Welcome ,I hope you would be happy with your X Type

Smileys ? No problem at all

 

Welcome to the forum. You did not mention what size motor you are looking at and if it is auto or manual. I have a 2002 2.5L premium in manual. Only problem I have had is the prop shaft (for all wheel drive system) whining in cold weather. Its about $1000 to replace maybe mor eor less depending on where you live. Im in Canada. The second issue you will see is that these cars tend to get foggy windows quite often. Especially in the winter. Part of this is the recirculation door becoming loose and staying in the closed position. This does not allow outside air to enter so your windows fog up. Those are the only 2 main issues i have had.

Over all I am pleased with my car but you need to understand you are buying an almost 8 year old car. Things will break and they are expensive to fix. Maybe spending a little more and buying a 2004 or newer x type? I dont see there being that big of a difference on price.

Hope this helps. Once again welcome to the forums.

 

Welcome to the forum.

Does the seller have a repair history of the vehicle? This is important to have with a 2002model, then you can tell if some major items have been replaced or not. You may even want to ask your local Jag dealer if they can look the car up in the system.

My opinion here - for a 2002 the car better be pretty spotless for that price. You might be able to find a newer one for about the same $, as mr. xtype suggested. And I'm not biased, as I have an 02 myself. Love the car, btw.

 

I agree with those here who advise you to look for a newer Jag for your 6 G's. If the 02 checks out with a reputable foriegn car mechanic or Jag dealer, offer em 5 G's firm, especially with over 90k on it. Like you, I too was excited with the prospects of owning a Jag...it has been one month since buying mine...today an 05 motor with 48k is being installed into my 02 3.0 "X" which had 65k. The mechanic called me today to inform me that he found evidence that it had been in an accident and someone had once fiddled with its machinery. Be careful, control your excitement...your "X" will come in. Hope you join us.

 

If you are not really a DIYer it's great advice as someone said (and cheap insurance) to pay to have a qualified mechanic check it out just to be sure. Could be things it might need or that could be missed during your inspection and test drive. If you seach around here it seems that the early models are prone to rust especially on the frame at the bottom of the A and B pillars. Definitely check for that or if it was repainted in those spots. If not repaired well could be a structural issue (again, plenty of info on teh site about that if you do some digging). It helps being able to see the underside when it's on a lift to see rust, evidence of leaks, damage or accidents that can't be seen when it's on the ground.
To have a better comfort level on the price make sure you are familiar with what options the car has on it. Are you looking at a more base level X with a 2.5 manual or a loaded to the gills VDP or Sport model? I have seen a number of Xs advertised as "sport", but they are not the Sport model. There were a number of things on these cars that were not standard (heated seat and moonroof come to mind). All that info is readily available if you take the time and search the internet.
Something else you might not usually check is the headlight alignment. Our cars have a design quirk where a plastic alignment piece has a tendency to break and to fix it is several hundred dollars. Again, info on that is here on the site.
Don't mean to scare you as these are great cars that can be purchased dirt cheap and in great condition. They are tough for dealers to sell, especially now that they aren't made anymore. I love mine, as does everyone else here. Have had it about 1 1/4 years and it's been bullet proof. I researched it here and other sites on the internet for months before buying and feel that patience paid off in that I got exactly what I wanted at a great price. Best single piece of advice I can give is spend a day surfing this site for anything you can think of. Chances are the info is here. Only you can decide if this is the one for you. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

if it was me i wood stick with the 2002-2003 5 speed ...you will not get stuck in the snow ...most of the problems at 100000 miles would mostly have been done ...for 6000 bucks you can put a snow plow on the front of your x and plow all your neighbors drive ways youll never get stuck lol....you must though change the the transfer case oil and put redline synthetic....









good luck with your choice

 

Main thing here is dont get excited. As another member mentioned 6K is a little on the higher side. Remember these cars are hard to sell so you should try to bargain quite a bit. If you are buying from a used car dealer then im sure they paid no more than 2500 for a trade in so keep that in mind as well. Also if this is your first jag you should take into conscideration the cost of maintenance both current and future. Parts are hard to get if you dont go to the dealer (well atleast in canada) most private mechanics dont have the training to service these cars properly. For piece of mind I would say get a newer x. Im sure you will get a better bang for your buck.

 

I'll jump in...Is $6K exciting you because it is within your budget or because you can get a car of this caliber for that price? If you can spend more, you may want to step up to '04 or newer. If you want the car specifically because the early AWD system was a bit truer AWD than the later model years, get it and take what extra you would have spent on a newer model and put that into your jag repair fund. At minimum, what you want to know on an '02 is has the tranny been replaced, prop shaft been updated and has it been subjected to salty road conditions that could contribute to the a-pillar rust.
Other than that it IS an eight year old car, with 95000 miles on it, for not much money.

Price opinion is going to depend a lot on where you are located as well. $6k may be a steep price in some States/areas but where Jags are a little more rare like, western Canada, folks are still getting $9K for decent mileage '02 2.5s, let alone 3.0 Sports.

 

I'd ask to see the maintenance records, which if he had the car when it was involved in an accident, would tell you what happened. If he hasn't had the car too long, I'd be leery. You can look at the tires to see if there's uneven wear...which might point to an issue with the accident. He should have the receipts for whatever work was done on the coolant system too. If you're still leery, back away and look for another one.

I'm not sure how much info you'd get out of Carfax...how much the accident cost to repair, etc.

I will say this, I've never had a car even close to as long as I've had the X-Type. I still love to drive the car and I've rung up 98K on the clock. (03 2.5L 5-spd)

 

Get it to a mechnic or body shop and have them take a look at the underside of the car, ask them to look at the frame and sub-structure for bent or damaged parts.

Look for areas of overspray on the edges of body panels to see if you can tell what has been replaced.

If the seller won't show you the repair paperwork, or let you have it inspected by a professional, turn around and walk away.

 

It take it by always saying "the seller" this is a private individual and not a dealer. In that case, just ask him about the coolant resivour. Could be that the old old was cracked. Happens often enough. He should also have a good explanation about the steering wheel being off center. I would think something like that you would want to have fixed before selling just because of what you siad: it raises a red flag. If he didn't bother to fix something as apparent as that while he owned it, what else did he let go?

I agree, if he had the accident while he owned the car he should have a list (or should be able to get one) of everything that was done to fix the car. If he says he doesn't, I know that would raise a red flag in my mind. He should also be able to tell you just what his definition of "minor" is. Please don't take this the wrong way, but don't be afraid to aak him very detailed questions and not accept half answers. Keep digging until you get an answer that you feel is complete and honest. Not necessarily a deal breaker if the car needs some work, afterall, what 8 year old car doesn't? Sounds like maybe you weren't agressive enough in your questions to him. Hell, it's $6000 of hard your earned money. Make sure you understand what you would be getting into buying that car

You are right to be leery. I'm not saying walk away yet, but at the very least, have it checked by a professional. Sounds like overall you really like the car. However, if there is ANY doubt in your mind if it is the right one for you, don't buy it. Wait until you find one that you don't have any doubts. Will just take a little more patience and a bit more searching. But it will pay off in the long run. There are plenty of nice ones out there. Let us know what you decide.

 

That sounds a bit pricey for an 02 with that many miles.