Hi
I'm new to both the forum and jags. I'm considering a 100k 2003 XK8 convertible, and wanted to know what you folks think about buying one at that mileage. I intend to use it as my regular car. Is this just a disaster waiting to happen? How well do they tolerate 100-200k miles? It is about 2 years into a new transmission.

Would I be better off spending more on one with fewer miles?

Cheers

 

Expect a lot of answers on this, as you have come to the right place. These cars are pretty solid, after fixing a few known issues. Check the stickies on the main page and you will see what to avoid or at least be aware of.

My 2001 has already passed 100k and it is by no means the winner in the high mileage race. Several guys on here have 150-200k logged already. Even a low mileage 2003 is still almost 10 years old. The trick is to be able to do some DIY work or have access to a reasonable mechanic. Reasonable means Not the Jag Dealer.

Get it checked out, try to get repair & maintenance records, then go for it. They are great cars and you will love driving it.

 

Welcome to the Forum.
What's the price ?
Please take a moment to visit
New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum
so we can all say 'Hello'

 

+ 1 to Mike's advice and Steve's hint about the Intro

Service history is everything - mileage isn't that important.

What you do need to factor in is who will be maintaining the vehicle. Jaguar ownership can be costly if you rely on the dealer or even an independent.

Graham

 

Before I got my 2001 XKR I had always heard how problematic jag ownership was. But being a Ford guy I decided to go ahead and get it as Ford had ownership when my car was made

I second the opinion of a little bit of DIY work and finding a good independent mechanic. The combination of both of those has saved me a few thousand dollars over the years. Thats not to say I've had a lot of problems its just that the couple I had the dealer was kind of spendy.

I've really enjoyed my XKR and am impressed with it.

With that said there's always the lemon out there...

 

+1 to Steve. RE: Price. Its a value-proposition. I struggle to get past my childhood beliefs that a car is reliable over 100K miles. Factually, its not true anymore but I lose confidence so I always go low mileage..and with a little patience there a lot of low mileage Jags out there. I also think the pricing is more favorable for low mileage. KBB will give like $3000 on the difference of 50K versus 100K on a lot of models. I am happy to pay that kind of $ for my perhaps naive perception of peace-of-mind. 2003 onward should spare you some Nikasil, transmission (not that it matters for the particular car you are considering), and tensioner problems that some of us with cars a few years older have to contend with; so good choice on the year. I am on my second XK8. Got rid of the first because it was impractical for a "family car". My guys are bigger than me now so I just came back to an '01 because the feeling of driving these is just plain fun. I dont drive any other car just to go driving. I also love working on them for hobby and people here have already combed over every problem I can imagine and a bunch I never even considered. Parts are more expensive than they are typically going to be for a Ford or Toyota and Jaguar exhibits some behavior that seems to be aimed at discouraging these "old" models from staying on the road (ie- can't buy a throttle-positioning sensor for $60 like you can for your other cars). So you get creative and come to the people on this forum or you spend $900 for a used throttle body or $2000 for a new one. But thats not true with all parts and not enough to discourage anyone here...just be eyes wide-open. Both times I had a dealer check mine out for pre-purchase. The one thing they do well is find every little problem and ring up a big, scary bill on these inspections. It costs around $150 in Chicago area but both times saved me $1000+ in negotiating. My "quick-test" was always to take the oil filler cap off and shine a light into the area and get a look. If you see burnished brown or globs of solidified oil, thats the first clue that maintenance has been lacking. As an ideal starting point you will just see golden oil dripping over gray/polished steel and can proceed on with further inspection steps. Good luck! Jac

 

Thanks to everyone for the replies!
This particular XK8 is a private sale for $9k, but has a sticking latch on the hood, and a small ding on the door (both per seller - I'll see it on Saturday). I'm potentially jumping quicker than intended as this seems to be a great deal, but if it seems good then I will get it inspected.
An additional potential issue is that it turns out my wife doesn't like the look of these... Not a killer, but she prefers the XJ (classic). Anyone have a feel for how the XJ8 and XJR drive compared to an XK8? My kids are split - daughter wants her own door (she's 5 so I think will fit in the back of an XK8), while my son wants the convertible.
Hope to have reason and details to post in an intro thread soon!

Cheers

Dave

 

Dave,

The XK is a lot more fun to drive than the XJ.

I had a 2000 XJ8L before my last 2001 XK8. Made the change because I no longer needed a 4 seater vehicle. It wasn't the number of doors, it was the space in the rear seat made me have a succession of Jaguar saloons.

Have a close look at the legroom in the rear of the XK8. These are a car for two people. The rear seat is a nicely upholstered brief case rack.

Graham

 

If you do buy it get that bonnet latch fixed FAST.
If it finally give up and stops you opening the bonnet it is a major pain to sort out.

 

Thanks Graham - I would only occassionally have to use the back seat (and for short trips). I'm hoping that with the passenger seat well forward, there'd be enough room for a llttle'un. You think that's reasonable?

Cheers,
Dave

 

Oh and the latch is for the convertible top, not the bonnet/hood. I'm assuming it needs the fix for the hose pressure relief that I've read about here.

Cheers,
Dave

 

It probably just needs cleaning and lubricating - you'll find a thread on how to do it if you jump.
You can just about get a small adult in the back with the front seat forward but you wouldn't want to do it often.

 

Thanks for the info on 'practicality'. (should that word be censored out in a sportscar forum?) At least if the weather's good the headroom is there!

Dave

 

For comparison, here's the seats in the fully forward and fully rearward positions:



Maximum distance available between rear seat cushion and back of the front seat is 8".

I'm 5'11" and drive with the seat fully back. With it in the position shown (nearest to the camera on my RHD UK coupe) my knees are up against the dash. I wouldn't care to drive like that!

My granddaughter was reasonably comfortable in the rear passenger side with the front seat fully forwards until she was about 7 years old. After that, she had to sit with her feet up on the seat.

Graham

 

No kid will fit in the so-called back seat of an XK8 for very long. Take it from us owners, the XK8 is a car for two people and only two people....

 

Groceries fit too. I'm shorter than average and no one over 3 feet tall fits back there very well. With two kids, the XJ will be more practical. Especially if car seats or seat boosters are in the picture.

However, the XK will be a LOT more fun to drive. I'd just buy one of each and call it a day.