Hello All,

Just joined the forum as I'm considering a 08 XJR Convert, Portfolio with 21k miles. Tough to gage what a good price would be on this car so I was hoping you could offer some opinions:

1. It's on its 3rd owner with only 21k miles. Lot of owners, but I test drove the car and met the recent owner (70 year old gentleman who only put 1k miles on it) and I don't think there's any issue there.

2. Car is in great condition excluding a small scratch/gouge on the back right corner panel. He's filled it in with touch up paint, but I'd like to have that fixed. Also has small "wobble" when coming to a stop - nothing huge, but might need an alignment.

3. Warranty good through Feb. next year.

4. We live in Califronia

He's asking $46,500, but said he will go to $45k because he's moving in a few weeks out of state. Seems to be right around Blue Book (KBB).

Anyway, your opinions would be appreciated.

 

Let me just comment on a couple of yours. There will be members that know the prices of used XKRs better than I do.

The "wobble when you come to a stop" is a concern, and probably alignment would not help this at all. When you are coming to a stop with the brakes engaged it could mean warped disc brakes. If you get up to highway speeds and put on the brakes fairly hard, you can see if the steering wheel shakes and the car might even shutter. This is a good sign of warped discs. It is something I would not expect on a low-mileage XKR as the brakes are very sturdy. If you think this is a possibility, I would take the car to a mechanic and have him look at them.

The Warranty must be some sort of extended one as the basic factory warranty of 4 years is done. Is it a Jaguar Select Warranty? Regardless there is going to me a lot of stuff that is not covered under the extended warranty which was by the original Jaguar new vehicle warranty. Normal wear and tear items like brakes, etc. are not usually covered under those. Interior trim is not covered under extended warranties so make sure if the car has a leather dashboard that the leather is in good shape.

 

What sort of warranty is it? If it's the Select Edition warranty, I wouldn't put a whole lot of credence on that to solve anything short of a catastrophic issue. YMMV.

 

Hello:

The seller is asking TOO MUCH, as you do not want to pay dealer retail on this car.

The car is NOT under an original Jaguar OEM warranty. It has to be under a secondary warranty, which could be meaningless.

When spending almost $46,000 you don't want to take any second chances.
Don't let the guy sell you on the $1000 price reduction because "he is moving".

The seller should agree to let you take it to a Jaguar dealership for an inspection and if works needs to be done, he needs to either reduce the price or pay for the repair. Unless you are an experienced Jaguar mechanic, don't just think it may be an alignment needed.

As for the price, you need to buy these cars at are near trade-in price. Here's the quote from NADA.com and you can also compare used values at edmunds.com, and kbb.com. Don't make this purchase an "impulse buy" because it is a Jaguar or because the car looks nice and cool. If you pay the retail price the seller is asking, then 1 year later the car will only be worth the low $30's or high $20's as you can see below. This quote is as of todays value 7-25-2013.

http://www.nadaguides.com/Cars/2008/...charged/Values

Rough Trade Avg Trade-In CleanTrade Clean Retail
Base Price $28,325 $31,375 $33,975 $38,075
Mileage (21,000) $7,875 $7,875 $7,875 $7,875
Total Base Price $36,200 $39,255 $41,825 $45,950
Options: (edit options)
Navigation System Std. Std. Std. Std.
Price with Options $36,200 $39,250 $41,825 $45,950

Seems like $38,000 to $41,000 is fair price, providing there is no mechancial issues. The seller needs to understand that he won't get dealer retail as a "private seller:.

There are lots of Jag XKR's for sale. Be patient, look around, make lots of calls and be sure to price the car using the internet sites for car values.

If you buy on an "impulse", you may be very sorry down the road.

I just bought a 2009 Jag XKR Convertible, showroom condition, 13,800 miles, Portfolio Editon, 1 of 200 made for import into USA for $44,600, on May 24th, 2013. You can see my car, by clicking on my signature link below.

Good luck, but be careful.

 

3rd owner, issues, and scratches, current owner drove for 1K... No thanks. There's plenty of XKR's out there and you are spending real money.

Look nationwide for a no excuse one owner car IMO.

 

I'd consider getting a 2010 for all the upgrades made that year if you can find one in your price range. Most would still be covered by the factory warranty, and you may be able to add an after market warranty of your choice when it expires.

 

I would either get an '07-'08 or an '10. But the '08 you have found is priced out of whack.

I would not get an '09, because they are so similarly priced to a 2010, you might as well get a 2010 model for just a little bit extra.

 

Thanks for all the solid information guys. It's much appreciated.

So I ran some numbers - wanted to see what you think:

KBB:

Private Party: 46035 Good 47200 Very Good
Trade In: 43000 Good 44000 Very Good

Nada: Clean Trade In: 41,825
Nada: Retail: 45950

Edmunds: Trade in Value: $40k (but that's on 09' - wouldn't bring up an 08)

So he wrote me back saying if I made the deal this week, he'd drop to $43,500. Most of the ones on cars.com are above $50k for the 08, convertible, portfolio. The warranty is the Jaguar Option Plus Warranty - are you guys saying this isn't as strong as the standard warranty?

The car is really clean. Anyway, any more thoughts on price with this information...Thanks a bunch guys/gals.

 

I think you can twist his arm more. Why'd he drop another $1500 off the price without provocation?

 

He lowered the price without provacation because he is moving. He and his family are scheduled to move across the country within a two weeks and he doesn't want to take the XKR with him. He seems like a straight shooter for what its worth.

One thing to keep in mind is that there is probably a bit of a premium in California vs. other areas of the country. The 08's and 09's I'm seeing are all $50k+. An 09 in San Fran just got posted by a dealer for $59. $43.5 is 3k under KBB Private party and right at the Trade In Value - guess I'm wondering why you guys think it's overpriced (just curious - not questioning you guys - I appreciate it). It has been for sale for 3 weeks according to the seller as he was originally asking $48,500.

Maybe I'm looking for excuses because the car is so frickin sweet looking .

 

I just looked at prices, and I think you are right. However, I doubt any of those cars will sell anywhere near what they are asking for. These XKR convertible prices seem to swing wildly between convertible season and winter. I bought mine in December, and the difference in price was about $4000 from 6 months before.

 

Thinking about asking him for $41k plus any additonal resulting from an inspection? Thoughts? I live in an area in Califronia where a convertible is good all year car...maybe that's the reason for the higher prices, not sure.

When you guys run a history report, do you just use Carfax? Wondering if there was a free service to use instead.

Thanks guys...you've been extremely helpful to this Nooob.

 

Now you're talking...$41,000 plus repair cost if any, is reasonable.

You're considering spending over $41,000 for the car, so what's the hang up in spending $50.00 for the CarFax? Don't be pennywise dollar foolish. You're getting on the right track. Just because it is "sweet", don't jump the gun. If the guy really wants out at age 70, he will take the $41,000 which is a fair price. If he's driving a Jaguar mostly he has a few bucks and selling the car at $41,000 won't break his bank or net worth.

Be sure to get the car inspected first.

Let us know how you make out.

 

I would get a Carfax and an Autocheck report. The two should run you about $70. It may sound dumb, but even if the car checks out, if it has an accident record you're going to be SOL when you want to trade it in in 2 years. I found out the hard way.

 

Also a lesson learned: CarFax can be up to 4 months out of date.
I bought a car with a "clean" carfax only to loose my shirt on trade in because a front end accident showed up after I bought it! Still had the "Clean CarFax on file as proof, but it made no difference , trade-in value was shot...

Vince

 

Agreed, and also be sure to run a check on the VIN, via the internet. There is no cost to do this.

 

The whole thing sounds fishy to me.

 

Here's a non-fishy story: I found this 08 Jaguar XKR for sale. One or two owners. No one tried to cover over any scratches with (gasp) touch-up paint. The guy has it priced a little bit high, but he won't buge. Says he will take it with him to the moon if he has to rather than sell it for less than [he thinks] it is worth. It drove PERFECTLY and he offered to meet me at the dealership where Mechanic Dan, who already knows the car because that's where it got its 15,000 mile check, can go over it for me. He also showed me the car fax he pulled, and it's clean.

 

wcs,

Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware) when buying any used car. Due diligence is critical before buying an XKR.

Step 1 is to make sure that your dream car has all the options you want. Many options were available for 2008, including interior trim choices (wood/aluminum), type of leather (perforated or not), adaptive cruise, parking sensors front/rear, 19 or 20" wheels (various designs), premium stereo, Alcon 6-piston brakes, Portfolio package, etc. You'll have to Google and do your own research to determine which options are must-haves. You won't be happy if you buy a car that doesn't have everything you really want. For example, if iPod connectivity is important, then look for 2009-up models. Although your Jaguar dealer can add the iPod module to a 2008, I think it's better to put that cost towards the 2009 model.

Step 2 is to get the VIN and buy both CarFax and AutoCheck reports to see if there were any significant issues reported from the delivery date to present, such as flood or collision damage or salvage title. Better to spend $50 and avoid a $40K mistake. Those reports will also tell you the city/state where the previous owners were located, service records, leased or owned, and if the car was sold at auction or dealer/private sale. You might not want a car from a snowy, road-salted area or a city where it is prone to body damage, like D.C., Chicago or NYC. CarFax and AutoCheck are not foolproof, but they are good starting points.

If the car passes Step 1, Step 2 is to take it to an authorized Jaguar dealer for a complete inspection. I bought my car used from a non-Jaguar dealer and had them take it to a Jaguar dealer who used a checklist to provide me with a report in writing at my expense. I also had them pull up the service history and options on the car (equivalent to the new car window sticker, a.k.a. Mulroney sticker) and confirm that it was still under the original factory warranty (which it was). You might not want a car that needs a lot of expensive work or wasn't properly maintained. Make sure that any necessary repairs are covered under the aftermarket warranty before you buy the car; if they are not, you should have the seller make those repairs or negotiate a lower price to cover those repair costs that will come out of your pocket. Get a copy of that warranty and read it before you buy the car. After I bought my car, I was glad it was still under warranty when I had the following parts replaced at no cost: thermostat, catalytic converter, door lock sounder, rear "R" badge.

If all the books and records are available, look inside the Owner's Manual for prior owners' names and addresses. That information is often posted by the dealer and sometimes it is not deleted prior to resale. You might be able to call the previous owners to verify maintenance and accident history.

Look under the hood and make sure all of the plastic engine cover pieces are there as well as all of the fasteners. Two cars I looked at before I bought mine had missing parts. Also consider taking the car to a body shop where they can inspect the undercarriage for repair work that is not apparent to a layman.

If everything checks out and you decide that this is THE ONE, get insurance quotes before you buy it. The 2007-up XK/R (known as X150) is a virtually all-aluminum car and body repairs are expensive, as are parts and labor. The insurance cost in California might give you second thoughts. (I'm very pleased with my rates in Georgia, but this is a 3rd car that I drive under 4K miles/year).

If you decide to buy it, you won't regret it. Most of the members of this forum really love their cars.

Hope this helps,

Stuart

Edited: Started this before dinner, finished it a couple hours later and didn't realize that many of the points I mentioned were covered by previous replies. Great minds think alike!

 

Thanks again for educating me fellas - this seems like a great forum.

I think I'm going to slow down the process on this one. 3 owners is just seems like a lot and if I went to sell it I'd have to tell the person I'm the 4th. I never keep my cars that long so that could be a problem. I do think the seller is ligit however and the car is in good shape (other than that scratch). He did try to argue that fixing that scratch would only be $500, but I'm not buying that.

I'll run the reports today and see what they have to say. Jaguar dealer can't do an inspection for 7 days anyway. As much as I like these cars, the depreciation seems astonishing. I mean this thing could be worth high 20's in a year?? I don't see a 911 depreciating to that level and it's a pretty nice machine as well. Same for a vette although I know it's in a different class.

Thanks again and will keep you posted