Hi rrussell,

You have posted this in the X-type forum. You might want to try the XJ forum instead.

But you should buy it anyway.

 

I have moved your thread off to the X300 Forums .
I would say you should go for it , the engines are almost rock solid , beware some minor issues such as fender arch ,A/C problems .

 

I've got a 97 XJ6 Vanden Plas (VDP) and aside from some repairs made upon receipt of the car in 07, the car has been nothing if not reliable and a pleasure to drive on road trips. It had 38K when I got it; it just turned over 62K last week and had its 60K service done this week.

Some of the problems have been downright humorous: the "disco" interior lighting effect caused by failed door locks; a burned-out sunroof motor that caused it to just slide open one day and not close, right before a rainstorm; a sagging headliner that was temporarily held up by colored staples; and a seized a/c condenser that's belt that was unceremoniously ripped off by a friendly truck driver at a rest stop outside Chicago.

Not so funny was the stuck throttle butterfly, which caused me to throw the car into neutral as often as safely possible so I could tap the accelerator and bring it back down to normal from about 4K RPM!

Although I have owned mostly two-seater sports roadsters, I must admit that I love the car. It looks great, it runs well, and has yet to let me down. (knock on wood)

The upkeep is not cheap. How about $30 for a wheel bolt? And if I dare to take it to any place except a Jaguar dealer, the other shop will mess it up. (I don't know why.) So I pay a high price for service at my local Jag shop, but in my experience the technicians love these cars; the manager said his guys hold this body style especially close to their hearts, and said if I ever decide to sell it, one of the guys will buy it before it ever reaches the lot.

I don't think this car is for the faint of heart or pocketbook, but I have faith in it and drive it every single day without worry. :-)

 

Hey,
I have had my 96 XJ6 for just over a year now and have put 8k miles on it as an every day driver. It is a great car to drive on road trips (3 to date). As you've already been told repairs can be expensive (parts) so have it checked out and make sure everything works. Also, do you have a good honest independant Jag mechanic in your area as it can save you 20-30% on repairs. Love this car.

 

The XJ6 1995-1997 are great. I am selling my 1999 XJ8 just to buy an X300 XJ6 for a daily driver.

Just remember though anyone can purchase a Jaguar but not everyone can afford a Jaguar. Those are two very big differences. If you keep up on routine maintenance the car will never die or give problems, as any other vehicle but dont be cheap and let things slide otherwise you will have the Jaguar nightmare.

A regular mechanic can work on those models, only if they are someone who researches the repair before hand, again as any other vehicle. While the labor will be cheaper the parts are still the same though.

Just make sure you can afford it thats all and then youll have a great car for a long time.