Which Jaguar XJS should I Buy? Advice please
 

Hey All,

1993 xjs 4.0 convertible with 49k for $10,000 one owner looks great all records.
Don't like spoiler on back but can live with it.

1995 xjs 4.0 convertible with 57k for $10,000 look great no records.
1994 xjs 4.0 coupe with 187k for $4,000 looks good lots of records new head gasket at 160, new brakes, new tires every think works except cruise control. I do like the coupe over the convertable.

Thank you in advance. Scott

Hello!!

I am a big fan of the AJ16 engines, so I would go with the 95 if I can get it down to 8k and if the interior and paint are in excellent shape

The 93 has the AJ6 engine and probably has the older bumpers, which I do not care for, and the 94 has too many miles

If you prefer the coupe then that's what you should buy. I'd hold out, though, and look for a lower mileage example.

Cheers
DD

i only paid 3500 for mine, 90k miles. all new suspension components and brakes. a good one should put you in the 4-5k range.

10k is outrageous and i wouldnt have a convertable. anything over 100k miles should also be a big turn off.

Thank you everyone for the fast replies and good advice. I should wait to find a coupe but I don't see very many for sale. The NADA on the 1993 is $8130 I was going to try to get is close to that or not buy it. The 1995 has been for sale for a month, maybe he will come down, right now he is out of town for a week so I have plenty of time to talk myself into that convertible (his does have a check engine light on after he blew out the air filter). Are the aj16 engines that much better or more dependable than the aj6?

Once again thank you for all the help.

I'd go for the '95 hands down. The '95 and '96 models are the easiest to live with as a daily driver with the '94 a close second.

Maybe, maybe not. Convertibles generally hold a higher price, as do 95-96 models. The 80s vintage coupes are generally the lowest price.

$10k might be a bargain for an exceptional example needing minimal work. It's SO much cheaper to pay for a mint example as opposed to buying an average example and bringing it up to the same standard.

Sometimes finding the right car is more important than finding the right price...within reason, of course.






Maybe, maybe not....but caution is certainly required. So much depends on the care the car has received. 100k-120k is no big deal if the car has been well cared for and repairs haven't been put off....which is something to verify, not assume.

That said, 187k miles....as one of the candidate cars has....might be a bit much. Mileage/wear/age eventually takes a toll even if a car has been well kept. I'd be reluctant and/or prepared to spend a chunk of money on repairs.

Cheers
DD

The AJ16 are the Toyota Camry's of Jaguars in terms of reliability. Now, that's within the context of Jaguar ownership, of course. The AJ16 is the AJ6 perfected ....it's easier to work when you do need to work on them. I would go for a 95/96

I have a '94 with the AJ6 and it's been great. I would agree with Spikepaga, I believe the '95 and '96 have the most refinement. Also, as has been noticed, they sell for more than earlier models for that reason.

Rule #1 when considering convertibles; when the top goes down, the price goes up.

This is great advice I am getting! So now I will only shop for a 95 or 96 with that Aj16 engine. Are there an other Jaguar Models that are also very dependable newer or older that 1995. Oh yea the 1993 was mint but I am going to take you advice and wait for 95/96.

Thank you

1995 XJS Convertible
 

I have perhaps one of if not the nicest 1995 XJS Convertible in the country. (It won First Place at The British Invasion last fall). It only has 23,000 original miles on it, and I love it. I suggest you try to find a low mileage example with some knowledge of prior ownership. These 4.0 6 cyl cars are superb in every way, and the 1995-96 cars are the very best of the lot, and easiest to work on. I highly recommend you save your pennies and step up to a low mileage '95='96 car.
Mine drives whisper quiet at any speed. Although a convertible it is very quiet with the top up, no noises whatsoever. It gets an honest 24+ miles per gallon driven at highway speeds. My car has had Connolley's Hide Care put on the hide every so often from new and the interior looks as if no one ever sat in it! The wood trim has been kept waxed with Collonite 476S paste from new and is unmarked and perfect. You will only get this degree of excellence if you buy a low mileage, well cared for car, from someone who loved it while he owned it. There are plenty for sale cheap, but only a handful of the very finest to be found at much more money. To some perfection is worth the extra, for others price is the only concern. I trust you understand a "cheap" car needing things which are expensive to sort out will put you in the same (or close) money you should have spent on a good one. I wish you well finding one, but take some advice, price is not the only thing to consider if you are as fussy as I am. It gives me MORE pleasure to drive my showroom perfect car whichthan some old rat that I bought for cheap. Be careful, find the low mileage example that looks, drives like new, pay the price, you'll have LOTS MORE FUN!!!!
Gerry Acquilano
Geneva, NY

I would join in with those who recommend the 1995/1996 XJS. Our 1996 with <55k miles runs like a top. It does not have blow your socks off power, but it cruises along the New England hiways and counrtyside effortlessly.
I paid a little more than $11k, but it came from a trusted Jag dealer who went over the car and fixed anything that was wrong before I bought it. A little piece of mind was worth the extra $.

This, a million times over. You'll be dissatisfied with the convertible, especially when the inevitable convertible-related repairs pop up.

Please see the orignal post date...
 

....Silvertop27 never posted again.