Hello to all you Jaguar enthusiasts! So I'm writing to get some thoughts on possibly buying a Jaguar Sovereign XJ6 in the X300 model. I spent some time looking at the X308 and X350 and found them very 'plastic' in comparison. They just didn't have the same elegance to them, and the Sovereign alloys on the X300 are just so incredibly elegant. I was also advised that the 4 litre six cylinder engine is incredibly reliable and longstanding, and that the X300 was known for its reliability. I like the Sovereign for its extras. I am just trying to look for one with a long wheelbase as they are quite cramped in the standard wheelbase, and also one in midnight blue! Such a stunning colour.

I have also been looking at a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow as a second option. Obviously there is a price premium on these cars over an XJ6 but I also like them a lot. Has anyone had both of these cars that they can compare them? And what are people's thoughts on buying an X300? The best one to buy or are there benefits to an X308, despite the fact I find them 'cheaper' looking?

J.

 

My opinion for what you see in it.

The X300 is THE car. The X308/350 are totally different animals.

You have nailed it with the "last of the classic Jags".

The AJ16 engine is bullet proof, and only fails due to stupidity by the nut behind the wheel.

Just sold mine, as I have moved on to the S Type for access reasons, but they are NOT a touch on the X300 for ride and comfort.

Clean air, clean fuel, clean oil, drive it till it drops. We did 70000kms in less than 3 years in ours.

 

You and Grant have it right!

 

Thanks Grant. It sounds like it. I'm in Launceston, so across the pond from you! I am really down to choosing between an XJ6 Sovereign or a nice Silver Shadow. Time will tell. Please do Inbox me your email address and we can chat there. :-)

 

IMO, go for the best condition X300 you can find and only consider colour / LWB etc as "nice to have" options if they happen to coincide. I'm with the others - X300 is the one. I wouldn't go near the X308 with it's rubbish V8.

I sold my X300 just yesterday to a SA buyer after only one week on the market. Good ones are getting scarce and they do get snapped up, so be prepared to look at interstate offerings.

Can't make any qualified comment on the Roller, but I suspect the X300 would make for a more reliable steed.

Best of luck.

 

I've had a few X300's, and a friend has a 1980 Corniche, which is the same mechanicals as the Silver Shadow II. The X300 and the RR are really from different eras, I find the X300 to be much better Engineered and built. The RR is overbuilt in many areas, and crude and complex in many others. The thought process at RR seems to be "why use 3 parts to do the job when we could use 19?"

Parts prices are a consideration too, the RR parts are astronomically priced compared to X300 parts.

I'd always wanted an RR and I think the Shadows are very attractive, but after driving my friends and reading the service manual I know I don't want one. I find it big, ponderous and underpowered for what it is. Drinks fuel too, and there isn't a corresponding amount of performance to go with the consumption. I kept thinking "that's all the power there is?" For 8mpg I expect more get up and go.

My Jag parts guy (who also has lots of RR experience) calls The Shadow/Spirits "the most luxurious lorry ever built"

 

I also think the X300 is the best of the Xj's, but I also think the V8 is an excellent engine, once the few early flaws are corrected. My problem with all the later cars is the complicated electronics, which are fine when new, but a real headache when they age and begin failing. IMO the latest generation will be almost impossible for owner repair and maintenance when they reach the age of the x300.

 

I'm looking for an x300 too. iI has the looks, the grunt and resonable maintenance costs if well care for. A 4.0 sovereign adds shiny chrome, more pep and some nice extra options.

I'd never consider a RR, its a big money pit!!!

 

Thanks guys. Some great advice. I had a look at a lovely 1995 Daimler Double Six yesterday but V12 ownership scares me off. Probably safer to stick to a 4.0L six.

Well price wise, there's a massive difference between what I will pay for a good XJ6 and a good RR. Maybe three times.

Are the Sovereigns comfortable to drive? Assuming very cloud like.

 

The V12 is a durable engine, no reason to avoid it. I think the last 6.0 in the sedans is the best, as it has distributorless ignition. For me it would come to condition, price and colour/specification. I'd choose the best car that I liked, rather than worry if it was a V12 or 6. Naturally the V12 will use more fuel if that is a consideration.

Yes, the Sovereign is comfortable, but the best thing is to test drive one and see if you like it. The Daimler / Sovereign are more biased toward comfort than outright handling ability. Buy an XJR if that's what you want.

 

JB1,
I would echo jagboi's comments about the V12; well maintained they will go on indefinitely.
Compared with an RR, the V12 is a paragon of simplicity, ruggedness, and fuel efficiency, not things normally said about it in isolation! If you consider the V12 too risky, run a mile from the RR. I doubt anyone on here would blame you.
Good luck with the hunt!

 

JBI,
A little less than a year ago we had one vehicle... an '05 Kia Sedona. It killed my backside on the road. My wife suggested we get an old highway car. I figured a crown vic would be the way to go. But... shockingly, on craigslist, I found a '97 XJ6L. I bought it the next day, and I am NOT impulsive. Black ext. / Black leather int. Less than 50k miles. $4k. I put about $3k more into it: headliner, new fuel injector, little bit of body work, new tires, something else here, something else there, a little more something else, who cares. I was very fortunate to find a great mechanic locally. He has coffee. Over Thanksgiving we put about 900 miles on it on a road trip to Colorado. About 7 hours into a 9 hour drive I started to get tired of sitting in it… 7 hours. In the Kia I'd be dead at 2 hours.

Bottom line. This car is so nice it almost makes me cry. She ain't perfect. If I had a million dollars I'd have new bilsteins or something put in it and bunch of other little misc. stuff, but this car is the best I've ever owned or driven. Its beautiful - iconic Jaguar. Its so comfortable. I NEVER thought I'd ever, ever be able to own a Jag - ever. If I had to sum up this car in one word, it would be 'delight'. That is what it brings me, my wife, and my friends. It is that fun, that nice, that awesome.

Get it… then get a fedora. If you're over 40 or own a Jag you can wear a fedora.

 

You will see from my signature below what cars I have. I have done 100,000 miles in my XJ Sport and it has never let me down. A few little niggles along the way. I have however just changed the engine & gearbox as it jumped out of 4th gear and I broke a car to get a good gearbox and as it is easier to take eng & box out together I changed both as engine had only done 92k. I can cope with most problems myself but this forum is fab as there are so many helpful people out there. If you want more grunt get an XJR and they are increasing in value now...

 

Thanks everyone. At the moment, it seems to be a toss up between a 1995 Daimler Double Six or a 1995 Jaguar XJ6 Sovereign. They both seem to have the pros and cons. I am attracted to the Daimler for the finer woodwork and extra bells and whistles, but somewhere deep down I feel the 4.0L Sovereign would be a better choice. However the Daimler has no service history with it. A definite no no for a Double Six or? Thoughts?

 

I wouldn't necessarily worry about the service history on the Double Six. Are you buying it from a dealer or the owner? You can tell a lot about the car by the way it appears. Does it appear clean and well looked after? Clean engine bay? Everything work? If it's owner you can probably get a vibe off him (or her) about their attitude to the car and how likely they are to have looked after it.

On the flip side I've seen cars with a "full service history" where all the paper work was right and the owner had been charged for service but things had clearly been missed.

I bought an XJS V12 that came with a fat file of receipts, but it had a misfire and the check engine came on right after I bought it. Turned out the sparkplugs and wires were original ( car had 78,000 miles on it) and had never been changed. There was 2 receipts for them being changed, but it had never been done. Diff oil was 1/2 a litre down, but there was also a receipt for it having been changed.

 

I have owned my 95 XJ6 for almost 12 years. Other than a few minor issues it is the best and most enjoyable car I have ever owned. I still get complements on the car from strangers in the supermarket parking lot. And without a doubt it has the best road feel of any car I have ever driven. My wife like it better that the cherry XK8 I bought for her.