I was recently shopping for a used car and thought I had decided on the Lexus IS250. I was walking the lot and saw this beautiful 2005 XJ8L with 43,000 miles. Car Fax says it has one owner. The dealership is asking exactly what KBB says it is worth.

I have spent all afternoon researching possible problems and issues with this model. I am really not finding very many negatives about this car.

Can you please help me out by giving me advice on whether or not this is a wise investment?

Thanks.

 

Jaguars, Lexus or any other car is an expense, not an "investment." The Jag may require more service than the Lexus, but it all depends upon how it was driven and maintained. Any one Jaguar could be more reliable than any one Lexus, but as the sample size grows that will not likely be the case. The Jag was a $70k car to buy new, now it's a $20k car to buy used. It is, however, still a $70k car to maintain. This is true not only for Jag, but any luxury brand. Do your homework and have a detailed PPI performed by a qualified independent mechanic. Consider the purchase price to be a down payment and you will be prepared for future surprises.

Your decision also depend on how you drive. Do you work from home and only use the car on weekends (if so, I'd go with the Jag)? Do you commute 100 miles per day (I'd go Lexus in this case)? Does St. Louis have a good independent Jag specialist (I stay away from dealers no matter the make)? Lots of factors to consider in the final choice.

 

Thank you for your response. Maybe you can help me out with a question that I am having trouble finding an answer to. Why does the $70,000 Jaguar have such a lower resall value percentage that the Lexus IS 250? Is there a fundamental problem with the Jag that I should be aware of, or is the Lexus just that much better car?

 

Yours is an interesting question. I have been driving Jags of one type or another for nearly 40 years, mainly because of the rapid depreciation that allows me to own a wonderfull car that I could not otherwise afford. I've had 5 so far and I've always regarded this depreciation issue as a "little secret" known only to Jag insiders and one that I've happly taken advantage of all this time.

As good a deal as they still are, used Jags don't depreciate as rapidly as they once did, say 30 or 40 years ago. My second Jag was a 72 XJ12, I think, that I bought in 74 at a 50% discount because the owner didn't think it rode as well as his Caddy. It's true.

To answer your question, I don't have an exact answer. I do know that Jags came on the Americal scene during a period of great termoil in the English automotive industry, read British Leland & unions and reliability issues that tared the entire line of English cars. I never experienced any of this reputed unreliability in any of my cars. Mind you, they wern't the world's standard but certainly not the worst either.

The early dealer network had more than it's share of p--poor stores and some areas of our country still do not have their fair share of service providers. But, parts are readiely availabe now and dealer service, while expensive, is top notch.

I'm sure there are other takes on this question. Maybe we will get others to chime in.

 

I don't think that is a fair question. The IS250 is an entry level upscale car, the XJ is a high end luxury sedan.

I read somewhere that most luxury cars (50-70% of them) are leased. That probably is one of the main reasons for low resale values, although it almost seems like it creates a positive feedback loop.

 

I believe Jag has a low resale value due to the overwhelming opinions still out there from the pre Ford ownership vehicles... I remember the old joke, if you own a Jag you need to have two. One to drive and one to leave at the shop. Although Jaguar has overcome the old issues, the stigma/opinion is hard to die.

When anyone finds out I have a Jag that is the first thing I hear, "Oh man those are always in the shop" I politely tell them "actually its never been in the shop, and it gets 27MPG with a 300HP V8. " Most people stand there and dont know what to say.

 

This is true, but I think a lot of the problem is that they just aren't as good as what their rivals are offering. I love the style, pedigree and the beauty of the Jaguar that is unmatched--but refinement, ride quality, fun-to-drive-ness, build quality and accessories/amenities is something that a lot of its competitors beat it in.

Add the fact that most people probably think the X350 design looks really dated, and you have lost a lot of the reason why the average person would even consider buying one.

Let's not kid ourselves, though. Resale values on almost all full size luxury sedans is abysmal.

 

Yeah, no kidding.

The to match the ride of the '73 Coupe deVille I used to own back in the 1990's, you'd have had to put wheels on a living room...and air-suspension!

 

It's funny you mention this, because the second I sat down in the XJ, I thought, "this is what the driver's seat view should be like!"

I'd recently been in a new Mustang and a brand-new Grand Cherokee. I kinda wanted to like the GC, but it felt wrong.

I like the fact the X350 looks the way it does. It's one of the very few vehicles on the road made in the last five years which has headlight housings not trying to meld with the A-pillar.

 

I, too, appreciate the X350's interior styling. Very classic.

But before I seriously started considering the X350, my first reaction to the interior was quite literally, "Seriously?! This car is a 2006 and the interior looks like it's from the 1980s?" I STILL can't seem to find buttons when I need them that I use less frequently, especially the recirculate and rear defrost buttons! I have grown to love it, though. Unfortunately, most people don't! They want the sleek, modern interiors found in BMWs and Lexus, etc.!

I recently went to the DC auto show, where Jaguar had an X350 on display as well as the new XJ. I can't help but feel that Jaguar has finally heard the message from consumers, loud and clear. They wanted something more modern!

 

I'd rather have some style/panache to the interior than to have an ultra-efficient layout which looks like it was designed by bean-counters.

This said, when I drive my wife's Lexus, I occasionally go to the center console with my right hand to lower a window. Typically, I'll smirk and think, "yeah, it's been a while since you drove something other than an old MB."

 

I test drove an XF the other day, and it is a really modern interior, (avant garde, even), and to me, not really as nice as my X350 "retro" saloon. In essence you either like the older style or you dont. Behind the style, the car is as modern as anything else, it just doesnt shout about it. Who wants something that looks like a Jap miniHiFi inside ?

Incidentally, my car is modern in terms of colour of wood and leather - as a Sport it is in grey birdseye maple with Ivory leather and black trim items.

Rapid depreciation is normal for big expensive saloons. Here in the UK it is similar with all the German "biggies", even the big Lexus, and the VW Phaeton falls out of bed with a bump ! Midsize like the Jag XF/BMW 5/Merc E Class fare much better. They all tend to be diesels too. The X350 diesels fetch much more than the petrols as the fuel consumption means they are affordable to run to work in.