I'm looking for a MY 95 or 96 XJS with the inline 6 (AJ16) motor. Most likely 75k to 100k miles. Is it realistic to use these as a daily driver? Could it comparable to a 90's model Audi for instance. Better? Worse?

Some 10 years ago I bought an 89 XJS Coupe with a 12. It was plagued with electrical gremlins and I couldn't afford to keep it running and bailed just 5 months later. It was a beautiful car though and I've missed it ever since. This car had full service records which totaled to more than $44,000 in it's life.

Well, I'm ready to give it another try. Are there any late model XJS owners here that can attest to reliability? (or unreliability)

 

They're generally known to be much less hassle to own than the old V12s. The AJ16 is a good engine and the car itself was improved quite it bit in the final few years.

Still, though, age and miles can eventaully take a toll. I wouldn't expect 100% trouble-free experience with a 15/y/o used car with 75-100k miles. Some owners start slacking off on repairs and servicing at about that age/mileage.

Shop carefully and look for a really well serviced car...with records....and you should be OK.

Cheers
DD

 

Thanks Doug!

I'm a little surprised that only one person responded. Are there not a lot of XJS owners on the site?

 

I've had my 95 xjs with 58000 on it for about a year now and have put a few thousand miles on it. I love my car! I've had no problems with it other that typical stuff like brake cleaning, exhaust stuff etc. My only comment is be prepared to hunt for replacement parts. For example, my cruise doesn't work and I simply cannot find the correct actuator for it. If you find one with headlamp washers on it, make sure they work. the washer jets are irreplaceable. I need two and can't find them anywhere. Little stuff like that you should be prepared for.

 

I think the engine itself is good; mine is a 94, 6cyl... with 174,000 miles... still runs ok; it does have some problems, they were there since I bought it; but you find plenty of documentation and help (via this forum); it might take a little to respond, but someone is reading your posts.

I'm sure that if you are able to find a car with 100,000 miles or less, you'll enjoy it for a long time if you take care of it... my advise would be to try your best to find one that has all proper maintenance done... it will save right-of-the-back work.

good luck

 

I recently (last June) bought a 1995 XJS convertible. I have had 0 problems so far, except for the driver's side mirror, which quit working sideways, still worked up & down. This problem lasted for a few weeks and then miracle cured itself. I drive it about 4 to 5 times a week. Here's the kicker ... it has all the service records and was very well maintained and had ONLY 33k miles. Biggest complaint is getting in and out of the car with the top up. I am only 5'10'', but I really need to watch my head when the top is up. Minor complaint is that the seats do not go up & down so fit will be an issue for some people. However it is one of the most beautiful cars ever designed and I am constantly complimented on how great it looks. It is also a beautiful driver & great ride. Good luck finding one, I am sure you will love it. Also, I receommend the 6 cylinder as they appear to be more trouble free.

 

That's a good point that I would have never even thought of! Thanks for the heads up.


Wow! That's higher than I was expecting to see. How many of these miles have done yourself?

Well, it seems that these are on par for any 90's Euro car (BMW, Mercedes etc) I have owned several Porsche's of this era and a Benz here and there as well. I realize they won't be Toyota Corolla's to maintain, but that's acceptable. I've read much on the web since posting here as well and I'm feeling pretty confident.

How would you guys asses value to mileage on these cars? Let's say there are two identical XJS's except that one has 45k miles and the other 85k miles. What premium should I pay for 45k vs 85k? $3,000, $5,000 maybe just $1,000?

 

It's ironic but true that it can be harder finding parts for the youngest XJSs compared to the older ones. Increased reliability = lack of demand = lack of supply might be part of the explanation.

How much premium for unusually low miles? That's a tuffy. I wouldn't pay a lo-mile premium at all if the car was in just average condition....and lo-miles alone doesn't guarantee top condition.

I'll gladly pay a premium for a car in exceptional all-round condition...especially exceptional cosmetics. If you do enough shopping and comparing (these are not rare cars) you'll get a feel for pricing vs. condtion. To be honest, many that seem extra nice at first blush suddenly appear only average after you've looked at an exceptional car.

As an aside I'll add that we should distinguish between durability and reliabilty. It's not that unusual to see Jags (or others) still running well at 150-175k miles....but that doesn't necessarily mean they've been trouble-free miles :-)

Anyhow, I'm rambling.....

Cheers
DD

 

may be 100 miles...

Well, it seems that these are on par for any 90's Euro car (BMW, Mercedes etc) I have owned several Porsche's of this era and a Benz here and there as well. I realize they won't be Toyota Corolla's to maintain, but that's acceptable. I've read much on the web since posting here as well and I'm feeling pretty confident.
if you go to n.a.d.a., for example or from experience of going to a dealership... the premium for mileage is about $500... you could make and argument either way if one car is older and one is newer... and negotiate the price... make up the difference of years vs miles.

some times, less mileage can mean nothing is that specific year of production is plagued with issues.