With no mechanical skills or aptitude, you might get peace-of-mind by buying a certified car from a main agent, but obviously will pay top dollar, but it'll still be less than a new one. However, buying a car with the balance of warranty only, (about 18 months is it ?) may suit you if you're not driving 20k+ miles a year. I don't know what warranty Jaguar provide in the USA, it is 3 years here. Whatever, I'd want at least 12 months warranty. From what you say, length of warranty period may be more important than a mileage limit you're never going to get near to.

Other thing to think about is where are you going to get the car serviced ? If t here is a main agent near you, I'd have a look in there at least. FWIW I've just driven my X358 (previous model to the one you're thinking of), to Germany for holidays and did just under 3000 miles and similar last year. I had not worries and had done the same with my previous X350 since 2010. I've also, just this week, had service and new front brake discs and pads from the local main agent a mile up the road. They are proving very good so far.

 

Don, I pondered the same thing you are. Granted, I am more mechanically inclined and that shifted what I ended up going with. Like others have said, paying for the added warrantee may not make the most financial sense, but if you sleep better at night, it may be worth it. The other thing that I would suggest is that you figure out what your cost would be with and without the warrantee. Figure out that difference and then pay the higher amount, but put the extra into a savings account for when something fails. Then you can get a little return on it too should you not need it.

In my case, I have a 2012 car that I bought 3 years old, just before it was getting off of the factory warrantee. In the 55K miles I have put on the car, I have only had to replace the tires (not covered), brakes (not covered), and a water pump (this would be covered). I was able to do the work myself for around $500. You go to the dealership, that would have been a $2000 or so repair bill. Granted, had I not been on top of the coolant leak, it could have easily turned into a blown motor and a $30K repair bill. I don't see you being that rough on a car like this. Granted, you are fortunate in that there are a few members here that run their own shops here that are in your neck of the woods. So, you wouldn't have to go to the dealership for repairs and they should be able to save you a few dollars for any maintenance that you need.

 

If you are not mechanically inclined in the least, spend the extra money and go with a CPO car. Repairs on these cars can quickly escalate into the tens of thousands of dollars and, while a lot of people here have had really good luck with theirs, that isn't always the case. If you look at my signature below, you'll see that I'm a former owner. The above statement is the reason for that. I got tired of problems and when it stranded me out of town, I traded it on a new Cadillac in order to get home. So far as I'm concerned, there is no more luxurious or beautiful car on the road than a Jaguar XJL but I seriously doubt I'll ever buy another because I am not impressed with their reliability, regardless what others say. Buy the CPO and enjoy it with complete peace of mind. When you get close to the end of that warranty, trade the car in on another CPO or, better still, a brand new one. That is the ONLY way I'd go with another pre-owned Jaguar. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Dwayne

 

 

+1 on a CPO XJ, which is how I bought mine. It covered the water pump replacement, which is the only problem I've had in 4 years. I'm now out of warranty and decided to not buy an aftermarket extended service contract, as I drive my XJ under 6,000 miles per year and it's been very reliable. That insurance premium is in a savings account should I need to use it.

 

Before committing to an out of warranty used Jaguar, look into leasing a new one. If you don't drive a lot and can do a low mileage lease, you may be better off in the long run and turn the car in in 36 months for another one (or maybe not). In hindsight I wish I had done this but then again I only kept it for 2 years.

For me, the thought of being out of warranty on a car where a headlight is $2500 was too much. Also look into what your insurance is going to be for this car. State Farm wanted $1000 additional per year over a comparable other car for what reason I have no idea. I saved over $400/year in insurance premiums recently by trading in my '14 XJL for a brand new King Ranch F150. So call your insurance company first to get an idea of what your rates will be for an XJ.

If you go used, keep in mind these cars sit on dealer lots for a long, long, looonnnggggg time. So don't be afraid to seriously lowball them and walk away. There is a VERY small market for a used car that costs more than most new cars.

 

 

You ought to be able to find a 2016 right now for 39-45K. I bought a 2015 XJL RWD 6 months ago for 43K. Didn't get a bargain, but got the color and interior I wanted with 21,000 miles. You ought to be able to find a certified car for the same money.

 

DonJ,

Leave these cars to the people with mechanical abilities to work on them. I've have a 2011 XJ with only 55,000 babied miles on it, it's been nothing but problems. Both a local repair shop with a good reputation along with Jaguar of West Columbia have recommended that I scrap it due to all the electrical issues. I just got about 6 months and about 3,000 miles that I considered "borrowed time". It's acted up again this week and I suspect that this my be the end of the road. The car has no value, Jaguar of West Columbia would not offer me a single dollar for it even though it looks like it just rolled off the showroom.

They are beautiful cars and ride well, they are just not reliable.

 

I'd buy the car without the warranty and drive it until your factory warranty is almost expired and then buy the extended warranty from Jaguar. Its fully transferable and refundable (prorated against any unused portion obviously) and it buys you some time to make a decision. That's exactly what I did- and I chose to buy the extended warranty. It's been in twice under the extended warranty and it's nearly paid for itself and I've got another 2yrs or another 25k miles to go.

Just FYI, I paid 3,884 for my warranty from Jaguar of Austin, It's an additional 4yrs commencing at the time of purchase -OR- 75,000 total miles, whichever occurs first and my deductible is $250. Having owned 2 AMG cars over 6yrs and then Jag for ~3yrs it was a no-brainier for me.

Just some food for thought.

 

I garage my car. I noticed if I left it unlocked in the garage, I tended to get the battery low minder notice more often. So I started to always lock it even in the garage and now I never see that minder notice. Have had it parked for a couple of weeks and it started right up with no minder notice at all. It seems to shut down more of the electronics when you lock the vehicle.

 

alphanstein, you are correct. When you lock the car, it goes into "sleep mode". Where, if you simply shut the doors, more computers remain up and they are waiting for some sort of interaction. The more computers that are running, the more current draw you have from the battery (still a very small draw overall, but it is more).. hence why you see the battery minder message more often when not locking the car. I have just gotten into the habit of hitting the rear door handle button as I am walking away so I know the car is always locked.

 

 

If you mean for selling a used car as a CPO with extended warranty then yes. It has a 140 point inspection, I don't think they can Cpo a car with any prior body damage, brakes and tires have to be above a certain level
If you just mean an extended warranty then there are hundreds of choices and most are jus age / miles and will have varying terms on what they cover (or exclude), co-pays etc