I'm in the market for a used car and I'm seriously considering a Jaguar. I was originally looking at XJ's - have always loved the elegant lines and luxury look, feel, and ride, but now I'm leaning toward the smaller X-Type (at least it still has the cat on the hood!). I'm looking at a number of 2.5 & 3.0's and finding a lot of 2002-2003's in my price range with 75,000-85,000 miles.

Of course, just about anyone I mention this to tells me the maintenance and repair costs will kill me, but none of them have owned a Jag. I have always tried to do whatever maintenance I can myself and I know how to research stuff like this online, but I think most work on a car like this would be over my head. I have a mechanic a few doors down who runs an auto repair business out of his 4 car garage. He works on a wide variety of cars and does excellent work at great rates, but he frowned on me buying a Jag and I'm not sure if he would work on one. I noticed in other threads that the X-Type shares parts with the Lincoln LS, so if they had a lot in common he might be willing to do some maintenance, and his prices are right. Also, my old boss used to be racing partners with the owner of Just Jags in Carmel, IN, so I know I could get work done there without getting ripped off.

I need to know what to look for and what are the common issues with X-Types. On the XJ8, I read about issues with the plastic timing chain tensioners - do X-Types have this issue as well?

 

Welcome Tim! These are about as dependable as any other modern Ford, so not bad. I've had almost no issues in nearly 2 years of ownership.

I did a search in Google for you with keywords "considering x-type" and scope of jaguarforums.com. It comes up quite a bit here:

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=considering+x-type+site:jaguarforums.com&pbx=1&oq=considering+x-type+site:jaguarforums.com

 

I've owned an X Type for almost 5 years now. My recommendations would be as follows:

1. When you buy a used car it is important to know of existing conditions. A car that has major issues will continue to have major issues.

2. The best place to service any Jaguar is at a good dealer. My local dealer has done an excellent job in keeping my X Type in tip top shape.

3. The fluids ALL should be replaced on a regular basis - oil, transmission, transfer case etc. My dealer does it all. Some they do on an annual basis, some every 2 years. The cost of all the fluid changes is around $400 a year or so.

4. After around 3 years I had to replace front and rear control arm bushings and lubricate the e-brake cable etc. I also did the brakes and other such stuff. I would estimate that the cost was around $1,000 or so for the all of it. If you're used car hasn't had some of these things done you'll probably end up paying for them.

In terms of reliability I have no issues with my X Type. I've owned an Acura TL and a Mercedes C280 4 matic in the past and I'd say the X Type's overall cost of maintenance is on par with those cars. In terms of driving and other factors, I'd have to say the C280 had a smoother revving engine, but the X Type is a more comfortable car and definitely look better. I used to have both in my garage and almost everyone ended up admiring the X. The TL had a very nice interior and the engine was very peppy....very similar to the X Type, but nothing special in the styling dept. The paint on the TL chipped very easily and the body was highly prone to dents and dings.

I'd also recommend getting an X with the upgraded stereo. The alpine audio is very good in my opinion.

 

I think the older Jags had a lot of issues. These days.... A used X Type is pretty good.

 

Thanks for the info, guys. Guess I wasn't using the right search terms. Been doing some reading and feel more confident about buying one of these. If I were to get an X-Type, I think I would like a 3.0 since there isn't much difference in the mpg. I would want an automatic for a car like this, so it was unfortunate to hear they aren't as reliable. I would want BRG, tan or silver. I see some listed as green or emerald - are all 'green' Jags actually BRG? I'm in Indy and when I look on usedcars.com etc.. I don't see many of these until I open it up to 250 mile radius, and then I find a ton of them in the Chicago area.

Would it be safe to say that a 2002 X-Type would most likely be more reliable/less expensive to maintain than a 2002 XJ8 ?

From a mechanic's viewpoint, how much does the X-Type have in common with the Lincoln LS and/or Ford Contour (Mondeo)?

 

My neighborhood garage owner did the same thing when I first showed up in mine to get the oil changed and have a rear hub replaced.

After working on it, now he likes it. (not as much as I do though )



The wife and I took her camping this weekend. My wife really wanted to take "her" Land Rover, but I talked her into being passenger in the Jag. Fully loaded with 4 coolers plus the rest of our camping supplies she rode like a dream, averaged 70+ MPH and 24 MPG.

Now she understands too.

 

If possible consider the latest year you can afford. There were alot of bugs in the younger models that they worked out as time went on. the 05 and up are the most reliable ones because of this.
Try for the 3.0. You might be happier with the increase in torque while passing. Plus, in my experience with cars the bigger the engine, the less mechanical problems. I believe it is because larger engines can move a car with less stress than smaller ones. Just a theory though.
check all the vaccum hoses. they are prone to crack. When they do they create codes and check engine lights that nobody can figure out why. Plus they always crack on the bottom where you can't see it. (murphy's law) Run your fingers down the hoses. A couple bucks worth of parts can save you $$$ in diagnosis.
Good luck! I love mine. Nicest care I've ever owned. And I've owned a heck of alot.

 

Actually there are two different colors of green. Traditional BRG and
Jaguar Racing Green. The Racing Green is emerald in shade and, I think, looks much better than BRG.

 

Go with a later model year if you can make it work in your budget. Otherwise, in my opinion, it's more of a gamble buying an '02 or '03. That's a generalization, but a little research will show that a lot of the problems brought up on this forum are from early model year cars. And, most of the guys on here are pretty talented mechanics, so they can save a bundle on repairs. If you're handy, then maybe an earlier year would be ok. Give and take, like with most things in life.

Good luck to you!

 

I just checked AutoTrader and there is a beautiful '08 Racing Green X-Type with Nav and 14K miles available in Orlando for $24K. A little price-y but with those options and low mileage "It could go all the way"...
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Jaguar: Grace, Pace, and Space - Sir William Lyons

 

My wife and I actually were given a x type 2002 for all that she has done for an n law with bucks. More than me anyhow!
We have had it for 8 months and have had the usual engine light on fixed by mechanic at $200 front brakes and module headlight replaced at cost of $1,400 that included all new rotors and oil change and inspection.
I consider this pretty much regular up keep for this car and better than a car payment!
It rides greay and my wife just loves the look and me too!
I budget about $200 a month for up keep and is a little a head but should be better I hope down the road!

 

Also, don't forget about the oil pan gasket on the older cars. Check to make sure it isn't leaking. It can be a cheap tricky repair at home or a mechanic's mortgage payment at the garage. Be especially curious and thorough when looking at cars that have set idle for months or longer. I have an 02 X 3.0 Sport that was sitting for almost a year and a half. Changed all of the fluids and greased the propshaft bearing, and it has run great. I've only had to fix a vacuum hose and a small coolant leak. I have driven it for a solid year now, including a trip to TX from IN, and I feel completely comfortable that it won't leave me stranded. BTW, you mentioned mileage too. I am getting 24-25 on the highway on a 3.0 auto trans. Good luck with your search. If you are semi-handy and prepared to maintain the car as it should be then don't let the naysayers sway you, especially the ones that give opinions based on hearsay.