It has 10080 miles on it. My wife does not want me to by it. She is afraid of the cost of repairs. Are thy high? I drive a Cadillac DTS 2006. Does anyone have a comparison of the two cars regarding expected maitaintance. repairs. and costs

 

My 2005 XJ8L has 166,xxx miles. You will replace coolant reservoir (easy), thermostat housing (easy) and possibly some of the front end control arms/bushings (easy). I replaced my alternator (not easy without lift). Overall I have been very pleased with this car and will drive it until it dies completely.

 

The 2005 XJ8 will most likely have some if not all the expected wear & tear expenses associated with any USED, & NEGLECTED vehicle. My 2004 XJ8 has ran through a bit more cash than was expected, as far as price of some of it's parts. The results have been, the nicest car i have EVER driven, is in my garage, waiting for me to go for a run.Can't believe the wife does not want to drive it, & has traded it to me for my Honda Civic.She says it is just too big after driving her Honda for the past 27 years, great news for me.

 

OK; Devil's Advocate: These cars are not for the faint of heart

If you're handy and enjoy doing your own repairs, and the car you're considering has been well looked after, then perhaps OK

Suggest you look for a Jag from a forum member conversant in repairs and maintenance. Do not buy one of these vehicles from a used car dealer. It could easily require more in repairs than it is worth - especially if you have someone else repair it

Look at "2007 XJR Market Value" on this forum thread for a dose of reality. And, try and find an '06 or later (apparently, fewer problems with headliners, electronics, etc). There should be plenty to chose from in FL. And, take it to an independent Jag specialist for a PPI

Jag XJ's are great cars, but you need to be a knowledgeable enthusiast to keep one on the road without financial misgivings, IMHO

 

I have 100K mile on my '04 XJ8. My maintenance costs have been negligible (to this point); you have to replace the normal items, brakes, control arms, and the like, but I have been very pleased overall. I do fear the air suspension, which would be a costly repair, but I have not had any major problems so far. (knock on wood)

The key would be if you could get an accurate history on the car's maintenance over time. Maybe take the VIN to a Jag dealer and see if they have any records?

 

As hisport states you do have to be a knowledgeable owner. It helps if you are able to do your own wrenching and you definitely do not want a dealer to do any work.

I have had my 2005 XJR for almost 3 years and have put 7,000 on it over those 3 years on top of the original 100,000.

I have done all the maintenance myself so far from spark plugs to valley hose to rear bushings etc.

My car was a single owner car when I bought it.

 

I would agree with what everyone has stated. I do my own work on my cars (except the 2017 for my wife; well did change the oil/filter midway in the service schedule). My 2008 had about 120K miles when I bought it and I am right at 129K. I bought it with a complete service history with all records. Prior 2 owners did all maintenance per the factory. However, these cars are hard on the suspension. Due to the miles on mine along with a failure of an air shock and clearly worn suspension components I have changed everything out over the past year on my own. I did switch two weeks ago to coilovers in lieu of the air shocks. Between the coilovers and all the suspension components I have spent about $4,000 the past year on these components. Remember this did not include labor and included me looking at various ford parts that were the same as the Jaguar parts to save at least another grand.

Love the Jags but would not own in my situation unless I did my own work. It is not that working on them is hard it is just that not as many were produced so less aftermarket parts and OEM parts can get expensive.

 

A Cheap Jag is the Most Expensive Car You Can Buy