2004 XJ8 with 118,000 for $7800, drove great, but A/C was cool, not cold. He had it checked out, said the schrader valve was leaking and has been fixed. Any other possibilities or things to be concerned about?
Reading through the posts they seem to be a very reliable, fun and luxurious car! I'm looking forward to owning one, but want it to be a pleasurable experience, too. Would an XJR be much different in price and costs to operate? One last question is MPG, Highway and City for each.
Thanks for your help in advance! Bob

 

MPG highway between 27 and 30 depending on your speed (28-29 for me at 75mph)
City around 20. I get a combined 25-27 mpg and it's been consistent since I bought mine 2+ years ago. Haven't had any major issues as I approach 100k. Thoroughly enjoy the highway ride...especially the long trips!

 

Deduct 2-3 mpg for the xjr, and expect a bit faster brake pad wear.

 

@Bob

Main thing to be aware of (shouldn't make you run away from the car screaming) is the air suspension and the potential failures and costs involved in fixing it. That topic alone is probably the most discussed on this forum, so read up on that. Ideally if you can see the car when it's cold outside (does that ever happen in Florida?) and has been left sitting for a while so it is at it's lowest suspension height, once you start it, you shouldn't get any warnings about "Vehicle too low", etc, etc.

That is the best way I know of to easily check for a really bad system, but even passing that test won't stop a shock going 10 miles later, but it does build a bit of confidence.

Is there any history with the car you are looking at ? By that mileage I would have expected some suspension work.... probably a compressor change at least

 

Agree with Sarc and others on their points above. I get about 17-19 in my XJR, mostly city driving. On hwy trips, easily 24-25mpg. had mine for about 45k miles (75k total) and just did my brakes the first time. It's actually easier on the XJR as the rear calipers don't need that special twisty tool to retract (they are Brembos). The air suspension seems to be the most common issue, and mine will say Vehicle Too Low and Air Suspension Fault on occasion but my indy mechanic and the dealership both said not to worry about it until one of the shocks fails completely. The droopy headliner is the other issue I need to get taken care of.

Nothing will ride like a Jag and there aren't that many out there, whereas Mercs & Bimmers are a dime a dozen. You ride in distinction and, for the $$, you can't beat the deals. And with the XJR, you get stellar performance too, just behind the M5, IMHO.

 

Aside from what has been said, watch for potential replacement of the coolant hose on the XJR that runs from the front of the engine, underneath the supercharger to the rear of the engine. The only way to change that $10 hose is by removing the supercharger. My Indy shop just did it for $1200. My car started it's life in Miami, so that may have accelerated the wear on the coolant system.