In my search for a Jaguar XJ8 4.2 or XJR 4.2 SC I have some questions.
I know that a lot of this might have been answered in older post (that I've read already) but some points are still confusing or not clear enough.

- XJ8 4.2 or XJR 4.2 SC?

- Fuel consumption:
What can I realistically expect to be the fuel consumption of the XJ8 4.2l or XJR 4.2l in l/100km. I find a lot of different values in mpg (imperial, US,...) so it's quite confusing. As fuel costs are a significant part of having a car here in Belgium, that is a factor I need to consider.

- Maintenance cost:
How expensive are these cars to maintain and how reliable are they? I can't do anything myself so all would have to be done by a professional. Most topics in this forum are about problems with the car so that's a bit worrying.

- What mileage or km is the maximum I should buy this car with?

- Any other interesting things I should know?

 

If you're worried about repair costs then I would avoid the supercharged car. Have you also thought about the 3 litre V6 at all ? A reliable engine and economical too, although to be fair, not much more than the V8 engine.

If you take the fuel consumption figures for US miles per gallon, you can convert to L/100 kms by using this webpage

Convert US mpg to L/100km, L/100km to US mpg - Fuel Economy Conversion

Most people on this forum use independent Jaguar workshops due to the high labour charges of the main dealers. Also the independents will use parts obtained from the after-market, most of which are from the OEM manufacturers, but much cheaper. The main dealers are forced to use Jaguar supplied parts at Jaguar-set prices. Quite why Jaguar, (and also the other car makers like Mercedes and BMW etc) charge so much for parts is beyond me. They just get a bad reputation, and then sell a lot fewer parts than they otherwise would. To be fair, Jaguar have reviewed a lot of their parts prices according to my local workshop, and prices have come down. For instance, under Ford, the rear lower wishbone was being priced at £460 a side, now it is about half that.

These cars will truly run the marathon, so a car in well maintained condition is OK to buy at 100k miles or more. The key is "well maintained". Any neglected car, not cherished by its previous owner, is going to be trouble, but then this applies to any car. So you need proof of correct and regular servicing, and a test drive to check no fault lights appear and that the car drives well.

Servicing is at 10k miles or yearly if the 10k is not reached.

The cars are built totally from aluminium, and hence can suffer from what I call "creeping lurgy", but is actually a well-known aluminium corrosion syndrome called "crevice" or "filiform" corrosion and occurs in locations where little atmospheric oxygen is present, but there is presence of water and especially salty water. This is the direct opposite of steel that needs oxygen to rust, as well as water. If the conditions are met, this causes a corrosion site to start, and the site creeps along under the paint drawing moisture from the atmosphere through the paint film via a process called "osmosis".
Essentially, it is unsightly, but not a risk to the integrity of the car, my car has had it in one or two places, but is still in immaculate condition at 12 years old and 100k miles (last week).
Places to look are
- leading edge of trunk lid
- door corners
- trunk lid above the chrome 'Jaguar' escutcheon.

 

Everything Fraser said, but my additional 2 cents regarding maintenance and repairs.

Keep in mind that many people come to the forum only because they have an issue, so the problems you see are can give you the sense that every Jag has every problem which is simply not true.

That said, this sticky covers what you need to be well informed.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...d-know-112913/

Cost is a relative term. What's expensive to you might be peanuts to someone else. Parts are more expensive, labor is higher. These aren't mass produced Chevy's. Cost of ownership is likely as high or higher than a Mercedes.

The Air suspension spooks people but the technology isn't new and I personally think it's reliable. When you find the car you want, focus on it.

Bushings - much of the weight and force on the vehicle is borne by the bushings. Earlier posts reflect sticker shock because Jaguar didn't offer replacement bushings. You had to replace the entire control arm. That's no longer the case as there are plenty of aftermarket options now and many of the XJ parts are interchangeable with Lincoln, Ford Thunderbird, S-Type. Basically, time has solved for this.

The transmissions are a war horse but they are NOT sealed for life and do require maintenance. As Fraser points out, find a good independent mechanic or DIY and you'll save some money. Flush and filter every 50,000 miles

You're looking at the SWB. I have the LWB SC. Absolutely have no problem recommending the SC. I haven't owned the non SC though so not much help there.

The Park assist sensors are a bit touchy. The parts aren't expensive but still touchy. You will have fewer problems with them if you hand wash your car. In fact, some of the electrical gremlins seem to be traced to auto car washes.

I hope this info helps you some.

 

Thank you for your elaborate answer!

- I'm not really considering the 3l V6 as it's close to the car I own now performance wise.

- Fuel consumption seems to differ up to 10mpg according to all sources on this forum, which is a bit confusing.

 

Yep, those are confusing and based on individual driving habits, locale, etc.

"Your individual mileage may vary" is used by every car manufacturer here in the US. Many of them are sued for claiming higher MPG than is actual, though I know of only one successful suit.

My average mileage is 20.4 mpg. This is primarily suburban driving average speeds of 35 mph. On the highway, I average 29.5 mpg average speed 70 mph.

 

An average of 23mpg (=10l/100km average) would be reasonable for me. I do about 50/50 highway/suburban.

 

I just did a quick check on my odometer. 4096 miles, average speed 35 MPH, average MPG 21.

 

I can attest to this number on my daily commute with the N/A 4.2L. Usually stays around 23-24 US MPG with a mix of driving, leaning more toward more city/traffic. A full highway trip I easily see 28-30 MPG, and have had it up to 33 MPG. Quite an amazing engine considering there are 4 cylinder engines out there that only get to those numbers.

BTW, I'm extremely envious of your Alfa 159! Love that car, but can't get one in the US!

 

N/A = North American? Or ist it the 300hp, non supercharged version?

 

N/A = Naturally Aspirated (non supercharged)

 

Have you considered a different make and model? Just asking ;-)

 

No, people say I should buy a new car which would be more reliable, more fuel efficient, better for book keeping,... But I'm just a sucker for nice cars with personality .

 

My 4.2 N/A does 10,7 l/100 km on average on mixed Dutch roads. I hear a lot of people say driving a Jaguar is very relaxing but I have to use the power every now and then when driving!

Guus

 

Source out a Jag specialist in your area. I purchased the car with my heart rather than my head. ID'd some issues I should have used as negotiation tools.

 

S/C will probably use like 12l then. Is this your daily driver and if so how is your experience as such?

 

That's why I got mine! The personality!

 

We use it for our private long distance and fun driving, for around town driving we have a small car as well. I don't think we would manage this mileage with city use included.

The car is pretty reliable but it's still a luxury car and no VW Golf so you need to expect higher expenses.

It's a big car in our countries so take it for a test drive first. Mine's the swb and it's already 5,09 m long.

Guus

 

Taxes went from 1700 to 2900 euro a year because from 2016 it's calculated based on emissions, engine size, fiscal HP instead of engine size and age of car...

Think I'll have to let go of my wish for a XJR .