Are 10-12 year old XJ8's as troublesome as reading these forums one would be led to believe?

I have owned two Jags in the past. a '96 XJ6 (burgundy red...sweet color) and a '98 XK8. Am currently driving a 2000 Infinity Q45 with 185K miles on it. I have to say that it has been the most reliable car I have ever owned. However, I want to give this car to my 16 year old grandson and will be looking for another oldie but goodie.

The question is which car to go with on a budget that is $10K or less? My heart says Jag while my practical side says Infinity. Since Infinity is essentially a gussied up Nissan it is easier to find a competent mechanic and parts are cheaper when compared to a Jag or Merc. Between a Jag and Mercedes S class the Merc seem to have the edge in long term reliability.

Reading some of the threads here makes one think that an older Jag is nothing but a money pit. Realizing that people tend to report problems as opposed to "My Jag lasted 200K miles and I never spent a penny on repairs", I would be interested in hearing from people who have older XJ8 cars that have NOT cost an arm and a leg to maintain.

MODERATOR: Since my question would include 2004, 2005 XJ sedans, should I post this question there too?

 

I think it really has more to do with how the car has been maintained. My XJR has 152k and I have owned for the last 6 or 7 years. I have done some work to update the known issues, but the fuel pumps have been the only "failure" I have experienced. I have had several Mercedes, and for reliability, they are amazing. The only problems I had to deal with were caused by my drivers. I am very particular about the cars I buy. I am usually very interested in service records and original owners. I purchased my dad a 1996 Honda Accord and he has been driving it for several years now and hasn't even needed to put tires on it yet. It depends entirely on what you are looking for. Luxury and reliability rarely come in the same package. Mercedes are great reliable cars but they are not Jags.
Just my 2 cents.

 

That's about sums it up for me too. If Jags had the reliability of a Mercedes this would be a no-brainer. But, as all Jag owners know, there is an emotional aspect that comes into play that is simply not there with a Mercedes.

 

I think this is right. Many of us drive Jags for the 'grace & pace…' so we use these forums to keep them in tip-top shape, as opposed to other cars on which owners might let stuff go. I've certainly do. My '98 hasn't exactly been a Camry, but really the only problems I've had with it are either a) well-known issues (e.g. water pump) or b) normal maintenance (e.g. brakes & bulbs). Otherwise, it's been completely reliable. (Hope I didn't just jinx myself!)

I recently bought a used Volvo for the family, and was almost talked out of it by reading of all the problems on Volvo Forums. But it was there I also read (on a similar thread) that any forum will give the impression that a particular car is inherently troublesome because it's the nature of forums for folks to post about the problems they are having. And one has to think that for every person who posts a problem on the forum, there are ten others who are perfectly content, driving their cars, and taking them to their mechanics as needed.

At the end of the day, these are just used cars. Could blow up at any time - no matter the brand. Although, sometimes I do long for the simplicity of the aforementioned Camry. But then again, I'd rather drive my Jag.

Cheers,
Scott

 

Thats interesting ........ My first car was a MB back in the 70's ... always had both Jags and MB around since I was a kid ....... Since the 1995 model year the Jags win hands down on reliability.

MB's are great .. but not trouble free.

Now the few Lexus vehicles I have owned ... thats trouble free

 

I'd have to agree with the Lexus comment. I have owned (2) LS400s and wow, those are great cars. They also can be had relatively inexpensive and in fairly good nick. Seems like the leather on the drivers seat, power steering pump and dash lighting are the major issues, but I honestly never experienced any of them. The last one I had had 253k miles and was still going strong when my daughter had a head on collision. Airbags worked and she walked away with a bruised knee. Not exactly a sporting ride though.

 

I went about 10 years buying year old ones for my company -- they would literally go 200k with almost doing nothing to them.


In my case they were all ES's we had one SUV -- I would buy the loner cars. Lexus gave me a great deal and 100k warranty.

And even north of 200k they were worth 4-5k


With any luxury car you have to purchase the correct car -- the x308's are great but I would only look at a later one at this point - with as few miles as possible.

 

How true! My wife drives a 2001 Lexus RX300 with 150K. As long as I change the oli regularly it runs fine despite the always on Check Engine Light.

 

Did you have the code checked for the CEL ?

Lost of places will do it for free -- autozone for one

 

I have owned many cars thru my lifetime(hobby or obsession, take your pick), but very few could I could sense their soul. My Jag and the T-birds are two of the greatest.
Dave- certified car nut.

 

I did, and it's an ongoing problem for older Lexus models. It indicates an emission system problem where the sensor is apparently very sensitive. No harm is being done, and it would cost big bucks to replace the sensor.

 

Ah hah ! A Lexus with a problem ! I've been driving Jags for the last 20 years and have been very happy. I love the feeling of driving them and the "soul". If you find a good one and fix all the known problems you have a great car. If you don't know squat about cars though, you should buy a Honda and be happily ignorant. But that's just me.

 

Between a Jag and a Mercedes S just pick which one you like being inside the best. Both are going to be expensive to drive, there's no way around it. Both have their share of issues that crop up.

Lexus is the way to go if you don't want to pay the luxury tax but in exchange you don't get quite that same level of luxury.

 

Any 10 or 12 year old car is going to have issues, they're built to last the warranty period anything over it's on us as owners.
Find a late (02,03 x308 model) that's been cared for then you've something that compares favorably with any MB/LEX/BMW/VW/AUDI etc from a decade ago.

 

10 years ago I purchased a 99XJ8L for my wife. She always wanted a green jag. It had 65,000 on it and it was a "Select Edition" from Hennessy Jag. 3 months in she drove home and the dash lit up "reduced power". When she pulled into the driveway the top water hose blew off, scared her, she thought it had caught fire. I had Jag tow it in and met with the service manager. I had read up on the known problems with the 4.0. The thermostat had stuck which caused the problem. While I was there I asked if they would check the timing chain tensioners. They did and found they were cracked. So while they had to replace the t-stat and timing chain assembly all under the select edition warranty, I had them replace the water pump with the latest update. They only charged me for the water pump part, no labor. Since then we have driven it over the past 10 years with only routine maintenance one set of tires and just last year replaced the battery. It is due for new tires, not because of wear, but age related hardening of the rubber. I have tried to get her to trade up to the last model year in that series, but she won't part with it. I bet if I bring home a BRG 2002 XJ8 she wouldn't turn it down. I drive a 95 XJS 4.0 coupe as a daily driver I bought 2 years ago. I have had Merc as well and it is not the same ride or feeling I get in the jag. If you take care of it, It will do well.

 

I cannot characterize any of the Jags I have had as being unreliable. Sure they take some putting right if you're buying from a neglectful owner, but that applies to any make. My Jags have been as good as or better than my Toyotas and my friend's Mazdas. I really don't find the parts expensive, especially compared to newer cars like those Toyotas and Mazdas.

And for some reason, I don't begrudge having to fix a Jag occasionally, the way I do the Tacoma.