Good points, all....

Old vehicles are old vehicles regardless of marque and my philosophy is that if you cannot maintain them yourself, they are simply too costly to own in the vast majority of cases. The one very pleasant exception for me has been my 1999 Dodge Ram pickup. It rarely needs anything other than oil & filter changes and tire rotations. But it does need new ball joints now at 17 years of age, so Wayne (cjd777) and I are going to go after them (probably in November). Wayne found the entire front-end rebuild kit for this truck online from Detroit Axle for the unbelievable price of $89. Lots of work to replace those ball joints but it will be well worth it if my truck makes it to age 25....

 

Amen!

 

oops, ignore (or delete) this!

 

Cee Jay: That's the funniest reason for an edit I've seen yet. And we all do have those moments occasionally - lol

 

It comes down to this.
94-96 XJS would be the best years to look for. The AJ-6 engine was revised and probably the least expensive to mantain. I'd look for a well documented service history car.
92-96 XK8 (mid 92 models actually, that's when they upgraded the tensioners) but the 4.2 engine probably is the best. Again best service history model you can find.
If you are handy with mechanical repairs, you'll be ahead of the game, if not you'll need a good independant mechanic familiar with Jaguar cars. NEVER take to dealer for service, you will pay extensivly.
As with any older car, ANY OLDER CAR, there will be more to keep an eye on and preventative mantainance helps. The only difference is with luxury brands, the repairs will usually cost more but not necessarily, depending on the issue.
Don't let these intimidating responses scare you away from looking at Jaguars. But that being said, be sure you can afford a possibly expensive repair if it should be necessary. (I always keep a 1500.00 repair buffer tucked away just in case) Most of my friends with the later model 4.2 XK8's have had almost no major issues and drive their cars all the time. My attorney drives a 2004 XJS and except for the AC compressor has had no major problems and drives it 365 days a year from new. It's now 180k miles. (She has kept it up mechaniclly since day one, finding a good mechanic after her warranty was up).

 

And to be totally honest, I think the late XJS convertible is one truly great looking car. I'd considered buying one many times. I was looking for one that mechanically sound, but discounted because of a worn interior. It would have gotten a complete interior redo and then hit the road. Ahhh,..... :-)

I do hope you enjoy the Hell out of it.

 

1992-1996 XK8? I think you had a brain fart and meant 2002-2006 XK8 (mid 2000 models actually) with the 4.2 liter.
Someone who doesn't know would be quite confused by your post.

 

Kind of a moot point. The OP has not signed on since Sept. 27th.

 

It's always good to get the facts straight so others reading this thread won't be confused.

 

I owned an '89 XJS - no real problems, but it does have a tendancy to get really hot in OAT's of 85*+. Owned an '05 XK8 - only expensive issue was the auto tilt & telescoping steering wheel. Now own a '10 XK - bought used. Found out why traded with only 16,000
miles on it ... non functioning engine cooling fan. Expect any used car or older Jag to have some issue unless you don't really care about it's reliability. Good regular maintenance, not cheap, pays off handsomely.

 

MY bad. My brain is totally fried right now. Too much work!! Yes 2002-2006 models XK8.

 

True, but other members may be dealing with same question.

 

Over the last few months I have seen stranded on roadside for whatever reason -- a late model Mercedes, an Audi, a few Toyotas, even a Lexus. I've only been stranded once, in my '86 XJ6 SIII which overheated and had to be towed home. Based on experience, I would have to say all Jags prior to X300 were real POS.

My old, unloved 1998 XK8 vert was also a POS (thermostat, HVAC issues, seatback broke apart, coolant leak, too many others to mention). If I was to do it all over again, I would only consider a MY2003+ XK8 after the design refresh and 600+parts improvement.

 

i have been looking for a used 2007 and newer XK cainvertible
i have noticed 80% of ones available are 2007 model
year and nearly zero 2008, 2009 2010 or newer

has anyone else experienced this
the owners are either keeping the newer ones or there werent that many sold ?!?

Anyone have any idea ?

 

The years you seek are not covered by this forum. Suggest you try the X150 crew instead. Obvious similarities but a totally redeveloped different car . . . all alloy; fabricated using self puncturing rivet techniques rather than spot welded steel . . . Ford's influence and financial stimulus to push Jaguar into the modern era of robotic rather than human assembly.

Best wishes

Ken

 

Because threads do not get deleted, they are never dead. The vast amount of my knowledge has come from reviewing old threads here and at "Jag Lovers" which apparently is no longer?

After 16 Jags (none of them XJS or XK8's) I can tell you they are no different than any other car. ALL 10+ year old cars will need maintenance/TLC.

I am always amazed how people demand 100% of the Jaguar experience for 10% of the price.

I am always amazed when people compare a Jaguar to a Mustang. Not even in the same universe... Hello

And I like Mustangs.

 

But of little point since the latest resurrection of this two year old thread is to discuss neither XJS nor XK100.

 

I am late into this discussion. We have owned a 1995 XJS since 1999 and now have 74,000 miles. The largest outlays were for new air cond compressor and replacement of the air pump. Probably not unusual for a 22 year old car. We certainly have done ongoing routine maintenance as most have discussed. We bought a low mileage 2001 XK8 2 yeas ago. So far no major expenses. Again we try to be proactive in addressing minor problems and maintenance.
I agree that you could encounter some significant expense with these cars but that is the case with most older vehicles. It is important to find the best examples possible and perhaps pay a little above market as that will likely be less costly in the longer run.
Both cars are fun to drive. Neither are daily drivers although Jaguars are.