I'm down to two choices for an XJ L Portfolio:

• A 2015 with 20,000 miles for $38,000
• A 2013 with 30,000 miles for $29,000

Both of the cars are identically equipped so it's just a matter of the things that weren't available in 2013 (mainly the supercharged V6 vs. the normal V8 and the soft-close doors, unless I'm missing something else...?)

I can afford both but don't want to more more if I don't have to. Would you pay another $9000 to have a car that was two years newer and had 10K fewer miles on the clock?

 

 

Ah, good observation on the warranty. Yes, there is still about 8 months/30K miles left on the 2015's warranty. (The 2013's warranty expired a while ago, obviously.)

Even if I was to buy an extended warranty on the 2013 XJ L (haven't decided on that yet) I feel like I will still come out ahead. I like the throttle response on the 2013's 5.0 L V8, (and maybe this is an unfounded assumption) but being naturally aspirated I'm wondering if there are fewer parts to break on the V8 because there's no supercharger...??

Besides, the 2015 XJ L is Rhodium Silver with a Cirrus (gray) interior. I mean, it's okay. It's certainly not hideous. But it's definitely not the gorgeous British Racing Green and London Tan of the 2013 XJ L. 8-)

Thanks!

 

I think it depends on how much you drive. How long is that extra 10k miles going to last you?

But for the record, I DESPISE gray interiors.

 

I thought the gray interior looked, um, dirty. And the funny thing was, it wasn't! In fact, it had fewer cosmetic smudges than the London Tan, but it just seemed more... dreary. (Apologies to anyone who got the "Cirrus" interior!)

10K will last me a little over a year. That's what I've been averaging the past four years with my '04 XJR.

 

OK, here's something interesting. The dealer of the 2013 British Racing Green XJL Portfolio is being squirrelly about getting back to me, so I've been looking at CPOs, even though I think they're generally overpriced. I found a 2015 XJL Portfolio CPO that's similar to the 2013, but it only has 5,000 miles on the odometer. It doesn't appear to be a salvage title or wrecked; the VIN search and CarFax both seem to check out. By all appearances, its previous owner just simply didn't drive it very much.

The 2013 XJL has 30K on the clock, so we are now talking a whopping difference of 25,000 miles. For me that's about 2-1/2 years' worth of driving. And even though the asking price is more than I wanted to spend, I am sorely tempted to go on a mini-road trip to investigate this unicorn further.

So... would you pay $14,000 more for an XJL Portfolio that's two years newer and literally is almost a new car?

 

If you think you like the normally aspirated 5.0L, you really need to drive a 2013-up 5.0L SC XJ.

 

Buy this 2016 XJ 5.0L SC with only 3,248 miles!
https://www.jaguarnorthatlanta.com/c...0085737da5.htm

 

Stuart, the 5.0 L Supercharged XJs are indeed a blast, but to be honest they're also out of my price range. My XJR daily driver that died this week (prompting this research venture) was a money pit, quite frankly. That adventure has put me in a mindset where I'm sticking to vehicles 3-4 years old* at most with no more than 10K per year on the odo, and unfortunately the Supercharged models that meet those criteria don't meet the budget I've set.

* - Yes I know the 2013 XJL breaks the 4 year rule... I'm not made of stone! It was the exact color and interior that I wanted, and comes from a reputable dealer, so I made an exception.

 

The 2015 no contest. You'd be a fool to pay that much for the '13.

 

I would say to go with the 2013 to save the money. I would also go after the 2013 because of the NA 5.0L engine over the supercharged 3.0L engine. My thought is that the 5.0L engine is bigger overall and the bearings and whatnot are going to be larger. So, for the same power use on the NA 5.0L and supercharged 3.0L engine, the 5.0L engine is going to have more margin to failure. Therefore, should last much longer with fewer issues. Power wise, the two motors are close in power (385 for the 5.0L, 340 for the supercharged 3.0L). So, driving is going to be fairly comparable.

A good polish and no one would really know the difference from the exterior of the two cars. Keep the extra money and call it good.

 

Definitely go with the 2015,, Yes you're paying more but you also getting a newer car, less mileage, warranty, better engine (in my opinion uses less gas and as powerful as 5.0 NA).

Or search for a newer vehicle in general if you don't like the suggested 2015 interior color but definitely get a newer car, if you can get a 16 with the face-lift that would be even better

 

Can you still get a CPO for the '13? I don't think I'd pay over $20k for it if you decide that is the one you want. I like the British green and it is very hard to find.

 

I like the 2013 for colors and the V8. It is a low miles XJ and would want to be sure that it had been serviced properly based on time and not mileage since it is so low. If it is a JLR dealer selling you may want to add the extended service contract that is offered by Jaguar dealers and if so the price is negotiable. Just my opinion. Good luck.

 

Iv'e had all these engines in my Jags: V8 NA, V8 SC, V6 SC. The V8 NA is still my favorite for sure.

 

I'm not sure whether Jaguar had finally bottomed the roof popping syndrome in 2013, but they definitely had in 2015, (or so I am told). The 2017 I drove in late January was totally silent all round but as it only had 32 miles on the odometer, this was not a real test !
Having driven an X351, I'm sure Kitty will love it, it drives the same as the previous car, (it has the same suspension layout), but is a whole lot different in all other respects. Me, I like the old-fashioned style and interior of the older car. The later X350s (the X358s) were a whole lot better, based on my own experience with my 2007 Sovereign, but even the newest is now 10 years old.

 

 

The 8-speed transmission, Meridian sound system, and Intelligent Stop-Start are major improvements that were introduced with the 2013 models. I think the touchscreen was improved, too. Some don't like the stop-start, but I like it once I learned how to control it with brake pedal pressure.

 

To add to Stuarts reasons. The entire car was gone through and the electronics were changed to Bosch. Also ride calibrations were changed. In my particular case I had originally ordered a 2012 SuperSport with the exact same configuration. Due to production delays the Speed Package I ordered was not being installed until the end of the 2012 model run in June 2012. So having waited since originally ordering in February of 2012 and developing a relationship with the factory area manage. I requested and was granted a model rollover to the 2013. In fact the 2012 did arrive here in July and the rep brought it to my office and we drove it and it was spectacular, but oped to wait till the end of October for the 2013 they has placed on the build schedule for me. When the 2013 arrived at the dealer I met up with the rep and salesman and the rep offered to make me a fantastic deal on the 2012. I told him to not even give me a number as there were so many improvements on the 2013 and was in no way interested in the 2012. And d I am happy with the decision I made..

 

the supercharger is a pain in the *** if anything goes wrong with coolant or engine. I had a coolant pipe bust that runs under the SC on my 2014 XJL. It take about 8 hours of labor because the SC had to be lifted to get to the pipe. Same thing with the oil leak from the valve cover. I love the SC but be aware that it gets in the way of repairing what is minor on a V8. The SC sits on top on the V on the engine and has to be removed for some repairs that wouldn't cost much on a car without it, eg. the cooling pipe that runs under the SC is accessible on a V8. I have a problem with a cam shaft sensor code right now. The SC coming off adds 8 hours of labor to the job. They have to remove it to the timing cover. Buyer beware, the SC can lead to much higher repair bills on things like oil valve cover leaks (common), coolant leaks (TSB on the problem), and anything where the SC is in the way of the job like getting to the timing cover. I love the way it runs but it adds to the repair bill.