Hi Y’all new member here,

I am considering buying a 2004 – 2009 XJ8 (I like that body style better than the present one) and I wanted to hear from Jaguar owners, cause, if you want to know about a car you ask the most knowledgeable people, the owners. Is the XJ8 a good reliable daily driver? I am looking for a car that I can put 30k miles a year on and not spend a lot of money in repairs. I keep cars for the long haul and take care of them. My 01 Pontiac has 500K miles on it and it is time to look for a newer car. Will I be able to do the same with a XJ8? Or a good XJR?

Thank you for any information.

 

To put it lightly, you will put a lot of money into an XJ of either type. It's a very complex vehicle where things could go wrong at any time, especially for the age of car you are considering. I've had my car for a year and 2 months and have easily spent $4500 on repairs and replacements in the first 6 months. Luckily I haven't had anything go wrong in the last 8 months (other than the key fob that stopped working).

On the other hand, the joy of owning an XJ is worth the money I spend to maintain it. Each time I drive it I feel like the king of the world!

 

I don't know about a daily driver you will put 30k a year on, but I have put 25k on my 2005 XJ8L in the past 3 years without a single problem and I like to drive it like I stole it!!!

I do agree with nlt264 about the XJ being worth the money to maintain it, and the joy of driving a very classy car.

 

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...tained-134763/
Have a look through the above thread.

 

I recently purchased a 2008 XJ8 with 109,000 miles on it. I drive it every day. I also work conventions in various cities and drive most weekends between 6 and 10 hours one way. I have no issues with the car on either the short (in city, at home driving) or long (on the way to a convention) drives. The ride is fantastic and my Jag is quite responsive. It drives like a sports car. I love it.

My opinion - these cars were made to drive and at 100,000 miles they are just broken in.

 

As with any 100,000 mile car you want service records. My 05 Super V/8 has 102000 miles. Had one air suspension strut replaced in front from new. $800. Replacing all front and rear sway bar links. $50 rear, my labor. fronts $80 parts, my labor. Buy the newest one in the best condition with service history you can afford.

 

Care to elaborate on those repairs and maintenance items?

I bought my car at 86k. New battery at 88k. At 90k, I did transmission flush, differential flush, belt, oil/filter change, air filter/wiper blades. Total spent so far is $1300.

 

Yes.

 

To tell you what you already know... It's 12 yrs old. You can be lucky or unlucky. They are far better than cars (and especially Jaguars) used to be ... but any 12yr old car can be a pain or a joy.

I'd look for one with lots of receipts from an owner I believed cared.

Would be wise to be good at DIY and go over it carefully before & after purchase.

The 30K is good as cars like to be driven.

 

These cars seem to run better if they are used regular as with any car servicing is the key I have had mine two years now and spent very little on things going wrong but I love tinkering so that spend is a different matter . The thing I love the most is the way it covers ground so effortlessly

 

$1600 Right front air shock
$1900 Alternator and battery
$1000 Force Balance Wheels, Alignment and a few other small items like light bulbs, oil change, air filters replaced, etc
$400 Replace Front Suspension Bushings

 

Where on Earth did you go to pay those prices??


Mine has been a daily driver since 3/2014. The only issues I had was a headlight ballast go out. Bought a used one on Ebay for $115 and installed it myself. I need to replace an 02 sensor and the CATS fault light is illuminated. The CATS problem I don't mind because I personally like the stiffer ride. It does use some oil, a quart every 1000 miles. Only other issues is the headliner is beginning to detach.


I do plan on selling it though...

 

For the Air Shock and Alternator I had to go to the dealership. The independent Jag repair shop was booked after each event and couldn't get to my car for 4-5 days. I needed my car so I had to pay. The air shock to 3 hours and the alternator took 4 hours.

And the $1000 included a few other things that I can't remember.

 

I paid slightly less for above same items also at an indie shop in Pasadena CA. It sounds like a lot but as I see it the car will be good for another 5-8 years with these new parts provided as another poster said you keep it running on a regular basis. I had more random issues when I let it sit for weeks. My big job this year will be transmission flush.

Just budget 10-15k/year for maintenance and you should be fine, if you're not a DIY'er.

 

Budget $10,000 - $15,000 per year? Surely you mean $1000 - $1500/year. If I had to budget $10,000+ each year for maintenance, then I could just buy another used Jag each year! :P

 

Whoops I was dreaming about my next car, a 10-15k XK8

 

My XJ6 (3 litre Ford-sourced V6), has been my daily driver since Spring 2010 when I bought it at 30k miles. It is now on 107k miles. In that time I have had to wack-out quite a lot on what I call "unfair wear and tear". This spending has mainly been on parts that I would consider should have lasted a lot longer than they did. Most of these are suspension parts. Now my car is a 2003, and things were improved as time went on. For instance the air compressor for the suspension failed shortly after I bought the car. A service-exchange item was fitted, and this is still on the car at 106k miles. Suspension bushes were a controversial item early in the car's production as the rear lower wishbone bushes would start to fail, (mine were already failing), yet Jaguar would not sell separate bushes, so the only option was new wishbones with bushes at £460 each, two needed !!! I was fortunate as the indie that replaced my wishbones got them on the internet for less than half that price. Even so, they are now starting to wear out again, although the car recently passed its UK roadworthiness test
Fortunately, the aftermarket has come to our rescue, and suspension parts are now reasonably priced and have a reasonably long life.


In terms of doing 30k miles a year, the editor of the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club magazine here in the UK got his 2004 car up to 230k miles. The car would still be running were it not for a deer running out at night and damaging the car so much it was written off as the cost of repair exceeded the value of the car.


Last month, again in the UK, and the JEC, a member reported buying a 450k mile car which apparently is in excellent condition. I don't have any doubts these cars can run the Marathon, but any owner must accept it was an expensive car when new, and the parts prices reflect that. Depreciation does its work on the cars, but not on the parts. Of course the aftermarket always is there to assist impecunious owners, plus used parts on eBay, of course.


Of course, there will be those who say "buy a Lexus, they go forever", but would you want one ? To me they seem totally boring and badly styled cars and unattractive for those who, like me, appreciate a bit of elegance ! However, I would not take that too far. Like Jaguars, the Maserati saloons look lovely, but are totally ridiculous in maintenance and repairs costs.

 

I've had mine since 2008, put about 85k miles on it. Issues as far as I remember:
air compressor died, replaced with reman unit @ jag dealer for $500
coolant reservoir - $130 replaced myself.
coolant hoses & thermostat & coolant flush - $350 indie shop
transmission flush - about $250 total indie shop
fuel filter & power steering flush - $250 indie shop
o2 sensors - $300 indie shop
throttle body - $200 replaced myself
vacuum leak intake gasket - $200 indie shop
brake pads $100 fronts installed myself
brake rotors $50 fronts installed myself

It has been cheaper to operate than my Acura SUV - better gas mileage too.

 

I've had my current XJ 6 years ago with 65k miles on it. Now it's got 152k. I drive it every day. It's had its issues, but never anything that has left me stranded, save for 1 single cooling issue. But I'll tell you that I wouldn't able to keep this car if I couldn't perform most of the maintenance and repairs myself.

 

You've got to start doing some wrenching yourself! All that could have been done for around $500 TOPS.