Well, the green 2004 3.0 sold before I could get my hands on it. So I'm still debating on the Red 2003 2.5. This is the little old lady's creampuff. But I'm very hesitant due to the transfer-case issues I've read about in the 02-03 models. I don't want to buy a car with just 21,000 miles on the clock that is going to break down shortly after I buy it.

The carfax shows that it has had only one owner and received all regular maintenance. Are my hesitations justified? Or should I keep looking? The pics of this thing are BEAUTIFUL. I just don't want to walk into a money pit.

Specs:

2003 X-Type 2.5
21,000 miles
Red Exterior / Champagne Interior
One-owner
All regular maintenance performed by dealer

I'm scared. LOL.

 

By 25k miles there are not many visits for regular maintenance scheduled. :/

 

Nardoswiss, not exactly sure what is meant in your comment. Can you elaborate? Thanks!

 

I meant that most likely the car has been serviced 3 times by the 21k mileage. I assume there should not be much servicing history by that mileage
Anyway, never mind.

 

If you are looking for one without the viscous coupling in the transfer care make sure you get one with the DSC. You can tell because there will be a small button on the right side of the shifter area. If the car doesn't have that there will just be some coin slots. If you do not have the DSC you could easily get stuck in snow. There is a ton of info on that if you search on here, but essentially what it does is applies the brake to the spinning wheel. Works well enough, but like others have said, not as goos as the earlier cars. I have a 2005 and have the DSC. I live in Wisconsin and it does work quite well with proper tires ( I have Continental Super Conti DWS tires).

As for the NAV system, when I was searching for my car I thought I had to have that, but now that I have had the car for over four years I am almost glad I don't. System is kind of outdated now and if something happens to the screen or the system it is just a big pain to fix/replace. Nav apps on a smart phone are much better and simpler in my opinion. Just something to think about.

As for the rear headrests, yes, tehy do come out, but can sometimes be kind of hard to remove if you do it infrequently. Also, when you do remove them make sure you don't mistakenly try and put them in backward. If you do it is a royal pain to try and get back out.

Last advice I can give you when comparing cars is to research all the different option packages available on our cars. There are a lot of things you might think would be standard are not, like the DSC and heated seats. The more you know about that the better you can compare prices. Good luck with your search. There are a lot of cars out there and if you do your homework ahead of time you have a great chance to get a great car at a great price. These cars can be absolute steals if you buy the right one. Let us know what you end up with.

 

GO FOR THE "CREAMPUFF" !!!

The transfer case and tranny issues appear to be DIRECTLY RELATED to how hard the car was driven, from what I read here on the forum.

Unless the previous owner was 'The Little Old Lady from Pasadena' ("Go Granny, Go Granny, Go Granny Go!") this car will probably be the find of a lifetime.

On the other hand, if this is on a Used Car Dealer's lot, and he's the one that has given you the Little Old Lady story ("She only drove it to church on Sunday, and washed it twice when she got home!") I would run like hell, because that really means "This was a fleet rental car that has been driven like hell, and the reason for the low mileage is because it was always in the shop and/or the low miles are from an Ebay replacement odometer".

What's the asking price if I (we) may ask?

Ya gotta get the Jag, man. (Click the link!)

Really!

 

We bought our's in 2007 with roughly 50000 miles on it now has 82000. Case is original with original lube that is still clean and full. Car was a 4 year lease before we got it dealer serviced I have complete service record from the time it left the factory. I've had no major problems with it.

 

The more I read, the better I feel. Going up in a day or two to check it out. Would have done sooner, but I've been out of town for the holidays. Hope it's still there. Asking $11,885. I might offer $11,000 if I like it.

 

And, I don't believe I got a response on this...

If I want to put a nice Pioneer (or similar) Nav/Head unit in the car, can it be done? Or it is a big job to remove and replace the stock unit? Thanks all.

 

Is this the car? Cars for Sale: 2003 Jaguar X-Type in Blue Bell, PA 19422: Sedan Details - 335741621 - AutoTrader.com

Certainly looks to be in great shape.But if I was you I would offer maybe $9000 to start. Yes, it has very low low miles and was gently driven, but it is still a 10+ year old car and as you mentioned the early cars have a bad reputation for reliability which you could use in your favor. Although it looks in line with other cars listed this is still a private seller and not a dealer. Keep in mind that just because a car is listed at one price doesn't mean that is close to what it actually sells for. Not sure how long they have had the car listed, but they might just be ready to get rid of it if you have cash in hand. You can always come up from there.

As for the aftermarket head unit, others have done it on here. Just do some searching, but I believe it it not a simple plug and play. Some fabbing has to be done to make it fit.

 

Thanks Alfadude. That's the car. When I look at it, where should I pay special attention for leaks, rusts, or other known problem areas in X-Types?

 

The early cars seemed to be more prone to rust in the frame between the front wheel wells and the front doors. There is a lot of info on that here if you do a search. I haven't seen much discussion about that in years on here, so maybe it was more some very early production models. Mine is a 2005, but has been in the snow for a number of years and I just saw the underside a couple weeks ago and it looks great. Plus, if that car didn't see rain, let alone snow, I hardly think that would be an issue.

Start it when it is cold and see how it runs/ sounds. If it is already warmed up when you get there be a little skeptical. Check where the car is parked for any fluid spots. Oil pan gaskets are known to fail and to replace it is a big pain and be in the $700-$1000 range to fix at the dealer.

Make sure the water pump is not leaking. Even though it is low mileage it is still 10+ years old. Ask if the battery is original. If it is it could go at any moment and if it is not at peak efficiency you could start getting all kinds of weird codes. If it is below freezing out check out that there isn't a squeal coming from under the car at between 28-32 MPH. That is the propshaft bearing. Known to fail and could be $1000 at the dealer to replace. Also check if the rear tires are canted in at the top. That would be the lower control arms need to be replaced. If any lights are on get the codes read and report back here. Also, do a search on here about the fan control modules. Also a known issue in the early cars.

I know it sounds like a long list, but don't be dissuaded. Most of the issues can be sorted
out easily with the help of the people here. If you see something on the car that isn't perfect you can use that as additional leverage to get a better price. And it is never a bad idea to pay a shop you trust to inspect it before you buy. The best advice I can give you is surf on here as much as you can to inform yourself about these cars before you buy so you give yourself the best chance to get a good car at a good price. I have seen others buy a an X just because it was a Jag for a cheap price then had nothing but regrets/problems because they didn't do their homework up front.

 

Welp, I am now the proud new owner of a shiny red 2003 X-Type. The car is immaculate. Haven't taken delivery yet, but I left a deposit. Pix to follow.

 

Congratulations, do post photos when you've got it! Darker exterior (at least darker than mine) goes nicely with light interior.

 

Here it is as it looked today, the day of purchase, still in sellers driveway. I haven't gotten it home yet. Once I do, it'll get a full detailing job.



Only minor issues I noticed were:

Passenger side sunvisor mirror lid doesn't stay up. Have to hold it in place to keep the light on.

Minor vibration in car at speeds above 55mph. Didn't feel like steering or brakes. Possibly something in the rear end or tires? Will test to see if it continues when in neutral at same speeds. Thoughts?

Otherwise, not a scratch on her. More pics to follow once I get her home.

 

Kelly Blue Book is about $7600.00

 

Yes, gosh I totally agree. I was going to reply earlier that $11K seems awfully high. I understand it's not been driven much and is pristine, but man that seems a high asking price. You should have been able to find an '06 or later model year for that amount. I hope it works out for you, it does look cherry! Happy driving.

 

Interestingly I've owned several competing entry level lux cars since 1997 (when I got my first real job). I started with a BMW 323i and in 2001 got an Acura TL, followed by a Mercedes c280 4 Matic in 2004 and have had my X Type since 2007.

All in all, I feel the X Type is a pretty decent car - definitely the best design in and out (for me). The BMW had the hardest ride, the Mercedes had the smoothest engine and the Acura had the best fit and finish. The jag is also a tad more expensive to maintain - but very comparable overall to the others.

I have had my X Type since new and I have ridden in a poorly maintained one as well and the difference in ride quality is pretty significant.

I have the Premium audio and honestly it's the best system I've had in any of my cars. Also, it isn't any more plasticky than any of the other entry level sedans I've owned.

You have to maintain an X Type to get the benefits of driving a Jag. The S Type is easily my least favorite Jag - it truly rides like a Buick (unless you get the V8 or the Supercharged one), and also looks like one.

 

Hi Ryan

My 1st X-Type was a 2.0d Manual (revy thrashable/mistreatable thing it was) and loved it , so I was after the 3.0 AWD more powerfull variant but couldn't find a decent (good engine & interior & exterior) one after looking at so many ..too many. frustrated!, I went for the smart 2.2D S Premium Manual and haven't regretted it either.

I hope this helps & good luck in your search/quest.

Cheers
Joe

 

Yes, with the options it has, it comes in at kbb around $7,900 for private sale. Retail has it listed at $9,300. That being said, I've been searching and test driving for some time. In the MD/PA/VA area, the only Jags you can find for 7 grand have had three owners and are beaten to hell, with 80k+ miles on them. I drove a few Jags priced higher than this that were in laughably poor condition. I guess people are charging for the name.

I've owned enough used vehicles in my day to know that I really hate dealing with the consequences of abusive previous owners, so jumped on this one. Fingers crossed, I really hope it turns out to be a smart buy. And its still less than a third of the cost of my previous vehicle, so I'm happy about that.

I definitely appreciate the feedback, though, as I am learning as I go here. Now, to find a correct tag holder for the front bumper...