I just got a very large raise and I'm going to be in the market for a new car sometime in the next 6-8 months. When I say new, I mean used, and so far the XJR or the S-type R are two of the cars that appeal to me the most because of their combination of performance, luxury, reliability and price. I don't believe there is a better used value on the market in the US right now. That said the idea of buying a big used luxury car is a little scary to someone who has never owned anything better than an old Subaru legacy.

What I would like to know is, how reliable are these cars? All the reading I've done has indicated that the XJR is about as reliable as you can get for a luxury car that wasn't built in Japan, while the S-type R is only a little less so. I've also read that despite their British luxury origins parts aren't terribly expensive unless you get them from a Jaguar dealer. Is this really true? A reliable 7 year old $75k luxury car with a supercharged V8 with ~50k miles on it for ~$22k seems too good to be true, so I'd like you guys to kick me and wake me up if I'm dreaming here.

If it is true, how is the handling of the XJR? I understand that while it does have a firmer suspension tuning than the XJ8 the air suspension can be slow to react resulting in somewhat heavy body roll. Is there a way to fix that? Or is it not really all that bad if you're not planning to track the car? I have no intention of racing, but it would be nice to have a car that can be tossed around a bit on curvy roads. I've read that the S-type R handles better than the XJR but I am concerned about it being less reliable, plus I don't really like its looks as much.

Anyway I apologize if I'm asking questions that have been answered many times before. I just found this forum so I haven't had a chance to dig through it for my answers yet, but if you guys could at least point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.

 

These cars are very reliable, many have easily reached well over 150k miles, but can suffer what I call "unfair wear and tear" on certain items, mainly suspension parts. My personal opinion is that this is caused by the use of large diameter wheels and very low profile tyres. The car has a full air suspension system, of which the shortest lived part is the air compressor. If you buy an XJR, budget for one of these shortly after, unless one has already been fitted a short while ago. Think of it as buying a couple of replacement tyres.

Some US owners have had air spring units fail, but it is puzzling because this is not a real problem here in the UK, in fact, my local independent shop has never replaced one. Air spring units are expensive, even on the internet. Some people have converted to steel springs, or after-market rebuilt air units. If you buy an XJR, I would not recommend replacing with steel springs if you are going to explore the performance. Jaguar engineers spent thousands of hours optimising the air suspension.

Jaguar owners are served by a large after-market in parts, so whilst Jaguar dealers can charge eye-watering prices for some stuff, it is generally available on the internet for 50% less (or more in some cases). Hav ing said that, my local Jaguar agent replace the rear brake discs and pads last year for a very reasonable amount. Rear brakes now wear out quicker than the fronts because of the traction control which uses the back brakes to control wheelspin.

In terms of throwing the car around, be aware that the XJR, although physically larger than the S-type, is actually lighter, and easily "chuckable" on twisty roads. This is due to its aluminium construction; there is very little steel in the car at all. apart from engine and transmission internal parts, and front and rear subframes.

The bottom line is that if you have only so far run a Subaru Legacy, you must be prepared for higher running costs, such as tyres and fuel, but not outrageously so. I am retired on a modest income but manage to run the V6 version plus a VW New Beetle, and an MG Midget. The big secret with Jaguar ownership is is always to buy a used one. Lots of car for little money. An XJR will have higher costs than the "cooking" models, as it is supercharged, and has, I think, Italian Brembo brakes.

Make sure you have a look at a few cars, and test drive the one you think you lke. Don't get too hung up on having an XJR either, the others are pretty good too.

 

My previous car, an 05 XJR was the most satisfactory car I have ever owned. No it was not perfect but it was well within the bounds of what I consider reasonable.
Be warned. The maintenance cost of high end lux/performance cars will be higher than your old Subaru. If you obsess over these things, stay away from any Jag or the like. Judging from your post, you are ready.

 

It has to be a YES vote.

However, carefully consider who/where it is going to be maintained. Jaguars are reasonable to run if you do your own maintenance. They get more $$ expensive if you use a specialist Indy and very $$$$ expensive if you use the Jaguar Dealer.

Graham

 

As a few in here will tell, no one, I think, has shopped longer than I(I may be the only person to have spent$500 on jags and never owned one). I came close on a couple occasions but was frightened off by lack of histories. If you're in the $20k+ market, you'll have a good selection and just prepare for the typical bugaboos(all brands have then even our Subes) that can range int eh 1000s. I think once sorted, any XJ is a fine EU choice, better than any German in the past 10 years at least(or French for that matter!).

 

Everything you guys are saying meshes with what I've heard about this car, which pleases me. Of course it will be significantly more expensive to run than my old subaru (the gas alone would see to that!), but I'm making significantly more money now so it should balance out. Purchasing a used European (hope you brits don't mind if I call it that) Luxury car just had a smell of foolhardiness about it but I'm glad to hear that as long as I am careful the car shouldn't turn into a money pit. I'm actually leaning a bit more towards the S-type R at the moment due to its sportier handling and lack of air suspension, but I'll have to drive both before I can come to any kind of decision. It's nice to have options at least. These Jags are just so much car for the money it's borderline ridiculous. I guess what doesn't appeal to the average American is a boon to the rest of us. I do particularly like the large volume of aluminum in the XJ. Who ever heard of a huge luxury sedan that weighs less than 4000 lbs?

How bad are these cars in the snow? Obviously being high torque RWD cars they are about as far as you can get from a Subaru in that respect. However as long as I can still get to work in the winter on a good set of winter tires I'm not too concerned, even if I have to treat the throttle like it's made of glass. I read that the S-type R has somewhat narrow seats, being a large guy that does concern me a little. Are the seats in the XJR the same? Unfortunately it will be a while before I can test drive the S-type R as there are none for sale within 100 miles of me at the moment. There are a few XJRs around though so hopefully I can take one for a spin sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Edit: Oh and I've already been looking into the regional forums to see where my local independent Jag specialists are. Thankfully there's a couple within a reasonable drive of me. I may try my hand at some of the easy stuff myself as the instructional posts I've seen on here seem very comprehensive.

 

We tend to take my 4.2L XJ8 on long trips because not only is it more comfortable it is better on fuel than my wifes 3.0L Subaru Outback.

Her car is pretty bad around town as well.

 

I'd have to vote yes. I recently bought my mom's '05 VDP and, if it weren't for the deal she gave me, along with the service history from day one, I'd have helped her sell her car and gone shopping for an XJR or Super 8. I love the VDP however, another 100 ponies and Brembos on the spindles can't be all that bad.

Buy that hot rod cat and never look back!

Cheers,
Vance

 

:-) Snow! Have we got snow in Ottawa, Montreal and my favorite skiing spots!
and -40 temperatures too. (It keeps the riff-raff out)
As for the car, on another set of rims I keep Michelin X-Ice, nitrogen filled. And I'm still passing the others. (Turn off the traction control though) And get a block heater!

 

Unless you're tight for parking space, I'd go for the XJR over the S Type R. They both weigh in almost the same, so there's no performance disadvantage of the XJR over the S, and it's got so much more presence. If you were in Italy, I'd probably go for the S type R as the XJR would be a pain to maneuver in the narrow Italian streets. The only thing that you'd have to put up with is the air suspension in the XJ....

 

I can believe that!

WhenI drove the XJR home from London to Switzerland, it got down to 10.1 L/100km, by comparison the best I ever got out of my 3.0L X-Type was 10.0 L/100km...

It's a different story round town though...

Regarding the snow, well that's what the AWD X-Type is for. I personally wouldn't consider taking the XJR out in snow, even with winter tyres. But then again I won't have to. A couple of lads in the UK put winter tyres on their XJR's and they say it's no problem. But proper winter tyres are a must...no all-seasons...

I mentioned it in another thread, I find the XJR seats a bit too snug, I'm another of those "large guys" and I find the sides of the seat base dig into my thighs after a few hours. It got pretty bad after about 8 hours on the way back from London.

I think the drivers seat cushion in mine is a bit worn (90'000 miles) so that might also have something to do with it. Like anything it can be fixed with time, money & enthusiasm...

STR or XJR? Try them both, it really comes down to which one you like more, they're both fantastic...

 

I would not go for the S type R, but XJR yes! Super V8 is even a better choice as it has best of all the XJ editions wrapped into one car.

S Type R is too old in design and construction compared to XJ. Jag is all about aluminum rivet bonding!

 

One of the reasons I traded in my VDP was it was just too big. Land yacht indeed. Parking was such a bear.

That being said, I got more looks in my VDP than I do now in my XK coupe.

 

I have to say the aluminum body of the XJ is definitely one of the main reasons I'm even considering it. The fact that it actually weighs less than the S-type is amazing. That said everything I've read about it says the S-type handles a fair bit better and as you put it the XJ is a bit of a yacht. I don't live in a city but that doesn't mean I want a huge car. I guess it'll all be down to which one I enjoy driving more. I'm afraid my honesty and dislike of listening to sales pitches may make doing so a bit difficult. I've managed to find a couple of dealers who have let me drive cars despite my assertion that I am not buying for at least 6 months but so far no luck with the Jags.

 

The XJ has a horrible blind spot on the A pillar that my XK does not. Have only driven an S Type R once and can't remember how the seating position was...

 

A big YES for the XJR. The S-Type is a bit dated and the dashboard is an ergonomic disaster. The air susp on the XJR is excellent, better than anyone else's. Plus the S type is very dated now, been with us since 99.

 

I just bought an 04 XJR with brand new tires and 43K miles for $16,800 and couldn't be happier. I had to get the brakes done all around, so there's another $1100, including brake fluid replacement. I expect I'll need to do the Arnott suspension replacement soon, since the passenger side front has already been done. But the car is just beautiful, has unlimited power, and a nice smooth ride and plenty good-enough handling for my kind of driving. I expect I'll keep it for 5 years or so (I drive about 5K/year) and then spring for the 09 model :-).

 

Go for the XJR. I have had my 04 for a few months now...and it still feels amazing every time I get behind the wheel! Yes, you will spend more to maintain it than the Subaru. But it is well worth it. The XJR is pure "Grace, Pace, and Space"!

 

Almost forgot... The performance! I know it's not the most mature thing to do, but when the little punks in their Mustangs and WRXs want to see what your Jag can do...it's fun to give them a full throttle supercharged blast from the Jag!

 

If it doesn't have to be an XJR.

There are 2 XJ's in our "Private For Sale" section that look to be in REALLY nice condition!

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/p...-200-nj-78657/

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/p...re-ebay-79730/

I personally would be all over one of these 2 if we were in the market!