All, I have had my X351 XJL 5.0 for over 10 years. It is a 2013 model (that came off the line in Dec 2013!) and still has less than 50K miles. I have taken immaculate care of this thing and have loved it from the day I got it. I initially did all my servicing at the dealership, but eventually used the forum here to learn to deal with many or most issues myself as the cost no longer made sense. Over the past few years I have enjoyed learning to take care of this car myself. Just last month I rebuilt the vacuum pump (my mechanic wanted $750, I did it for $30!) and did the rear brakes and and did all the basic maintenence myself (oil/filters, etc). However, other issues have mounted up that have resulted in recurrent expensive repairs that make less and less sense for a car of its resell value. Since Jan I had to replace the motor mounts, fix an oil leak at the valve cap, replace the front tires... I feel like there is always something. As soon as I did this last bit of work, the headliner started to sag, which I did my best to repair without removing it from the car (actually it came out OK). I am worried that while I like this work, it's not great to always have to be working on it. I still need to replace my lower control arms, for example.

A few years ago, when the age of the car started to show, I thought about a new car. But I literally could not find another car I wanted more than my XJ. So I paid the astronomical repair bills (at the dealer) thinking this would make the issues go away (not worth breaking down the issues at the time, but basically replacing all the rubber parts in the suspension which had rotted). I was hoping the new electric XJ would come out, and all I needed to do was hold out until then.

Now?

I'm back to car shopping, and more seriously this time. A few things have forced my hand a bit:

1. There is no more XJ in the future, so that prospect is gone.
2. The current market for used cars has done a 180 from a few years ago- barely used cars can be had for next to nothing while still under factory warranty. I don't think this will last. For example, a few cars I drove in the last few weeks- A 2022 Maserati Ghibli Modena (424 hp twin turbo V6) with 16K miles (initial retail was ~100K) for under $40k. A 2022 Lucid Touring (600 hp) EV (initial MSRP of $110K) with 7K miles or less can be had for ~ $50k. I don't think this crazy depreciation can continue indefinitely.

I thought about getting the last version of the XJ- from 2019, but I think the only V8s made were 575, and these are not easy to find and a bit overpriced because of their rarity. The one thing that really pushed me to the XJ was the PERFECT blend of luxury and performance, as well as uniqueness and originality. I am drawn to the Maserati for the same reasons. Or maybe I'll jump on the EV train. I don't know.

Since you are all in likely a similar boat, I am wondering what other cars you would consider (if you were me?).

Or maybe I'll just never give up my XJ.

 

If you're considering the Italians, it might be worth shopping around for a lightly used Quattroporte GTS? A BMW 750i might also be a contender, it you're looking for more of a luxury barge.

A word of caution about the EVs - they might not like the Texas heat, and I'm not sure how much that will impact reported range/longevity/charge times, etc. With that said, I would also consider a Lucid Air variant.

 

thanks.

I actually started with the Quattroporte as i thought it was a more natural move from the XJL (same size even), but it didnt handle as well. It's far too heavy for the same engine as the Ghibli.

I'm pretty torn on what to do. I think if I get the EV I may keep the Jag anyway. But if I get the Maserati... harder to justify.

 

I'm in pretty much the same situation as you ,though I have a 2012 XJL. I absolutely love this car , it still gets one of the first parking places at the restaurants valet parking spots. i have had it maintained by the dealer, and am spending about a 1k per year on a repair as it ages; this year was the front sway bar bushings. I am not a
DIY so I carry the dollar burden myself. I still enjoy pulling up at an intersection with a car looking completely different from those on the other three corners. Until a
major issue like the tranny or engine goes, I will keep having it repaired once a year thouugh financially it doesn'tmake sense. I only drive about a thousand miles a year
in it , so it makes a great second car for my purposes. I look at this somewhat like I do my wife of 54 years. She's getting older, and needs more maintenance every year,
but she is still beautiful to look at , would I trade her in for a younger model ?- not on my life ! Enjoy it as long as you can , you never know what will happen tomorrow.

 

Similar here. Lucky enough to have a 2018 XJ575 (in the UK they stopped selling them in the 2019 MY, only diesels for the last year sadly). None of the current crop of cars has the same attributes (for me) as an XJ in 5.0 SC form. I tried a Bentley - nice car but too heavy (and not as nice to drive as the XJ), too expensive to repair and too unreliable!). Not tried anything from the Maserati range though. Some of the Aston Martins are nice. They would be an option. For me, I might go completely the other way and look at a McLaren 570GT. A totally different car., but again special like the XJ.

 

I too have pondered a switch to another vehicle (granted, plenty of life left in my 2016 XJL). I have mainly considered the Audi A8L. I have gone as low as the A6. What you have to watch with the Audi's is if you get the 2.0L motor, they are well known for tossing a valve on cylinder 4 at about 100K miles. I also pondered the Maserati Ghilbi when I purchased my 2016 2 years ago. The big thing I found with that is the car has a very poor record with both electrical issues and reliability in the transmission. So, that may be something to ponder (don't trade one problem for another). Loosely looked at the 7/8 Series BMW's. People think they have gold and well, in short priced me out of even giving them a serious look. This leaves you with Merc. I don't know, I just have never really considered them or started to study them to see if they were something I wanted. I know an S-Class will be right on par with the XJ, so, if you can get a good deal on one (unlikely as they are treated like a BMW from what I have seen), that might be an option.

Honestly, I am pondering "making my own". In short, I have 2 ideas. Getting something like an F-150, converting to full air ride (slight drop) and then dressing up the inside with my creature comforts. Sure, I am probably going to spend as much as I would have on an XJ or similar vehicle, but it is going to be tailored to what I want. The second option is just completely dropping the idea of comfort and going after fun only. From there, looking at either the Beck LIster, Ariel Atom, or going with a kit Shelby Cobra. May even consider a kit 5 window coupe. Again, these cars would get a make over to make them specifically what I want. The Kit 5 window would most likely get a full air ride kit put on it and dressed up like the F-150 would get. Just have the classic look to make people turn their heads. Granted, my shift from an XJ will most likely be associated with a ZBR paint job done to the vehicle (ZBR HyperShift® Pearls – DipYourCar.com). But then, already got the money for my toy truck which may beat everything else and that would get this paint job first.

 

how do you get by on $1k per year maintenance? I actually took it to the dealership (that I had abandoned) this year just to get the tires done, they quoted me $10k for a single motor mount, rear brakes, valve cap leak, tires, and lower control arms. I dont think my car is worth much more than that.

 

all I needed this year was the front sway bar bushings, you needed a lot more than I did. There are a few exceptions to what I go outside the dealership for.
those being a brake job and certainly tires. I go to Discount Tire for my Pirellis’ and an Indy for a brake job, those two alone are a fraction of the cost at a dealership. But still, 10k for what you had done is a total ripoff. Glad to see you’re done with them. I’ve tried figuring out how they came up with 10k and I can’t ,it’s a total ripoff. Best of luck with your new indie.
gpk

 

The XJ will be back... someday.
CEOs come & go over time as do models of cars.
The X351 XJ is special, at least to most of us on The Forum.
I don't think a couple or few thousand a year is too much to ask particularly when I consider what a monthly payment on a new car would be (regardless that I wouldn't prefer to take a loan generally, but for comparison purposes).
And the way I look at it, if the engine is well-maintained as far as oil & cooling, it'll last pretty much forever.
The transmission will last too - but that's considering that some items internal to the transmission do wear and need replacement at some point, which is the time to replace all wear items in the transmission (rebuild).

Of course most owners consider it time to scrap a car when the transmission or engine need major maintenance, largely because it's not encountered as a planned (but major) maintenance event, but instead a catastrophic break-down. And that's because the cost of them easily equal 6 months-worth of new car payments (for reference) and a week more or less of rental car if needed.

Granted, this may include having valve seats/seals/guides (heads basically) redone every few hundred thousand miles to be in the top Jaguar XJ form.
I even consider that the paint may need a refresh after a couple hundred thousand miles of real daily driver road use that the XJ was made for and thrives in.
But periodic replacement of other wear items are reasonably expected for anyone who values their XJ that much.
There are the basic systems that keep the vehicle in service that will put it out of service when the fail from wear including:
Fuel system - (low pressure fuel pump in gas tank + two high=pressure fuel pumps) Fuel injectors can fail, but not all 8 at once and often giving some (albeit subtle) warning.
Electric system (alternator & starter, battery)
Ignition system (ignition coils)
Then there are the comfort items - climate control is the biggest I think. I just replaced the AC compressor & condenser last week and that took about 6 (leisurely pace I admit) hours. The most painful part of that was paying a shop $120 just to extract the R134a from the system before I could R&R the parts.

Then there are relatively little occasional random failures such as ignition button, touch screen failure...

But all that said when ever the wife's XJ does get replaced - and it will eventually, it'll probably be replaced with a more mainstream car that's just a car; much more modern and up to date, but just a car. I don't see an easy replacement.
Unless of course there is a next generation (gas powered preferably) XJ that's available by that time.

 

Maseratis in particular depreciate like a piano falling off a mountain. In 5 years it will be worth less than $20K. The Lucid is also tempting, but any breakthroughs in battery technology will immediately render older models completely worthless.

I haven't found another lightly used luxury car from the modern era that matches the X351. What other car in this price bracket offers front AND rear heated/cooled/powered/massage seats? Top spec X351s with low miles are selling for under $25K for the earlier years. Add $15K of preventative maintenance at an indy shop or $5K in parts for DIY and you've still spent less than the acquisition cost of a lightly used Maybach S-class, BMW 7 series with extended warranty (you will need it, these are nightmares to own), early 2010s Phantom or Flying Spur that offers a comparative level of luxury and isolation.

 

I join to this thread as well, since my 2010 x351 start to age and the odometer have numbers i never believe it will reach with this low issues.
Been checking Porsche Pameras, even had an annother test drive with one, but its just not in the level of the value on my mind. Not very nice inside (bit spartan like Audi/BMW) and the steering feel bit too "disconnect" (can be because of wintertyres). Its electric sister, Taycan, feel bit better to drive even much heavyer, but thoughts about battery charging issues in long distances i need to drive time to time set it back.
Alfa Stelvio & Giulia have got some praises. but not yet tested myself.

 

I have a 2019 XJL 5.0L that is not a 575. There's a lot of 2018 and 2019 V8's out there, you just have to set a search alert on all the common websites.

The 2019 has all the upgrades possible mechanically and electronically. Just having the factory Carplay is very nice.

 

Is it the XJ50?
The only 2019 V8 XJs I've seen are either XJ50 or XJ575. The former appears even more rare.

 

No, it's a 2019 Jaguar XJL Collection 5.0L. They made 300 of the Collections. But I have also seen just standard V8's in the last years.

 

every Maserati I've seen/been in just looked/felt so plasticky on the interior compared to XJ, kinda like a higher end KIA

 

I know this doesn't answer the question, but I'm swapping my wife's F-Pace for a Genesis GV70.

wombat

 

These Quattroportes are super rare, very hard to find. I think they are finally starting to come out of the woodwork a little bit. But yes a great idea, if you can find a service shop.

 

This is plainly ridiculous.

 

You're not seriously suggesting a Flying Spur or a Maybach as a replacement for an XJ? Those cars cost $$$$$$ by comparison, it's a completely different range. And Bentley maintenance makes a Jaguar seem like a Hyundai.

 

Did you read my post? My point is that the XJL represents a much better value for a similar luxury experience. Ignore the brand names. A top spec mid-2010s XJL Portfolio or SuperSport is absolutely comparable in terms of features, cabin and driving experience to an early 2010s Flying Spur or Maybach 57 but the point of entry is $25-30K lower.
The maintenance is fairly similar I'm afraid. A full timing chain service on an XJ runs $10K+ now and cooling system service is $6K+. None of these cars are cheap to own unless you maintain it yourself. Of course the Maybach bespoke interior bits are on another level of cost, but the mechanicals are similar.

The most recent Quattroporte was over 10 years old at the time of its release and is full of cheap leather and leftover Chrysler switchgear, which has the same qualities as DVD-box plastic. The gorgeous bodywork and sonorous engine note don't make up for the fact that Maserati has been agonal breathing since the turn of the century, barely existing as a bubble and squeak brand subsistence farming its 1960s panache. A Maserati rolls off the showroom floor and is already on its third owner. I would be embarrassed to drive one.