I was really not looking for any car but just by surfing, I came to know that the XJ's resale values are under $20k USD, and thought I'd see what I can get. Based on the feature set and everything that I've read in this forum, they look like really great cars at a great value.

I'm looking at a 2004 XJ8 VDP with 47k miles and nav. the color is not all that great (wish it was black) but the car looks very well maintained inside/out based on pics. The car was purchased through a Jaguar dealer so it is not like it is being sold by some 3rd party dealer. it is being sold by a private party.

What should I expect to pay in the north east region of US for this vehicle? I want to make a reasonable offer and not insult/offend the seller. But i also want to get a good deal.

On a side note, if I get this car, I'll have to sell my 2004 ES330 with similar miles. the resale value of the ES is a few K less than the XJ VDP. However, when new, the XJ costed nearly twice as much as the ES.

Thanks in advance for any input....

Best regards
(hope to buy the Jag and enjoy your company on this forum.. :-) )

 

I can't comment on US prices but for a 6 year old car you need to make sure it has been correctly serviced, and with records to back it up. Looking and test driving will tell you a lot about how well the car has been treated. 6 years and 47K is not a lot of miles per year, so things look favourable.

Only trouble there can be with these short milers is the owner thinks, (when he gets a dealer postcard advising service is due), is to think "Hell, no ! the book says 10,000 miles between services and I have only done 7000, so I'll wait a bit as it costs so much". This for a car that will have cost him at least £40,000 in the UK !! My Owners Book says every 10,000 miles OR every year.

 

@FM: thanks for your reply...

It was delivered in September 2003, so it is roughly a 7 year old car. I have not had a chance to see it or test drive it, but since the seller is far away, I'm trying to minimize the number of trips and make a deal with just one trip.

 

Go to a dealer with the VIN and ask them to print out all the work it has had done - service, warranty, TSB and recalls. Look very carefully for signs of paintwork or prior wrecks (carfax is useless IMHO) - check that the bolts on the fenders haven't been turned, check for consistent shut lines and clearances and look very carefully along the sides of the car.

Look for a TSB for rough shifting. Drive the car and try to see if there are any squeakes when down shifting and check the A/C compressor doesn't squeak when it goes in an out (when turning off and on). Finally get a warranty.

Don't worry about insulting sellers, there are plenty of other cars out there. I'd go in at $16K and expect around 3K for a 3 year/60K warranty with $250 deductible. I'd expect to end up at $18K + TTL. As others have said this is a complex car that is now 7 years old so let that guide your thinking, not the original sticker price. There are several 04 XJ's in TX that are fetching around 18K with fairly low specs so a VDP should fetch a little more, but the options don't really add that much, based on my dealings with dealers.

Oh and IMHO a black car only looks good for the 5 minutes after it is washed, other than that it is the worst color in the world for a car.

- Tim

 

Tim,

Thanks for your reply. I will call up the Jag dealer with the VIN for service record info.. but as you said, I may have to in person.

The carfax is clean.. From a leased vehicle to the single owner purcahsed through a Jag dealer.

It is being sold by a private party and I was thinking around $16k. About 15 days ago, the same model/specs sold on ebay for $18k with 10k less miles (39k miles) to a private party. If the body is good, tires are in good shape and no mech issues, then I think $16k should be good.

Oh, I know some of you purchased these cars recently, I tried to PM you to see if you provide your negotiated price but am not able to PM b/c I'm new here.

If anyone would like to share price paid for 2004 VDP, would greatly appreciate it. You can PM or email me.

Thanks in advance.

 

$16k would be steal. I looked around for about a year and found an 04 XJR with 69K. The VDP brings more money, about $2 or $3K more. I have priced 05 VDPs with that mileage and they are around $20-25K.

 

I agree. Never thought I'd say this about my black 'R' until about 2 weeks ago. After I get transferred to Mainland USA I'm getting my baby repainted. Haven't made up my mind yet, but I'm leaning torwards a dark bronze/cinnamon color, black out the trim except for the bumper corners and the rims. Definately be a unique color for a Jag.

 

I bought my '06 XJR May of last year. KBB was around $36K, got it for $24,900.

Check AutoTrader.com and (believe it or not) Ebay. Ebay is where I found mine, High end used dealer bought it from auction, was a 2 year lease return.

Sometimes you get lucky.

 

Found my on AutoTrader and made a road trip out of it with my father.

 

If you are buying from a distance, I would go with an '05 instead. 2004 had issues with the torque convertor and it's not worth the gamble in my opinion. I would take newer with a few more miles on the odometer when considering this model.

 

MarlboroLTS - You got a great deal.. Congrats.

been looking on ebay - a 2004 VDP with 39k miles sold for $18k USD. Had more options than the one that I'm looking at. I thought that was a nice find as well. I only started looking at these cats recently.. I should've looked into them last year.

Thanks for your reply guys...