a clutch kit on line and they're about $250,pretty
reasonable.But I've read that it takes about 16 hours to
change one! Plus I imagine I would have to use a real Jag
mechanic to do the work.That's going to be pricey!! The
mechanic I've used for years is great,builts motors for
dirt track cars for fun,but I doubt he'd want to tackle a
clutch in a Jag.

So I guess my question(s) really is(are)....do Jag
clutches 'feel' different than other vehicles? And if
not,should I keep on looking for another manual trans Jag?

 

Decided to pass on the one I test drove,my gut feeling was that it was going to be trouble sooner than later.


Still looking!

 

I don't think they feel a lot different that other cars. If anything I think they might engage pretty abruptly compared to some other cars, but you adjust to it pretty quick. If you have any doubts about the clutch I would pass. There are enough of them out there that you can find one you feel more confident in. The rare ones are the 3.0 liters, many more manual 2.5 liters. Mine has 135K on it and the clutch feels like new. You don't hear of many clutch issues on here. They seem pretty much bullet proof.

 

Surprisingly there aren't that many standard tranny Jags within a 250 mile radius of where I live.On-line I can find about 200 autos,but less than 5 standard ones! Either they're fairly scarce,or people just aren't getting rid of them.


BTW: another thing I didn't like about the Jag I test drove were the brake rotors. They are not supposed to have 1/8" deep rim around the outside edge,which these had.Seller tried to say that was because the car hadn't been driven all winter.Yea,right! Maybe they were there because the previous owner ran the pi** out of it and was heavy on the brakes! Another reason why the clutch was on it's way out!

 

Manual transmissions are rare with 3.0 liter cars because the auto transmission was standard equipment (the manual transmission was a no-cost option).

The clutch in my '02 2.5 liter doesn't feel much different than other cars I've owned. My brother claims the clutch pedal feels a lot heavier than his 2003 BMW 3-series.

My front brake rotors also have a pretty big ridge at the outer edge; they're just about shot at 44K miles. This is no big deal; new rotors are reasonably priced.