Hello,


I am considering buying a 2008-2010 Jaguar XF. I would appreciate a few pieces of advice of current owners regarding:

• Is any particular engine configuration (e.g. 2.7/3.0 diesel, 4.2L V8 petrol) considered more reliable? After all it's an old car, thus reliability is number one priority.
• Does one know if repair is considerably more expansive compared to a middle class SUV (e.g. LR Disco, Toyota Rav4, etc.)?
• Are there any serious known problems with the car that I as a new buyer should be aware of?
• How well would the car handle dirt roads?
• How well would the car handle snow/ice? Would it have problems handling 15-20 cm of snow?

If anyone can think of anything else worth mentioning, please do.


Thank you.

 

Not sure I'd call a 6-8 year old car 'old' but a search of the threads would yield lots of information about potential issues with those MY's. I can't comment on the snow/ice questions, but a RWD car with 300+ HP (in the V8 petrol) is not the ideal combination for inclement weather....

 

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate it.


You are quite right, I meant "used", not "old", as old is highly subjective.


Regarding car's handling in relatively bad weather, even though it is a high-powered RWD beast, I'd expect the vehicle to be aimed more at the luxury side rather than a pure race track performance, and therefore I'd think it would have a top-class TCS. I was inquiring more in the lines of how tracking control performs in this vehicle and whether its clearance is adequate when there's around 15-20 cm (6"-7") of snow.


Also, I am more comfortable with adequately powered cars with a sensitive gas pedal, than under-100 HP autos with crude gas control. Possibly that goes for anyone, don't know.


Ta.

 

Hi - on your question on costs for maintenance it will be in a totally different league than a Toyota RAV4. Even if you find a good indy mechanic with jag experience these are highly complex vehicles. And parts will be much much more than a Toyota. Think luxury / prestige cars - it will be on par with a BMW or Mercedes

As for snow, I agree with the above. High hp just to rear wheels is touch for snow traction. I live in the NE USA and drive mine in the winter incl in snow. But I put on snow tyres for the winter. And roads are usually mostly ploughed. Ground clearance would be fine. But despite the excellent computer controls if there isn't grip to be had there isn't a lot it can do about it..

If you're going to regularly drive in deep unploughed snow it may not be the right car. If it's occasional and you invest in snow tyres then it should be fine

 

Winter tyres are a must, certainly. There's usually a couple of months of snow here, but roads are often taken care of.


Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience.

 

Part of the cost will depend strongly on WHERE you are.

 

That concurs with my observations that Japanese parts, for example, are relatively affordable in California, (even compared to VW) while back in Europe they are considerably more expensive.


It would have been interesting to know though, how much a particular owner would spend for yearly repairs (thought that's just as subjective).


Thanks.

 

And depends on where.

You didn't say.

 

I meant the UK actually. I've always bought genuine parts from there for my LR. Thanks.

 

Where in the U.K. are you based? 6-7 inches of snow on the roads is pretty rare for the U.K.

 

Luxury cars such as a jag are MUCH cheaper in the UK than where most members on this site live (USA/Canada/Oz/...) so the economics are very different.

(I don't see RAV4 or disco being luxury cars.)

A DPF poses a huge risk for any car here.

The 4.2 is from the S-Type and known to be very reliable.

With salt etc and our car-unfriendly climate corrosion is a serious issue.

Statement of the obvious: if you're not going to DIY then any luxury brand is liable to be expensive. Doesn't matter whether new (depreciation) or used.

 

I live in New England and my XF was NOT good in snow. My XFR is actually horrible! 1/2" and it slips all over.....just too much rear wheel torque.

 

An XF/S-type (same platform) is going to be no better or no worse than any other comparable car from any other OEM.

My S-type was useless in snow on all season tires but acceptable with proper snow tires.

 

>The 4.2 is from the S-Type and known to be very reliable.

Yes, that engine is very stout. It has no specific failure items other than the coolant line under the supercharger (but not on the NA engines) and the fragile coolant fittings in front of the engine.

The only significant problem with the 4.2 cars that I'm aware of is the leaking differential.
==================================================
Jaguar: Grace, Pace, and Space - Sir William Lyons
2015 JCNA National Slalom Champion Class M
Current: '08 Jaguar S-Type 4.2 "Satin Edition" (250.06 whp / 259.67 torque)
Past: '05 X-Type 3.0/auto Jaguar Racing Green

 

We have a 2009 XF currently in the "family fleet", and with only 30,000 miles on the clock, I was quite disappointed that the fuel pump assembly had to be replaced, due to erratic fuel gauge operation.


With respect to snow performance, this car, as well as the 2000 Lincoln LS that we had prior, and was a bit of a cousin to the XF, handles reasonably well in snow, with a set of dedicated snow tires. I live in the "snow belt" of the eastern United States, and we've never had an issue with either car in snow. Is it as good as a "4-wheeler"? No, but if the only thing that's getting around, on a winter day, is a 4WDer, maybe you shouldn't be on the road.


Road salt, however, is the death knell for any car, and that's what helped spell the end for our beloved LS. Once rust gets into the rear quarters, it's just a matter of time.....

 

My local independent that services my X350 (XJ6 3 litre petrol), are complimentary about the XF, and say they are very good. And, no, they don't mean they are unreliable so they make shed-loads of money on them !

If you buy the 2.7 diesel, though, these can be a bit troublesome if you do lots of short journeys. The DPF can clog up, and has to be replaced, and also on the engine there are two turbochargers, plus two EGR valves. The EGR valves do clog up and whilst they can be cleaned out, it is actually cheaper to swap them out with new ones because the labour involved isn't much. Here is an eBay seller. Prices do vary a bit around that figure.

Left & Right EGR Valves for Jaguar XF 2.7 D (2008-2015) LR006995 + LR006994 | eBay