Like the title says. I love the looks and power but there are things that make me regret the purchase.

I dislike the suspension. It feels like you are riding on jello. I replaced the entire rear suspension an front links. But there is something still clunking.

Traction off the line is pretty bad. Traction control always kicks in even at partial throttle. Who designs a performance car with 400HP but fails to include a limited slip differential? Just silly.

Depreciation. I'm in the vicinity of $6000 upside down.
Apparently Jaguars never level out when it comes to depreciation.

The infotainment is something from the 80's.

The polished 20" wheels are a pain to polish. They look pretty crappy. Most places want $150 per wheel to polish. I can purchase new wheels with a little more.

Had I done a proper test drive I would have caught on some of the issues but I bought sight unseen and had the car shipped to me.

I may be nit picking but all those little things amount to a big thing and it annoys me.

I'm looking for reasons to keep my car hence why I posted thread.

Right now I can get a new car with warranty with a huge discount that would offset the negative equity. The offer will end on the 31st so I need to make a decision soon.

I always wanted an XJR. Now that I have it, I realized it was a disappointment.

Too bad.

 

What kind of new car are you looking at and how big is the discount? From what I've seen, many new cars depreciate at a greater rate than most used cars, ofcourse depending on model and how good of a deal you get.

For me, I like the uniqueness of our cars enough that I wouldn't want a new car that blends in. Plus I don't mind wrenching on them, either. It really depends on what you expect out of a car. For some people, warranties are golden. To others, they don't matter too much if they can buy them cheaper and work on them themselves. I'm in the latter group, amd look at warranties as costly and unneccessary. I see it as paying a premium for oil changes and routine maintenance, because most of the time on a newer car, you aren't going to run into maintenance nightmares, but you do pay for it. It's really what is important to you.

 

All good points. I also own a 2013 Grand Cherokee which is almost paid off. I was looking at a commuter car specifically the Hyundai Veloster Turbo as the DD instead of the Jeep. I get $4500 discount which essentially washes the negative equity on my Jaguar. I'm sure the Hyundai will depreciate greatly but at least I'll have a warranty and good gas mileage.

 

BlackcatXJR,

A few observations:
What tyres are you running? I agree a LSD is a must have, but generally find traction not bad once on the move, low speeds it can really bog down...

Infotainment system, I would love to see colour LCD touchscreeen navigation from the 80s I would say it is very much of it's time when it came out in 2001.

Wheels, cloudiness can happen to any brand of polished wheel, not specific to Jaguar. Paint them silver and forget about it, if you want a easy to maintain finish....

Values for very good Supercharged X350s, especially X358 possibly are increasing in the UK, no real change in price for the last few years (excluding N/A petrols and diesels which continue to fall )

 

There is a torque-biasing differential made by Quaife that fits the X350; it operates on the same principle as the Torsen diff.

 

I'm running Summer performance Yokohama Advan V105s on factory 20s. The thing about the wheels is that if I can buy new wheels with just a little more why would I want to refinish the old wheels.

My plan b if I keep the car is to get new wheels and ultra high performance all season tires, intake pipe and mina exhaust and leaving it at that.

No sense in putting money in a car that is worth half of what I paid almost two years ago.

 

iIt does drive like a Ford Crown Victoria and not a sports version of a XJ. The engine is sports, the suspension is mushy. My A8 feels like a Formula One car in comparison.
It seems I am working on it constantly. Just picked up tonight, the roof had three spots where the paint had given up and the aluminum or primer was showing. The Texas sun had beat it up. The previous owner had already repainted the hood and trunk. A local body shop sanded and repainted the entire roof for 250.00. Looks perfect.
Still it is fun to drive and looks great. Mine has 19" wheels and traction is fine. Going to change plugs and maybe O2 sensors this year. Maybe then traction will be an issue. Think the plugs have already been changed.
Got it cheap, did not know all the suspension was toast. All was replaced.
Hope to keep it for another five years. Maybe longer.

 

This tool is pretty useful.
AGCO Automotive Repair Service - Baton Rouge, LA - Buy or Keep Calculator

For me, it's about the resale value vs. cost of maintenance and repair.
If the car is worth say $6000 and my repair is $3000, I might keep it. However, If I know I need new wheels or refurbished wheels, new tires, etc in the next few months, I'll factor that in. Also, if I was even in a minor fender bender, I know my insurance would just total it and that to me, is the real kicker.

Cars are a lousy investment with the exceptions found on Jackson Barrett. And you won't see your appreciate to those values in your lifetime.
Your concern is the speed of depreciation. I think KBB has a 5 year cost of ownership on cars so you can look there for you new vehicle, or use the tool.

All wheels are essentially crap anymore and you'll need to repair the ones on your new ride also.

The 80's Touchscreen tech is a bit of hyperbole, but yes, it's seriously lacking and something shy of cheap. A known Jaguar flaw.

Two sentences I read essentially gave your answer to me. "all those little things." I personally like to spend time polishing my ride, but agree with you. I don't like having to work on the damn thing every weekend for some little bug.

"I always wanted an XJR. Now that I have it, I realized it was a disappointment." So you thought you'd like it and it turns out you don't. Happens to everyone at some point. I've had cars where I loved everything about them but settled on a color I didn't care for. Over time it just ate at me and I said screw it, and changed cars. You will not recover your depreciation and you hate the thought of losing more $ than you've already lost.

You're not happy and that my friend should come above all else. Lose the car and buy the one that makes you happy.

 

All very valid points. Perhaps I should revisit the reason I wanted an XJR. For the longest time I drooled over the looks and performance potential. The XJR is my number 31 car. I've had history of diverse car ownership.

The funny thing is that I contradict myself. Another reason for wanting to get rid of the car (not mentioned in the original post) is that I tend to want to drive fast. Sometimes I get tempted in racing other cars which is stupid and irresponsible.

Why contradict myself? Because I want to add exhaust and intake, meaning more power and sound which probably equates to more speed.

For that additional reason, I think I should get something slow and it doesn't hurt if it has warranty.

Or keep the car and learn to control myself. Hmm, I wonder if it's even possible.

Boy, am I conflicted or what?

 

Lol. Very true. My Grand Cherokee with leveling kit and bigger tires feels more planted and inspires more confidence than the XJR.

 

I replaced my 03 STR with an 06 SV8. I STR is an exceptional performing car considering price. Suspension is tight and is quick.
I say this because I'm comparing it to my 06 Mercedes Benz CLS 55 AMG with MSRP over $110k.
The SV8 suspension is completely different from the STR. It is not tight nor mushy. It's smooth and compensates for fast cornering and road imperfections with the ECATS air suspension. The supercharged 4.2 makes the XJ SV8 like no other especially considering when purchased pre owned and the value due to the previous owner taking the steep depreciation.

I can say this because I purchased a 1 Owner California car from a Jaguar Dealer. It was in perfect condition for a 7 year old car with 33k miles when purchased.

These cars are not inexpensive to maintain, but its worth the on going cost to appreciate quality, Jaguar heritage, design and confort. Always getting compliments on it. Can't say that for a Hyandi or Kia

 

No matter what car you buy there will always be some kinds of problems with it. Even brand new ones, look at all the re calls that are always going on. Used cars are usually going to be worse, sometimes much worse. On this forum, most members are enthusiasts, and we buy the cars that we find intersecting and fun. If it isn't fun, then why bother. Buy what you like, do what you want to it. Is it an investment? Probably not. A new car lease is probably a better deal financially. Major depreciation is probably the main reason that most us can enjoy these (one time) pricey Jaguars, so it is kind of a double edged sword.

 

What miles are on your XJR? X358 XJR cars are rare and Hyundai dealer will never value it appropriately. When I bought my XJ8; I always wanted an X358 XJR but I couldn't find one less than $25k 1.5 years ago.

And the velocister is a horrible car IMHO; it looks quirky; noisy; and not comfortable. I would get a genesis coupe over it every day of the week if I wanted a Hyundai.

 

My XJR has around 68K miles. The reason I'm looking at the Veloster is due to the fact that there is a $5k discount after combining a few offers. I figure I could unload my car and use the discount to offset the negative equity. On paper it sounds like a good move but like you said, it is a Hyundai and will be noisy, slow and will also depreciate.

I guess the silver lining is the warranty, new car smell and perhaps MPGs.

I'm sure that if I go thru with it and I see a nice fancy Jaguar next to me I will probably regret it.

I'm leaning towards keeping it and do a few upgrades. New wheels and tires, intake tube and exhaust. Probably Mina because I don't want it to be too loud. I did the resonator delete and x pipe but I feel that it is still too quiet. Anyone knows if Mina gives adiscount to forum members?

My XJR is working fine. I get the occassional check engine light when in the cold for the thermostat not reaching temperature or something like that. I did the entire rear suspension with the exception of the sway bar bushes. In the front the I did the outer tie rods (not sure if they are called tie rods on the Jag) since the control arms looked fine. I do have a slight clunking noise in the front but I haven't investigated the issue. Sway bar bushes, maybe? Inner tie rods? Steering links, don't know.

Thank you all for giving your opinion. I just hope my car does not grenade on me.

 

BlacXJRcat,
At first I thought you were joking but I see now that you seem serious.
How do you compare a Jag, and more specifically a X358 R with that Hyundai?
These are two different worlds...
Jumping to the Hyundai just to benefit from a discount looks strange to me.
Maybe you were not prepared to afford maintenance costs of a used car (without seeing it before purchase...), in particular of a car worth 100k when new.
Anyway, if you feel better with that new Hyunday, go for it.

 

Well excuse me your majesty King of Brussels! You may love spending money on maintenance since you are so rich but I don't. Also, there is no need to attack my character, nevertheless my finances. Perhaps you could see it from my point of view. The XJR is beautiful and is powerful. But it is not the best car out there, too many issues to list (not particularly my car but it is a matter of time before something grenades like any other used luxury car).

As far as my finances, what is it you whether or not I can afford the maintenance? But since you asked, the reason I have a fairly sizable nest egg is due to the fact that I know when I'm wasting money. Earning a good six figures also helps. Let me know if you want to see my tax returns.

I knew Jags are expensive, I've had two of them along with several other European cars. But I'm to a point in my life where I rather have peace of mind and also planning for an early retirement at 51.

Another thing, I never compared the two cars. I simply mentioned the large discount Hyundai is offering for that particular model which would offset the negative equity.

I don't know about you, but I work for my money so I don't particularly enjoy throwing money away.

I wrote this thread looking for friendly opinions and hopefully some kind words of discouragement from getting rid of my XJR. Definitely not looking for off character comments like yours.

 

Sorry if I offended you, that was not my intent.
I was surprised by your approach, that's all.
I tend to buy used cars because I don't like spending that much money on new cars that depreciate that quickly. The corollary being that I know I must properly watch and maintain them.
I knew in advance that a used SV8 was demanding on these apects because of its complex technological features and overall value and I was prepared.
Not a matter of being rich or not.

 

No worries. I probably over reacted. But, yes this cars require a particular mindset. You just have to accept the depreciation and expenses.

I think that after I get new wheels and tires, exhaust and other bits I should fall in love with the car again.

 

2008 XJR with 68k miles without any flaws is worth at least 15-18k used. Trade in value should be around 10-12k at worst. I would list the car and sell it private party if you really didn't want to keep it.

Quick idea would be to go to a carmax for a quick appraisal or any independent luxury dealership for an appraisal or consignment sale.

Sorry if I am asking a personal question but how much did you pay for it when you bought to be $6000 in negative equity?

Lastly, cars are supposed to give you joy and happiness; does your XJR still put a smile on your face? I would only upgrade to something that puts a similar or better smile (good luck )

 

I paid $25k plus tax in August of 2015. Maintenance and repairs hover around $1300. I've driven around 5k miles since I bought it.

Smiles, yes, mostly. Not when the traction control kicks in. I'm thinking better tires may help.